Study of geo-climatic vulnerability and its response in the settlement pattern in coastal areas of Bangladesh

Abstract

Settlements in low elevation coastal zone (LECZ) of Bangladesh are exposed to the risk of geo-climate hazards at present and anticipated sea level rise (SLR) resulting from possible climate change. This will have serious impact on natural and built environment of coastal areas including loss of ecosystem and habitable land due to inundation. The present study is an analytical attempt to identify key vulnerabilities of coastal settlement in selected area to the current and anticipated geo-climatic risk with an aim to set criteria for local level mitigational intervention in settlement planning and design in response to hazards. It is learned that, settlement’s exposure to geo-climatic risk is not alike and the level of vulnerability within same risk exposure differs depending on the degree of settlement resilience i.e. the ability of settlement components or features to resist or recover. The study reveals that, in addition to the geo-climatic risk, the existing settlement features including dispersed settlement pattern, transient nature of house, poor access to service and shelter and inappropriate measure of protection makes the coastal community most vulnerable. To reduce vulnerability, adaptation is the most viable and manageable of the responses to climate change especially for the least developed country like Bangladesh. Measures like protection (mitigation), accommodation (modification) and retreat (migration) are the three structural forms of adaptation in settlement pattern in coastal area. Both planned and autonomous measures are observed to improve the capacity of settlement resilience at local level. To date, planned adaptation in human settlements in response to geo-climatic risk has been observed minimal and mostly limited to coastal afforestation, embankment construction and establishment of community and family shelters by the government and non government organization. Autonomous measures include structural and non structural coping practices by the local people and mostly confined within household level. The study suggested that, creation of effective shelter belt with mangrove species and adoption of indigenous measure of tidal river management (TRM) to allow natural siltation inside the polder area should be the key protection measures. Vulnerability of settlement can be reduced by improving the community or group resilience through planned densification in settlement pattern in low risk area and Nucleated settlement elevated on stilts in high and moderate risk zone along with management of geomorphology and hydrological process of the context (allow natural siltation, improve water drainage, rainwater harvesting etc). Local coping measures to reduce vulnerability due to existing climate related hazards (erosion, water logging, flooding, surge, cyclone) can also serve as means and guide for adapting to climate change. It is likely to be easier if action is taken in rural areas where development is still sparse as opposed to the dense urban area. The study concludes that, national policy of adaptation should be revised to include strategies for in-situ settlement adaptation. Care should be given to adoption of measures that are responsive, contextual and culturally accepted by the coastal community as a whole.