Climate Change Induced Vulnerabilities of Urban Poor in Small Coastal Towns: Experiences from the Mongla Port Municipality

Climate change is one of the most critical and alarming issues facing the world today, with Bangladesh being one of the most vulnerable countries. The rapid changes in weather patterns and related issues in the southern and southwestern regions of Bangladesh highlight the significant impact of climate change. While the effects on rural populations are well-documented, urban populations also face severe challenges, with the urban poor being particularly vulnerable. The dynamics vary widely and are different for small coastal cities than the large metropolitan cities. This study aims to understand the major challenges faced by urban poor populations and how these challenges are compounded by climate change in Mongla Port Municipality. It also seeks to explore their adaptation strategies, and the institutional structures supporting them. Mongla Port the second-largest seaport in Bangladesh, is taken as the case study. Primary data were collected through field surveys using random sampling methods. Five major categories of challenges—settlement, water and sanitation, road and drainage, health, and income with their micro-level difficulties were explored. Interviews with the relevant institutions were done to understand interventions to mitigate the challenges. The impact of climate change varies depending on their location, distance from the urban centre, the status of the surrounding slums, and the availability of embankments. The intensity of different disasters also varies by location, influencing the different adaptation strategies used by the urban poor. Interventions by different government and non-government organizations have been found case and event-specific, while structural adjustment and flow of resources are being found irregular and scant.