A holistic approach to the nature-society relationship and its connection to disasters in Bangladesh. Though rooted in the hard science of the Riverbank Erosion Impact Study carried out between 1984 and 1989, Haque (geography, Brandon U.) is also very concerned with other aspects of the problem such as the displacement, relocation and resettlement of disaster refugees, human coping responses to natural hazards, social class formation and vulnerability of the population, and public policy issues. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
The apocalyptic visions of climate change that are projected in the media often involve extreme weather events, disasters and mass migration of poor people. This book takes a critical look at this notion, drawing on research in Bangladesh, a country located at the heart of debates on climate change and migration. This book argues that rather than leading to dramatic events, climatic and environmental impacts often cause incremental changes in people’s habitats and livelihoods, making them migrate in search of better places and income. With or without climate change, climatic and environmental factors can impoverish people, and drive displacement and migration, especially in the global South. These influences, including disasters, need not necessarily make people move, but instead sometimes trap the poorest and the most vulnerable people in their places exposed to hazards or make them migrate to even riskier places, such as crowded and flood-prone urban slums. This book argues that restrictions placed on people’s mobility options could increase their vulnerability and favours proactive migration policies. This timely contribution explains the climate-hazard-migration nexus in an accessible, engaging language for students of geography, development studies, politics and environmental studies, as well as humanitarian and development practitioners and policymakers.
This book examines the key Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) relating to environmental sustainability and provides a cutting-edge assessment of current progress with the view of achieving these goals by 2030. Within South Asia, the book pays particular attention to Bangladesh, as a country representative of emerging economies which are struggling to meet their goals. Drawing on the three pillars of sustainability, the volume addresses the following goals: Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life Below Water and Life on Land (Goals 6, 7, 12, 13, 14 and 15). The book examines where progress has been made and why some key targets have not been achieved or will be difficult to achieve. The chapters focus on environmental sustainability in different sectors such as agriculture, renewable energy, fisheries and aquaculture and natural resource management. The aim of this volume is to highlight key lessons and recommendations on how research in the various sectors can feed into the pathway of meeting the SDGs highlighted in this book. The analysis derived from Bangladesh can be used as a reference point for other developing nations in Asia, and globally, with a view to guiding policy for the achievement of the SGDs. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of sustainable development and climate change, as well as practitioners and policymakers involved in sustainable development and disaster management.
Living in a low-lying and densely populated country on the front line of climate change, Bangladeshis are taking a lead in adapting to rising temperatures and campaigning to limit climate change. Global warming will worsen this country's existing environmental problems - causing a rise in sea level, more flooding and stronger, more damaging cyclones. Bangladeshis know what is coming, and how to respond, because they are already effectively combating environmental and social challenges. Cyclone shelters and warning systems have cut the fatality rate dramatically; new varieties of rice have raised nutrition levels; women's education has slowed population growth; land is being raised to respond to sea level rise. Bangladeshis will keep their heads above water, but at huge costs. Will the industrialised countries curb their greenhouse gas emissions and pay for the damage they have already done?
Climate Change in Bangladesh: Confronting Impending Disasters is a comprehensive analysis of climate change impacts on Bangladesh, followed by a review of measures for confronting the manifested threats of climate change on the people and environment of Bangladesh. Using an integrative approach, the authors blend their own work on indigenous adjustments to climatic hazards in Bangladesh with an analysis of the role of modern engineering intervention and disaster management policies in alleviating these hazards. There is also an emphasis on the environment and people of coastal Bangladesh who are at risk of inundation due to global warming–induced sea level rise. Thus, in addition to analyzing main climatic disasters at some length—tropical cyclones (hurricanes), floods, droughts, and sea level rise—key topics of human dimensions of climate change include climate change victims, climate refugees, climate justice, public policies on climate change, and a sample of adaptation measures for living with the rising sea levels.
The aim of this book is to provide information to scientists and local government to help them better understand the particularities of the local climate. Climate change is one of the biggest challenges to society. It can lead to serious impacts on production, life and environment on a global scale. Higher temperatures and sea level rise will cause flooding and water salinity problems which bring about negative effects on agriculture and high risks to industry and socio-economic systems in the future. Climate change leads to many changes in global development and security, especially energy, water, food, society, job, diplomacy, culture, economy and trade. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines climate change as: “Any change in climate over time, whether due to natural variability or as a result of human activity.” Global climate change has emerged as a key issue in both political and economic arenas. It is an increasingly questioned phenomenon, and progressive national governments around the world have started taking action to respond to these environmental concerns.
Seeking innovative answers to global sustainability challenges has become an urgent need with the onslaught of environmental and ecological degradation that surrounds us today. More than ever, there is a need to carve new ways for citizens and different industries and institutions to unite – to cooperate, communicate and collaborate to address growing global sustainability concerns. This book examines one such global collaboration called The BGreen Project (BGreen): a transnational participatory action research project that spans the United States and Bangladesh with the aim of addressing environmental issues via academic–community engagement. By analysing and unpacking the architecture of BGreen, Hasan teases out the key factors that are required for the continued momentum of environmentally focused, academic–community partnership projects in order to present a workable model that could be applied elsewhere. This model is based around a unique conceptual framework developed by the author – “transnational participatory networks” – which is drawn from participatory action research and actor network theory, with the specific aim of addressing the common challenge of building evolving, stable and sustainable networks. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of environmental communication, citizen participation, environmental politics, environmental sociology and sustainable development.
This volume aims to develop a framework for disaster and climate risk resilient livelihood system in Bangladesh using a policy oriented approach. It highlights the possible impacts of climate change on groundwater based irrigation in the country. Climate change is one of biggest challenges to society. It can lead to serious impacts on production, life and environment on a global scale. Higher temperatures and sea level rise will cause flooding and water salinity problems which will bring about negative effects on agriculture and high risks to industry and socio-economic systems in the future. Climate change will lead to many changes in global development and security especially energy, water, food, society, job, diplomacy, culture, economy and trade. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines climate change as: “Any change in climate over time, whether due to natural variability or as a result of human activity.” Global climate change has emerged as a key issue in both political and economic arenas. It is an increasingly questioned phenomenon, and progressive national governments around the world have started taking action to respond to these environmental concerns.
This volume analyses Bangladesh’s human-nature/environment relationships in terms of development victimhood, environmental injustices, and resistance of the marginalized. It demonstrates how the popular GDP-based economic growth model helps governments undertake “development” projects, threatening the environment and livelihood of the poor while benefiting the affluent. It represents the extant environmentalism in the literary works in Bangla, and tales of pollution, depletion; and human-nature/environment symbiosis that shows ways to resist victimhood. Against current environmental challenges and other environmental issues, this volume presents the epitome of how politics, biodiversity, and technology meet in many cross-cutting pathways.
