Experience and perception of climatic hazards as drivers for adaptation strategies in coastal communities of Bangladesh

The adoption and implementation of adaptation measures has emerged as a major approach to reducing the impact of climate change and the associated risks to livelihoods. Individual perception is likely to influence considerably the willingness to adopt such measures in response to current and anticipated extreme climate conditions. This study analyzes factors intensifying climatic hazards-induced stress on livelihoods and the underlying motivations driving the adoption and implementation of adaptation measures with an empirical investigation in Bangladesh’s coastal communities of Satkhira district. Two participatory rural appraisal tools—key informant interviews and focus group discussions—were employed for data collection. The findings revealed that cyclones, floods, salinity intrusion, and waterlogging were the primary climate-related hazards experienced by coastal dwellers. Local stakeholders reported that climatic factors coupled with anthropogenic activities resulted in major disruptions to the freshwater supply, causing severe scarcities of water for drinking and irrigation. These experiences and perceptions have effectively motivated locals to adopt and implement adaptation measures, such as crop diversification and the use of climate-smart crop varieties. This research underscores that community engagement, equitable resource distribution, and knowledge enhancement at the community level in policy formulation are critical to achieving the desired outcomes of adaptation.