Adapting to climate change in char land: investigating community-led initiatives in Bangladesh

Abstract The primary objective of this study was to comprehensively examine the types of climate change, including its magnitudes, and impacts, and to assess the various community-led initiatives implemented in response to these challenges. A quantitative research approach was employed, utilizing structured face-to-face interviews to collect data from 196 household heads in two disaster-affected char land communities, namely Shibchar Upazila in Madaripur District and Zanjira Upazila in Shariatpur District, Bangladesh. The results unveiled the prevalence of frequent hazards such as river erosion, floods, cyclones, and thunderstorms, with river erosion being the most severe. Notably, a significant proportion of respondents (ranging from 80 to 95 percent) indicated that government, non-governmental organizations, and local communities had not adequately undertaken initiatives to address these issues. Furthermore, a noteworthy portion of participants expressed negative sentiments concerning current community affairs and the quality of services provided. The findings of this study hold valuable implications for policy-making, development initiatives, and disaster management strategies within char land communities.