Rethinking Food Security: Strategies To Ensure Sustainable Disaster Risk Management In Coastal Areas Of Bangladesh
by Md. Mostafizur Rahman | Supervisor: Dr. Carmen Mendoza
Addressing the global climate change, Bangladesh experienced more than 170 large‐scale disasters over the last three decades, which predominantly affected in southwestern coastal areas of Bangladesh. In addition to these natural disasters are also permanent phenomena. Salinity intrusion and waterlogging intensified the situation even more devastating and made 60 percent coastal living community vulnerable. Food insecurity is very complex and cannot only be defined as adequate supply of food but must be seen in the context of e.g. production storage, techniques and knowledge.
Four different primary stakeholders i.e. landless, farmers‐fishermen, women and disabled took part in a community risk assessment. 80 % farmers‐fishermen emphasized sustainable alternative livelihood approach including diversified agriculture to accomplish upcoming resource vulnerability. On the other hand, 85 to 95% both women and disabled groups prioritized safety and education as prior need for food security as well as for sustainable disaster risk management.
The interaction of community based food insecurity with disaster risk and vulnerability were explored using multiple logistic regression models, where the probability of food security would incresase from 0.001 to 0.027 with the increase of income and structural improvement e.g. housing. Also the decision making role of women were highly influential in this model and increasing the food security in order to ensure sustainable disaster risk management.
However, SWOT of existing disaster risk management strategies of Bangladesh in addition with community risk assessment (CRA), costal community resilience (CCR) identified that provision of multi‐stakeholders’ participation from very local level not only offer the opportunity of increasing food security, thereby ensure sustainable disaster risk management, but also have the potential to improve the degrading climate factors.