Women's vulnerability to water-related hazards: comparing three areas affected by climate change in Bangladesh

M.D. Golam Rabbani; A. Atiq Rahman; Khandaker Mainuddin

doi:10.3362/1756-3488.2009.025

Women's vulnerability to water-related hazards: comparing three areas affected by climate change in Bangladesh

M.D. Golam Rabbani, A. Atiq Rahman, Khandaker Mainuddin

Various climate change-related events such as heatwaves, cold waves, flood, drought, sea-level rise (SLR), salinity intrusion and cyclones have both direct and indirect adverse impacts on human beings. This paper is primarily based on a study conducted to explore gender vulnerability at the community level due to water-related natural hazards (flood, drought and salinity intrusion) and possible coping mechanisms. Both secondary and primary data have been used and analysed to identify vulnerability. The study indicates that the extreme events (e.g. flood, drought and salinity intrusion) have adverse impacts which are different for different population groups. In reality, women are affected more severely: their role is quite negligible in decision making, and participation in training related to climate change issues are also insignificant. This implies that the effects of climate change-related events on women are quite conspicuous compared with other population groups.

Ahmed, A.U., Neelormi, S. and Adri, N. (2007) Impacts of and Adaptation to Climate Change Induced Water Logging for Women in Bangladesh, Centre for Global Change, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Asiatic Society of Bangladesh (2003). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh. Asiatic Society of Bangladesh, Dhaka.

Cruz, R.V., Harasawa, H., Lal, M., Wu, S., Anokhin, Y., Punsalmaa, B., Honda, Y., Jafari, M., Li, C. and Huu Ninh, N. (2007) ‘Asia’, in M.L. Parry, O.F. Canziani, J.P. Palutikof, P.J. van der Linden and C.E. Hanson (eds), Climate Change 2007: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, pp. 469-506, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.

Government of Bangladesh (2005) Unlocking the Potential: National Strategy for Accelerated Poverty Reduction, General Economic Division, Planning Commission, Government of Bangladesh.

Hare, W. (2003) Assessment of Knowledge on Impacts of Climate Change: Contribution to the Specification of Art 2. of the UNFCCC, Potsdam, Berlin.

IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) (2001) Climate Change 2001: Working Group II, Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.

Rahman, A.A., Huda, A.S. and Rabbani, M.G. (2007a) Situational Analysis of Capacity Building Needs for IWRM in South Asia, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Rahman, A. A., Alam, M., Alam, S.S., Uzzaman, M.R., Rashid, M., Rabbani, M.G. (2007b). ‘Risk, vulnerability and adaptation in Bangladesh’, a background paper prepared for UNDP Human Development Report 2007.

World Bank (2000) Bangladesh: Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Report no 21104-BD, World Bank, Dhaka.