Measuring Natural Hazards Resilience of Coastal Community in Kalapara Upazila, Patuakhali, Bangladesh

The coastal region of Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to multiple climate-induced hazards, including cyclones, storm surges, tidal flooding, and salinity intrusion, which significantly threaten local livelihoods and ecosystems. Assessing community resilience in these hazard-prone areas is therefore essential for effective disaster risk reduction (DRR) planning. This study aimed to identify the major natural hazards affecting coastal communities and to assess community hazard resilience using the Climate Disaster Resilience Index (CDRI) framework. The study was conducted in Latachapli Union under Kalapara Upazila of Patuakhali District, Bangladesh. Primary data were collected from 120 randomly selected households through semi-structured questionnaires and also 5 Focus Group Discussion (FGD) were conducted on October–November 2025. The CDRI framework evaluates resilience across five dimensions-physical, social, economic, institutional, and natural-where indicator variables are aggregated into parameters, parameters into dimensions, and finally into an overall resilience index ranging from 1 (very low resilience) to 5 (very high resilience). The results show that the overall community resilience score is 2.26, indicating a moderate level of resilience according to the CDRI classification scale. Among the five dimensions, the natural dimension recorded the highest score (2.41), while the physical and economic dimensions had the lowest scores (2.16 each). The social and institutional resilience scores were 2.31 and 2.26, respectively. Despite the moderate overall resilience score, the community faces substantial structural and socio-economic vulnerabilities, including fragile housing conditions, limited financial capacity, and inadequate access to basic services. The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions focusing on resilient infrastructure, livelihood diversification, improved disaster governance, and community-based adaptation strategies. These insights can support policymakers, development practitioners, and disaster management agencies in designing effective programs to enhance coastal resilience and sustainable development in Bangladesh.