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Local Context of Climate Change Adaptation in the South-Western Coastal Regions of Bangladesh

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Climate Change Strategies: Handling the Challenges of Adapting to a Changing Climate

Part of the book series: Climate Change Management ((CCM))

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Abstract

This study was conducted in 12 unions of the Shyamnagar upazila in Shatkira District, located in the south-western coastal region of Bangladesh (SWCRB). The inhabitants of the SWCRB are affected by different climate-influenced events such as high-intensity cyclones, saltwater intrusion, sea-level rise, and weather pattern-affected agriculture. This study focused on how the local inhabitants are coping with climate change using multilevel adaptation. A mixed approach of data collection, including quantitative and qualitative data, was followed for both primary and secondary sources. Individual level data collection, key informant interviews, close-ended questions, focus groups, life history of SWCRB residents and workshops were used to understand vulnerability and social perceptions at the local level. The findings indicated that multiple adaptation practices are employed by people in SWCRB, such as rainwater harvesting, plantation of different rice varieties, gardening of indigenous vegetables, and pond sand filtering. However, the construction of multipurpose cyclone shelters along with coastal afforestation contribute towards building resilience in the SWRCB from the socio-economic and environmental perspectives. Therefore, this study would help to find the most adequate strategy towards climate change adaptation and sustainability.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Candidate Climate Change and Sustainable Development Policies, Nova University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

    M. Ashrafuzzaman

  2. Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lisbon, Av. Prof. Aníbal Bettencourt 9, 1600-189, Lisbon, Portugal

    M. Ashrafuzzaman, Carla Gomes & João Guerra

  3. Department of Geography, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain

    M. Ashrafuzzaman

  4. University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK

    M. Ashrafuzzaman

  5. Department of Anthropology, University of Chittagong, Chattogram, Bangladesh

    M. Ashrafuzzaman

Authors
  1. M. Ashrafuzzaman
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  2. Carla Gomes
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  3. João Guerra
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Correspondence to M. Ashrafuzzaman .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Research and Transfer Centre "Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management", Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany

    Walter Leal Filho

  2. Research and Transfer Centre "Sustainable Development and Climate Change Management", Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany

    Marina Kovaleva

  3. Department of Life Sciences, Universidade Aberta, Lisbon, Portugal

    Fátima Alves

  4. College of Architecture and Planning, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia

    Ismaila Rimi Abubakar

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Ashrafuzzaman, M., Gomes, C., Guerra, J. (2023). Local Context of Climate Change Adaptation in the South-Western Coastal Regions of Bangladesh. In: Leal Filho, W., Kovaleva, M., Alves, F., Abubakar, I.R. (eds) Climate Change Strategies: Handling the Challenges of Adapting to a Changing Climate. Climate Change Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28728-2_5

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