2018 Reports

Individual, Communal, and Instituional Responses to Climate Change by Low-Income Households in Khulna, Bangladesh

Haque, Anika Nasra; Dodman, David; Hossain, Mohataz

Low-income residents in Khulna, Bangladesh, are already taking a variety of household and community actions to adapt to climate-related hazards such as flooding, waterlogging, and heat waves, using locally available materials and communal resources. Many adaptations, like elevating houses, protecting roofs, and maintaining shared infrastructure, help reduce immediate impacts, but long-term resilience is limited by tenure insecurity, exclusion from formal services, and lack of access to climate information. NGOs and local authorities play a key role in supporting livelihoods, financial capacity, and women’s participation in decision-making, yet gaps in governance and institutional support constrain sustainable adaptation. Achieving meaningful, long-term resilience in Khulna requires coordinated action across individual, community, institutional, and national levels, with strong mechanisms for local participation and accountability.