Objective The purpose of this study was to assess the magnitude and risk of livelihood asset damage due to climate change-induced disasters for the coastal fishermen of Bangladesh. Method Using a random sampling technique, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 338 coastal dwelling fishers and other coastal fishery actors from 11 coastal districts. A pretested, semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data following the face-to-face interview method. Data were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). Results Findings revealed that more than 90% of the participants lived within 3.5 kilometers of the coastal zones and had to struggle against at least three (range: 1–8) moderate to highly severe CCI disasters, including recurring floods, waterlogging, and cyclones, within the last five years. Consequently, 92% of C&MFs have lost livelihood assets, including physical and financial assets (living houses, fisheries, household livestock, and poultry). It was found that each C&MF (coastal and marine fishermen) household is recurrently losing an average of 9183 BDT annually in only three physical assets. Consequently, only about 0.6 million registered C&MFs are losing around 5,509 million BDT (equivalent to about $64.81 million US dollars) annually in Bangladesh. Thus, every one million HH of coastal and marine fishermen and other coastal fishery actors face financial losses of 9183 million BDT (equivalent to about $108.04 million) every year only in three physical assets. Each million C&MF households, on the other hand, borrows approximately 7301 million BDT (equivalent to $85.89 million) per year to cover household expenditure shortfalls caused by insufficient income and physical asset damage caused by CCI disasters. Conclusion Climate-resilient livelihoods, such as improving technological fishing skills to increase fish production and generating alternate income sources in different IGA (income-generating activity) trades during off-fishing seasons, have the potential to save C&MF's living standards and thus mitigate the negative effects of CCI disasters on the national economy.

Climate change-induced (CCI) calamities have immense negative impacts on coastal fishers’ livelihoods by damaging their household and fishery-related assets, which triggers cyclic poverty among them. This study aimed to identify household-level economic penalties due to CCI calamities among the coastal fishers of Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 338 coastal fishers living in 11 coastal districts using a random sampling technique. Males outnumbered females [84.6% vs. 15.4%], with nearly all (99.1%) living below the poverty line. On average, coastal fishers had to struggle against at least three (3.12 ± 1.28) CCI catastrophes with considerable losses per incidence [domestic asset loss (DAL): 38318 ± 33071; loss in fisheries (LIF): 19236 ± 20486] within the past five years. CCI incidences such as severity of disaster (SoD), longevity of disaster (LoD), winter-cold shock (WCS), and water flow were significantly associated with DAL [95% C.I., p < 0.05]. Similarly, SoD, WCS, water flow, and sea waves during storms (SWDS) were also significantly associated with the impoverished status of coastal fishers in Bangladesh. Climate-resilient coastal management and livelihood improvement policies implemented by the relevant authorities could reduce impending economic penalties for coastal fishing communities.