Women’s Vulnerabilities to Climate Induced Hazards and Their Coping Strategies in Chandradip Union of Southern Bangladesh

Aims: To explore the women’s vulnerabilities to climate induced hazards and coping strategies related to their life, livelihood, health, sanitation and water supply in disaster.

Study Design: The semi-structured questionnaire survey for primary and secondary data collection; physical observation and key informant interview (KII) methods were followed.

Place and Duration of Study: This research has been conducted in Chandradip union under Bauphal Upazila in Patuakhali district of Bangladesh between 1st January 2015 and 30th June 2015.

Methodology: A total of 100 adult female respondents were selected through stratified random sampling method and 05 KII was conducted in 11 villages of the study area for primary data collection. The secondary data was collected from secondary sources.

Results: Study revealed that women’s vulnerability to disaster is a combination effect of both climate change and social factors. The first factor includes exposure to climate induced disasters such as -cyclone, storm surge, tidal flood, bank erosion, nor’easter etc. The second factor involves social arrangements and expectations related to status of gender, age, livelihood, availability of basic needs, social safety and existing social barriers to the full participation of women in all phases of disaster management activities. Although women in the study area are worse victim but do carry out major vital role in coping with and prepared for prevention, response, recovery and adaptation activities that often counted their activities as housewife or caregiver. Present study discovered that they have the remarkable potentiality to make greater contributions to their own safety as well as that of others including family members.

Conclusion: More attention needs to be given to developing gender specific action plan in which women can participate in all phases of disaster. Community based research should be conducted to identify and characterize the women and child sensitive vulnerabilities; and gender-sensitive approach to reduce risk.