Livelihood adaptation to climate variability and change in drought-prone areas of Bangladesh Developing institutions and options. Case study

The impacts of climate variability and change are global concerns, but in Bangladesh, where large numbers of the population are chronically exposed and vulnerable to a range of natural hazards, they are particularly critical. Agricultural production is already under pressure from increasing demands for food and the parallel problem of depletion of land and water resources caused by overuse and contamination. The impacts of climate variability and change cause additional risks for agriculture. Within this context, FAO and the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) are guiding a project to assess livelihood adaptation to climate variability and change in the drought-prone areas of Northwest Bangladesh. The project specifically looks at: characterization of livelihood systems, profiling of vulnerable groups, assessment of past and current climate impacts, and understanding of local perceptions of climate impacts, local coping capacities and existing adaptation strategies. This report summarizes the project methodology developed and successfully tested during 2005/06, it discusses interim findings and recommendations resulting from the ongoing pilot learning process.