The coastal zone of Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to natural disasters, which significantly affect agricultural production and livelihoods. Agriculture is the primary livelihood for most coastal communities. Patuakhali is a coastal district of Bangladesh, and Bauphal Upazila is one of its most agriculturally dependent areas. Therefore, this study was conducted in Chandradip Union of Bauphal Upazila to assess disaster risks in the agricultural sector. The main objective of the study was to identify and assess natural disaster risks in agriculture through hazard, vulnerability, and capacity assessments, and to explore suitable adaptation strategies for enhancing disaster resilience. Both primary and secondary data were used in this research. A total of 100 households were randomly selected and interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. In addition, five Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and five Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) were conducted. Field observations and relevant secondary data sources were also utilized. The findings reveal that riverbank erosion (1.043), storm surge (0.942), and cyclone (0.934) are the most significant disaster risks affecting the agricultural sector due to their high hazard intensity, high vulnerability, and low coping capacity. The study further identifies that alternative livelihood options (27%), loans and subsidies (25%), and short-duration rice cultivation (24%) are the most commonly recommended adaptation strategies by the farming community. These are followed by embankment construction (22%) and farm mechanization (2%). The study highlights the need for integrated risk management and strengthened adaptive capacity to enhance agricultural resilience in coastal Bangladesh. This study provided empirical evidence, based primarily on data, on how vulnerability is reduced through an adaptation strategy. The results of this study will help people in coastal communities reduce their vulnerability. This study can assist policymakers and donor agencies in developing policies and funding different development projects in Bangladesh’s rural coastal community.
Authors
Md. Faisal
Department of Disaster Resilience and Engineering, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali-8602, Bangladesh
Author
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1705-8861
Imran Hawladar
Faculty of Environmental Science and Disaster Management, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki, Patuakhali-8602, Bangladesh
Author
Vladimir Cvetković
Department of Disaster Management and Environmental Security, Faculty of Security Studies, University of Belgrade, Serbia; , Safety and Disaster Studies, Chair of Thermal Processing Technology, Department of Environmental and Energy Process Engineering, Technical University of Leoben, Franz Josef-Straße 18, Leoben, 8700, Austria
Author
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3450-0658
DOI: https://doi.org/10.66050/6pd80w30
Keywords: disaster risk management, coastal agriculture, agricultural resilience, hazard assessment, vulnerability assessment, adaptation strategies, riverbank erosion, storm surge, cyclone, Bangladesh
https://internationaljournalofdisasterriskmanagement.com/index.php/Vol1/article/view/226
