Climate Change and Natural Hazards Vulnerability of Char Land (Bar Land) Communities of Bangladesh: Application of the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI)

Bangladesh is one of the disaster-prone countries and vulnerable to global climate change and natural hazards. The present study examines the degree of vulnerability and adaptability against natural hazards in rural char land (bar land) communities of the river Jamuna of Bangladesh, by calculating the livelihood vulnerability index (LVI) with reference to the IPCC vulnerability framework and the sustainable livelihoods framework (SLF). The index consists of household parameters of all the three dimensions of vulnerability: exposure, sensitivity, and adaptability. Data for desired parameters were collected from household survey, focus group discussion, related organizations, and scientific literatures. Then, data were integrated using composite index and differential vulnerabilities contribute to produce an aggregate level on vulnerability to natural hazards. Results found that, study area consists of index value 0.513, which indicates moderate level of vulnerability against natural hazards. Study also depicted that, study area is most vulnerable in terms of financial capitals (0.685) following by human capitals (0.521), natural capitals (0.501), social capitals (0.477) and physical capitals (0.388) respectively. From the results of IPCC-VI, index value found at 0.0163, indicates more expose to the impacts of natural hazards than it has capacity to adapt. Adaptive capacity index (0.415) exceeds the exposure index (0.453) and sensitivity index (0.429) respectively, of studied community. Therefore, for the sustainable livelihoods in study area, government should take proper development programs targeting to enhance the adaptive capacity and resilience.