Autonomous adaptation to riverine flooding in Satkhira District, Bangladesh: implications for adaptation planning

Abstract

Systematic understanding of adaptation measures utilised by households in developing countries is needed to identify the constraints they face, and the external interventions or adaptation planning needed to overcome them. Understanding of autonomous household adaptation patterns remains underdeveloped. In particular, little is known regarding whether households are implementing incremental or transformational adaptation measures as well as the implications of this for adaptation planning. We demonstrate the suitability of the risk hazard approach for understanding autonomous household adaptation patterns and discuss the implications for planned adaptation. To achieve this, we use an in-depth village case study from an area of Bangladesh particularly vulnerable to climate change, using qualitative semi-structured household interviews as primary material. We find that the risk hazard approach is ideal for exploring autonomous adaptations because of its capacity for understanding how households respond to livelihood risk, and what resources are required for it to be most effective. However, the risk hazard approach overlooks equity and fairness considerations need to be integrated due to the insufficient emphasis on these concerns.

An agenda for ethics and justice in adaptation to climate change

“…While responsibility is likely to be shared in some way in many situations, failure to take collective responsibility can lead to highly problematic consequences and maladaptation, as individuals usually cannot modify their choice setsthat is, they have to choose from given set of choices while collective action/responsibility can modify individuals' choice sets as well (Fenton, Paavola, & Tallontire, 2017). It would strengthen IPCC AR6 if it were to include research-based recommendations for promoting collective responsibilityincluding how to address the underlying causes, such as social, economic, and political inequalities (Paavola, 2017) for adaptation and resilience.…”

“Central” and “peripheral” adaptation pathways of entangled agrifood systems transformations

“…Adaptation research and policy in the agrifood systems can move toward this direction through multi-scalar and emancipatory engagement of various actors, transdisciplinary research that broadens the politics of adaptation, and methods that mobilize different ways of knowing. Adaptation researchers may also need to rethink the dominant assumption that little transformational adaptation is taking place (Fenton et al, 2017;Few et al, 2017) and start documenting instances of entangled adaptations in agrifood systems contexts particularly those embedded in emerging transnational patterns of global development (for example, see Nyantakyi-Frimpong, 2020). Transformational modes of adaptation could be far more inexorable and inescapable than is commonly thought.…”

Adaptation to water-induced disaster: exploring local knowledge and Indigenous knowledge-led strategies

“…Eleven studies described autonomous or individual migration or off-farm diversification, such as seasonal migration (Ayeb-Karlsson et al, 2016; Thi Hoa Sen & Bond, 2017) and switching from agriculture to aquaculture (Fenton et al, 2017). In eight studies, individuals or households changed cropping patterns or cropping system.…”