Understanding Livelihood Status of Fishing Communities to the Impact of Climate Change in The Coastal Areas of Bangladesh

محورهای موضوعی : Extension and Economic

Shahali Mitul ¹ , Fakir Huda ² , Md. Asaduzzaman ³

1 - Department of Agricultural Economics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Bangladesh
2 - Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Bangladesh
3 - Assistant Professor, Department of Rural Sociology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Bangladesh

تاریخ دریافت : 1401/10/20 تاریخ پذیرش : 1402/01/01 تاریخ انتشار : 1402/01/11

کلید واژه: Vulnerability, Climate Change, Livelihood, Fishing community, coastal Bangladesh,

چکیده مقاله :

This study assessed the livelihood status and vulnerability context of Bangladeshi coastal small-scale fishing communities to the impacts of climate variability and change. The study was carried out in two villages of Patharghata upazilla in Barguna District, Bangladesh and data were collected from a purposively drawn sample of 90 fisher’s households. Following a mixed-method approach the data were collected using household questionnaires, key informant interviews as well as from secondary sources. A conceptual framework known as Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA) were used for vulnerability assessment. Most of the fishermen belong to young aged group and their educational and training status was very low. Ownership of different livelihood assets among fishermen were not satisfactory. The fishing households is more exposed to climatic variability and change that promoted the impacts of sea level rise, land erosion, cyclones and associated flooding which influence all the livelihood assets and strategies of fishing communities. Most of the households have lower access to sanitation, market transportation, health facilities, GO and NGO services during adverse climatic situation. Increased levels of cyclones and floods will result in greater damage of fishing equipment’s, livelihood assets and lower level of fish catch. Income from fisheries related activities were found reduced by reduction in fish catching which in turn affecting their livelihoods. About 51.67 percent of the sampled households were highly vulnerable i.e., they have greater probability to fall in future income vulnerability. This study recommends for similar studies in other parts of country to develop a benchmark for comparison.

منابع و مأخذ:

1. Ahamed, N. (1999). A study on socio-economic aspects of coastal fishermen in Bangladesh. J Zool, 24, 20-26.


2. Ahmed, M. K., Ameen, M., & Sultana, S. (2002). Impact of global climate change and variability on fisheries resources of Bangladesh. Water and Climate in Bangladesh. Dhaka: IUCN Bangladesh.


3. Ahmed, M. S., Alam, M. S., & Akther, H. (2009). Livelihood assessment of a jatka fishing community at north Srirumthi village, Cnandpur, Bangladesh. South Pacific Studies, 29, 1-12.


4. Akter, N., Ahmed, K., Islam, M. S. & Koo, S. (2009). An economic study on small scale marine fishing in Teknaf of Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh. South Asia Research, 15, 289-313.


5. Ali, M. H., Hossain, M. D., Hasan, A. N. G. M. & Bashar, M. A. (2008). Assessment of the livelihood status of the fish farmers in some selected areas of Bagmara Upazilla under Rajshahi district, J Bangladesh Agri. Uni., 6(2), 367-374.


6. Allison, E. H., Perry, A. L., Badjeck, M.-C., Adger, W. N., Brown, K., Conway, D., Halls, A. S., Pilling, G. M., Reynolds, J. D., Andrew, N. L. & Dulvy, N. K. (2009). Vulnerability of national economies to the impacts of climate change on fisheries. Fish and Fisheries, 10, 173 - 196.


7. Badjeck, M. C., Allison, E. H., Halls, A. S. & Dulvy, N. K. (2010). Impacts of climate variability and change on fishery-based livelihoods. Marine Policy, 34, 375-383.


8. Bhuyan, M. S., Akhtar, A., Saim, K. M. & Islam, M. S. (2016). Present status of socioeconomic conditions of the fishing community of the Meghna River adjacent to Narsingdi District, Bangladesh. J. Entomol. Zool. Studies, 4, 611-616.


9. Deb, L., Mian, M. R.U., Asaduzzaman, M., Mitul, S. S. & Rahman, M. S. (2016). Socioeconomic Analysis of Different Categories of Farm in Selected Areas of Mymensingh, Bangladesh. International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology in Extension and Education Systems (IJASRT in EESs), 6(1), 29-36.


10. (1999). Sustainable livelihoods guidance sheets. London: Department for International Development, UK.


11. (2019). Health Bulletin. Management Information System, Directorate General of Health Services, People's Republic of Bangladesh.


12. DOF (2018). National fisheries week 2018. Dhaka: Department of Fisheries, Government of Bangladesh.


13. Fatema, K & Nur, M. (2020). Status of the Fishermen Living at the Tangon River Bank- A Case Study from the North-west of Bangladesh. J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 13(1&2), 70-75.


14. Hasan, M., Billah, M. M. & Roy, T. K. (2004). Tourism and fishing community of Kuakata: A remote coastal area of Bangladesh, Part - 1. Support for University Fisheries Education and Research Project, Department for International Development, UK.


15. HIES, (2016). Report of the Household Income and Expenditure Survey. Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Finance, People's Republic of Bangladesh.


16. Islam, M. F., Ali, M. F., Rahman, M. S., Haque, S. A., & Juthi, R. A. (2022). Assessing socio-economic patterns and trends of livelihoods of fisher’s community of the Old Brahmaputra River: A case study in Jamalpur, Bangladesh. Archives of Agriculture and Environmental Science, 7(4), 611-617.


17. Islam, M. R., Galibm, S. M. & Rahman, A. (2013). Livelihood of the Fishermen in Monirampur Upazila of Jessore District, Bangladesh. Journal of Fisheries, 1, 37-41.


18. Kostori, M. F. A. (2012). Socio-Economic Condition of Fishermen of the Chalan Beel under Tarash Thana of Sirajganj District in Bangladesh. Bangladesh Research Publications Journal, 6, 393-402.


19. MET OFFICE (2011). Climate: Observations, projections and impacts - Bangladesh. Met Office Hadley Centre and Department of Energy and Climate Change of the United Kingdom.


20. Nowsad Alam, A. K. M., Rahman, M. K., Zakaria, M. U. M., Al-Shahriar & Sarker, F. C. (2021). Nature of Dadon and Its Effect on Livelihood Status of Two Fishing Communities in Kishoreganj Haor of Bangladesh. International Journal of Food Science and Agriculture, 5(1), 140-151.


21. Rahman, M. H., Paul, M., Moazzem, M. H. & Rakib, M. H. (2017). Life of the riverine fishermen: present status of livelihood strategies and economic conditions at Payra River, Bangladesh. Russian journal of agricultural and socio-economic sciences, 12, 299-306.


22. Rahman, M. T., Asaduzzaman, M., Mitul, S. S., Islam, M. M., & Deb, L. (2018). Livelihood Assessment of the Fish Farmers Converted from Agricultural Farming in Selected Areas of Mymensingh District, Bangladesh. International Journal of Agricultural Science, Research and Technology in Extension and Education Systems (IJASRT in EESs), 8(1), 43-48.


23. Sunny, A. R., Prodhan, S. H., Ashrafuzzaman, M., Ahamed, G. S., Sazzad, S. A., Mithun, M. H., et al. (2021). Understanding Livelihood Characteristics and Vulnerabilities of Small-scale Fishers in Coastal Bangladesh. J Aqua Res Develop. 12, 635.


24. Tikadar, K. K., Islam, M. J., Saha, S. M., Alam, M. M., Barman, S. K., & Rahman, M. A. (2022). Livelihood status of small-scale fishermen and determinants of their income: Insights from north-eastern floodplains of Bangladesh. Geography and Sustainability, 3(3), 204-213.


25. Zaman, T., Jewel, M. A. S. & Bhuiyan, A.S. (2006). Present status of pond fishery resources and livelihood of the fish farmers of Mohanpur upazila in Rajshahi District. Univ. J. Zool. Rajshahi Univ., 25, 31-35.