Determinants of Perception and Impact of Climate Change Induced Events on Livelihood of People in the Haor Area of Kishoreganj, Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh is prone to the danger of different natural calamities and is going to be most affected due to climate change-induced events in the upcoming decades. This study attempted to assess the farmers’ awareness, perception and the impact of climate change on the livelihood of people living in the Haor area of Kishoregang, Bangladesh. A total of 230 respondents were interviewed in the study area (Khatkhal union) using the cluster sampling technique. Only 52.2% of farmers are found to be aware of climate change, 61.7% unaware and 47.8% did not know the consequences of rapid climate change. Climate change and the unavailability of flood control embankments are considered as the main reasons for flash floods. Due to the devastating flash flood that occurred in early April 2017; most of the farmers lost more than two-thirds of their standing crops. Flash flood has a large scale impact on soil degradation. As a consequence of these effects, crop production was observed to be reduced the following year. People from Khoishore village are affected by riverbank erosion while the people from Dalargaon village and Hasimpur village are severely affected by Riverbed fill up. Above 93%, people of three villages opined that there is a severe climate change impact on pisciculture, biodiversity and cultivable land.