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This article draws on research findings from fieldwork undertaken in Gaibandha District of Northwest Bangladesh from 2009 to 2010 to analyse the influence of power-related factors on climate change vulnerability and adaptation in two rural communities. The principal aim of the research was to explore the factors that shape differentiated vulnerabil...
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... and poverty that are largely missed by income and consumption-focused methods. The results of each participatory wealth ranking on poverty breakdown and extreme poverty criteria identi fi ed by respondents largely matched indicators used by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and development agencies operating extreme poverty programmes in the local area, e.g. Gana Unnayan Kendra (GUK), BRAC and the UK Department for International Development (DFID). This research departs from a ‘ starting point ’ approach (O ’ Brien, Eriksen, Nygaard, & Schjolden, 2007) in which vulnerability is seen as a context, shaped by socio-economic and political factors and processes that exist prior to the occurrence of a hazard, and that mediate exposure and sensitivity to it, as well as the ability of individuals and communities to cope with its effects. Vulnerability is thus underpinned by factors such as inequality in access to resources (Blaikie, Cannon, Davis, & Wisner, 1994; Paavola & Adger, 2006; Tschakert, 2007). This often results in a relative inability to prepare for and successfully cope with the effects of shocks and stresses, including climate change, among poor and socially excluded communities, and of particular individuals within these communities (e.g. children, women, disabled individuals). Vulnerability to the impacts associated with climate change is therefore differentiated across groups and individuals. This underscores the importance not only of working at the level of groups but also of exploring the factors that shape differentiated vulnerability between individuals belonging to the same group. A major factor underlying differential vulnerability in the research presented here is structural inequality and asymmetries of power that, in turn, mean that certain groups and individuals are disproportionately exposed to impacts from climate events, their livelihoods are more climate dependent and sensitive, and they lack access to resources for coping successfully with shocks, let alone adapting to climate change. This means that they often feel the greatest impacts and take the longest to recover from shocks and stresses. This paper presents ndings from Coirolo (2013) on factors that underpin differential levels of vulnerability across two communities in Northwest Bangladesh, with a focus on extremely poor community members. The central aim is to contribute to an evolving body of empirical data on the role of intangible assets, factors and processes in shaping differential vulnerability to the impacts of climate-related shocks and stresses, and differential capacities to adapt to changing climatic conditions. Power-related factors are explored towards the end of understanding where gaps and needs exist with respect to building adaptive capacity among extremely poor people. The livelihoods framework (DFID, 1999) was used as a conceptual model and guide to data collection for analysing vulnerability among respondents. The re-framed concepts of resources (rather than capitals) and mediating factors , i.e. the factors and processes that in fl uence levels of climate-related vulnerability and adaptive capacity among extremely poor respondents, were added onto the livelihoods approach, forming core components of a mediating factors framework (MFF) 1 that was developed for this research (Figure 1). The choice to employ the concepts of resources and mediating factors was made in order to achieve a truly respondent-led approach. This research uses the term resources rather than capitals to avoid the reliance on pre- de fi ned categories of assets that may be less relevant in exploring the livelihoods of respondents in a given fi eld site location. Instead, the central focus was on how respondents themselves de fi ned and categorized the resources they consider important to their livelihoods and coping strategies. This research also borrows elements of the resource pro fi le framework (Lewis, 1993), which employs a broader and less ‘ taxonomic ’ livelihoods approach ...
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... Gaibandha, a district in the Rangpur division of northern Bangladesh, is notably disaster-prone, situated at the confluence of the Brahmaputra, Jamuna, and Teesta Rivers. The district includes numerous char lands, where around 80% of the residents live in extreme poverty due to frequent floods and riverbank erosion (Coirolo & Rahman, 2014;Hossain et al., 2020;Sarker et al., 2019). Moreover, recent decades have seen deviations in temperature and precipitation patterns from historical norms. ...
... These shifting patterns are expected to worsen, adversely affecting the poor, who are heavily dependent on climatesensitive livelihoods and have limited capacity to cope with climate-related impacts (Coirolo & Rahman, 2014). ...
This study aimed to assess the impact of climate change using the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) and the adaptation strategies of communities, as measured by the Adaptation Strategy Index (ASI), among 120 households across six villages in Fulchari and Shaghata Upazilas of Gaibandha district in northern Bangladesh. The findings highlight changing climatic patterns and show that while respondents are generally aware of the impacts of climate change, there are notable knowledge gaps. Galna Adarshapara was identified as the most vulnerable village according to the LVI, indicating its high susceptibility in areas such as socio‐demographic profile, food security, health, natural hazards, and climate sensitivity. Factors contributing to this vulnerability include geographical isolation, limited education, underdeveloped infrastructure, inadequate health facilities, and a lack of alternative income sources during extreme events. However, coping mechanisms such as irrigation, crop diversification, and the use of double‐platform tube wells are commonly employed to address these climatic impacts. To enhance resilience, it is crucial to implement policy initiatives and institutional arrangements that support local communities in improving their living conditions and adapting to climate change challenges.
... Considering such high vulnerability, for developing countries, such as Bangladesh, adaptation is so far considered as an appropriate strategy to decrease the current and projected climate impacts and associated risks (Rahman et al., 2020;Ayers et al., 2014;Coirolo & Rahman, 2014;Vij et al., 2018). However, the carbon offset mechanism and mitigation strategy have not been excluded from the policy agenda. ...
The concept of community resilience in the contexts of climate change and disasters draws increasing attention and interest from practitioners and researchers in recent development discourse. This paper provides a critical review of six selected frameworks of community resilience building operationalized in Bangladesh over the span of years. In other words, this study aims to contribute to the understanding of resilience through a systematic analysis of the dimensions and indicators of community resilience frameworks. The analysis shows that comprehensive and effective community resilience frameworks should incorporate the missing components linked to fundamental elements of good governance, economic growth, environmental sustainability, social transformation, and capacity development. The paper concludes by highlighting a few other areas of grave concern that need more appropriate attention, considering the severe threats posed by climate change and natural disasters in line with sustainable development goals. Finally, this study recommends further research regarding the effectiveness of these frameworks in different climatic and disaster contexts that can lead the concept into a new dimension of community resilience and sustainability.
... The literature discussed in this section reminds us that climate change adaptation programmes are inherently political (Coirolo & Rahman, 2014;Scoville-Simonds et al., 2020). Relations of power are fundamental to the roll-out of climate adaptation policies and programmes because they confer benefits on successful recipients. ...
The adverse implications of climate change can exacerbate socially uneven distributions of vulnerability. Therefore, climate adaptation programs are maladaptive if benefits are captured by privileged social groups, contributing to heightened socio-economic inequality and leaving the plight of highly vulnerable population segments unaddressed. This paper examines this potential using the case of Birsa Munda Krishi Kranti Yojana, an irrigation subsidy program for Scheduled Tribe farmers administered by the Government of Maharashtra, India. We investigated this scheme in Talasari block, an impoverished rural sub-administrative area 135 km north of Mumbai. The research shows that benefits from the scheme tended to flow towards more well-off agricultural households, notwithstanding checks-and-balances within the program that sought to prioritise the needs of poorer farmers. In turn, these distributional effects contributed to intensified agrarian class stratification by providing more well-off farmers with enhanced capabilities to respond to climate stresses, shedding important conceptual insights into the interplay of climate change and government policy for class mobility within smallholder and tribal populations. The evidence from this paper highlights the imperative for inclusive agricultural development and raises questions about agricultural subsidy programs as policy levers to address climate adaptation.
... These bodies play a pivotal role in shaping adaptive responses and influencing resilience at the grassroots level (Islam et al. 2017). However, amid the urgency of adapting to a changing climate, understanding the local-level institutional dynamics from the perspectives of those most affected often remains unexplored, as the present literature provides numerous broader narratives (Coirolo and Rahman 2014;Rahman 2023). ...
... Gender disparities and the exclusion of community members from decision-making processes reflect broader issues of inclusivity and governance. Female participants' concerns about their exclusion align with the findings of Coirolo and Rahman (2014) and Rahman (2023), who emphasize the marginalization of vulnerable groups in climate adaptation initiatives. The minimal community participation in government projects, as reported by local officials and NGO workers, supports Shi et al. (2020), who stress the importance of participatory approaches for successful adaptation. ...
This study explores the institutional dynamics and adaptive capacity of coastal communities in Bangladesh in the face of climate change, focusing on Shyamnagar Upazila and Kalapara Upazila. Utilizing the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) Framework, we examine the interplay between exogenous factors (e.g., geography, climate-related hazards) and endogenous variables (e.g., informal rules, decision-making structures) that shape local governance and adaptive responses. The research employs a constructivist grounded theory approach to provide in-depth, context-specific insights from community members, local government officials, and civil society organizations. Our findings reveal significant challenges, including the lack of institutional capacity, non-participatory decision-making processes, political bias, and unsustainable adaptation projects. NGOs and CSOs play a crucial yet limited role in resilience building due to their dependency on short-term donor funding. We propose a grounded theory emphasizing the need for robust institutional networks, inclusive governance, long-term planning, and enhanced coordination among stakeholders to improve the adaptive capacity of vulnerable communities. This study contributes to the broader discourse on sustainable and inclusive climate governance by highlighting critical areas for strengthening local institutional capacity in climate change adaptation.
... However, it is also due to disparities in the capacity to deal with and adapt to the adverse effects of climate shocks and stressors, as well as to capitalize on the positive benefits of climate shocks and stresses Tanner and Mitchell (2008); Smit et al. (2001); AfDB et al. (2003) and Adger et al. (2003) all came to the same general conclusion, which is that individuals who are exposed to the most severe threats are also those who are least able to cope with the related repercussions. The disproportionate impact that climateinduced disasters have on poor people who depend on the natural resource base for their livelihoods is caused by a number of interrelated factors (Birkmann et al., 2022;Coirolo & Rahman, 2014;Djoudi et al., 2016;Gentle et al., 2014;Kuchimanchi et al., 2019;Singh et al., 2019). They are less able to adapt to climate change and to recover from its effects because they lack access to resources such as money, land, and technology. ...
This article uses a case study of one of Bangladesh's most disaster-prone subdistricts to examine the role of marginality in determining differential climate resilience. It used a quantitative research design and a household questionnaire survey to acquire data. In order to determine the contributing factors and quantify the magnitude of the influence, ordinal logistic regression is utilized in conjunction with principal component analysis (PCA). The AHP-based indexing approach was used to quantify the degree of resilience and marginality. Results revealed a complex link between marginality and resilience in disaster-affected areas of Southwest Bangladesh. They exhibit four distinct connections, which is impressive because it demonstrates how resilient marginalized households can be and how the opposite is true. It also identifies a lack of access to the formal institutional network and support, restricted access to social support networks, exclusion from housing and public services, restricted freedom of choice networks, and lack of access to financial assets) that have a significant impact on differential resilience. Local governments or policymakers can implement several recommendations by emphasizing the factors that affect various levels of resilience, such as boosting institutional and monetary support, fortifying social networks, improving essential services, and creating livelihood opportunities.
... Due to the dominance of a patriarchal socio-cultural system, men hold a superior status in all aspects of life, and women tend not to participate in the governance of socio-economic affairs. Local government institutions are often unresponsive to community needs for essential services (Coirolo & Rahman, 2014). Consequently, these communities heavily rely on NGOs and other traditional informal mechanisms, which are often exploitative, and not equipped to handle environmental and other stressors. ...
Community-based adaptation to climate change seeks to build the adaptive capacity of the most vulnerable people in developing countries. Primarily implemented by non-governmental organisations, these initiatives are often operationalised by organising 'poor women' in order to empower them to address community risks associated with climate change. Yet, there is little known about how women experience these adaptation initiatives and whether such interventions empower them. Drawing on a qualitative case study, this article reports on the experiences of poor women in Bangladesh who participated in group-based adaptation interventions designed to enhance both individual and collective agency to respond to climate change. We found that women faced constraints from their own families and communities, which undermined their potential to be empowered and to exercise agency in both private and public spheres. Gender norms intersected with social class, age and marital status to impede women who remained bound by societal norms and undermined their adaptive capacity. We argue that the trend to feminise adaptation interventions is not a panacea for addressing societal barriers to climate adaptation; in fact, it can exacerbate local vulnerabilities. We suggest that future adaptation interventions must adopt cultural pathways aligned with societal norms to effectively build local capacities to address climate change.
... Otherwise, the negative consequences of climate change will cause various anomalies in society (Atteridge and Remling, 2018). One way is to adapt to climate change (Kaushik, and Sharama, 2015), by which vulnerability and the resulting risks can be reduced (Coirolo and Rahman, 2014). Studies confirmed that climate adaptation is the best and most cost-effective option in dealing with the risks and pressures of climate change (Olufunso and Somorin, 2010). ...
... These phenomena, along with the increase in temperature, decrease in rainfall, and increase in dust, have caused concerns about the livelihoods of villagers living in the area (GDNRWM, 1 2017). Since the continuation of such mentioned condition will cause abnormality in any community (Atteridge and Remling, 2018), it is necessary to reduce the risks and vulnerability through adaptation (Coirolo and Rahman, 2014). Therefore, knowing the adaptation methods of the Oghan watershed community can help improve analyzing the current situation and provide more suitable adaptation programs. ...
Climate change is one of the most significant dangers of the new age, so identifying adaptation methods is very substantial in reducing the resulting vulnerability. The research objective was to reveal villagers’ adaptation methods and strategies to climate change in the Oghan watershed of Golestan province, Iran. The study population consisted of 1158 households in ten villages in the study area, of which 297 households were surveyed by random sampling. Information was obtained from a questionnaire completed with the most knowledgeable male or female person in each selected household. The results showed that "creating new jobs, sources of income, and livelihoods" ranked first and "delaying repayment of the loan" ranked last among 31 methods to adapt to climate change. According to adaptation strategies, the first priority was related to "structural", and last was the "economic" strategy. While 72.8% of the participants used moderate to high-level adaptation strategies, the use rate of 13.4% of households was low, and 13.8% was very high. More income and knowledge about climate change, as well as participating in training courses and getting advice from change agents and facilitators, have been accompanied by using more adaptation strategies. Based on the findings, it is suggested to provide extension programs to familiarize villagers with climate change adaptation besides independent natural resources and
medium-sized businesses. Increasing villagers’ relationships with change agents and facilitators are the other suggestion.
... Local capacity strengthening alone doesn't effectively reduce climate change vulnerability (Thomas et al., 2019;Susskind and Kim, 2022) it is therefore imperative to combine local capacity with measures encompassing socially marginalized groups, considering them in decision-making processes which affects them and making such matter, even under economic development needs (Eriksen et al., 2021). To be considered for this are; physical development of lands which influences climate risks and reduces land rights of the poor (Coirolo, & Rahman, 2014, Parven et al., 2022. ...
Climate change adaptation has become a more serious issue to vulnerable countries like
Bangladesh. The study areas, as one of the important food baskets of the country, has been
experiencing wide-ranging extreme event (flood, riverbank erosion, cold wave, less and erratic
rainfall, and prolonged droughts). Here severe affected sectors are agriculture; fisheries;
livestock; housing; and drinking water, sanitation and public health. Through participatory
Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA), the adaptation strategies were prioritized based on the overall
preferences of multiple stakeholder opinions at different level (community/village, upazila/subdistrict, and district/regional level). Therefore, using MCA methods of the study areas helped
their ideas from different level actors/stakeholders to improve the adaptation strategy, practices
and drivers leading to vulnerability. The study found that most priority of adaptation measures of
different sector i.e Agriculture; Fisheries; Livestock; Housing; and Drinking Water, Sanitation
and Health sector; are Maize, and Sathi Fosol (mixed and relay culture); Livelihood
Diversification; Adhi system (shared rearing of livestock); Rising plinth level, and Solar energy,
and Ensure safe drinking water, and Enhance health facility and community clinic activities,
respectively. The various mechanisms for coping and adaptation practices of different
communities were identified in this study. The study suggests further support from the government. Study recommends a combination of the local and scientific knowledge, allocation
of resources to the poor, technological transfer and innovative adaptation approaches for Bangladesh.
... For example, legal rules prohibiting environmentally harmful practices may be ignored because of officials' sympathies for the economic needs of local people (Betzold & Mohamed, 2017;Lau et al., 2021). Equally, formal land rights, which may be significant for adaptive capacities, may be rendered useless because of corruption within the justice system (Coirolo & Rahman, 2014). ...
... Elite actors may mobilize law to harass marginalized groups and/or dispossess them of land and the resources needed to cope with change (Franco & Carranza, 2014). For example, in respect to climate vulnerability, Coirolo and Rahman (2014) reveal resource grabbing by elites, connecting heightened vulnerability with "false court cases." Such work can be expanded further by, for example, addressing how elite capture amplifies power differentials among societal groups and within processes of governance, and further circumscribing people's limited influence "within the political economy that shapes entitlements" (Ribot, 2014). ...
While climate change adaptation research has increasingly focused on aspects of culture, a systematic treatment of the role of legal culture in how communities respond to climate risk has yet to be produced. This is despite the fact that law and legal authority are implicated in most, if not all, of the ways in which actors seek to reduce the risks posed to communities by climate change. Using a scoping review methodology, this article examines the intersection of climate change adaptation and legal culture in existing research. Overall, we find that the significance of legal culture for adaptation actions has been under‐explored. Yet, it is also clear that a focus on legal culture holds significant promise for our understanding of climate change adaptation. We set out a research agenda for the field, highlighting the ways in which a focus on legal culture may enrich existing key themes within climate change adaptation research.
This article is categorized under: Policy and Governance > Governing Climate Change in Communities, Cities, and Regions
Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change > Institutions for Adaptation
... While measuring community resilience, it is essential to include several social, economic, physical, and institutional components. Ensuring the functionality of these components in any urban informal settlement will develop the capacity of community members to become resilient against natural disasters (Balica & Wright, 2010); (Coirolo & Rahman, 2014;Leichenko & Silva, 2014). The article answers two specific research questions: (i) how is the resilience of urban informal settlements differentiated? ...
This article intends to measure the urban poor’s resilience to natural disasters using an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) based model. It also explores factors affecting differentiated levels of household resilience. It is found that urban poor communities in Khulna city frequently experience urban flooding and waterlogging, caused by heavy rainfall, as a primary hazard and therefore this article emphasizes on differentiated nature of urban poor’s resilience to natural hazards and the factors that shape differentiated nature of resilience. Quantitative research approach has been adopted and AHP-based indexing has been used to measure the level of resilience of the urban poor and contributing factors to their resilience level. The household questionnaire survey has been used as the data collection method and the total sample size of this research is 384 and all the primary data is collected from the six slums in Khulna city which have been selected using different vulnerability criteria like geographical location, size of the slums, and mean sea-level height of the slum. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) model is used to determine the weight of indicators and dimensions which have been used to calculate resilience. Additionally, the principal component analysis (PCA) is also used to identify the determinant factors. The results revealed that 40.88% and 48.96% of people are low and moderately resilient respectively. The percentage of high resilient people in the low-income settlements in Khulna city is very low as only 10.16% of the households are found as highly resilient in the urban poor settlements. It identifies several factors that have the highest effect on differential level resilience, including access to formal safety nets and social assistance, income and livelihood strategy, illness, debt etc. Highlighting the factors that influence differentiated levels of resilience local government or policymakers can take different policy recommendations to improve the resilience of the urban poor that including strengthening the social security system for the urban poor, creating livelihood opportunities, public health services, etc.
