Climate Change Vulnerability in Dacope Upazila, Bangladesh

Aims: This study was aimed to assess the climate change vulnerability of Dacope upazila of Bangladesh and analyze the factor behind the vulnerability components. Additionally, it was intended to visualize the relative vulnerability of different unions in GIS environment.

Place of Study: Dacope Upazila of Khulna district comprising an area of 991.57 km2, bounded by Batiaghata upazila on the north, Pasur river on the south, Rampal and Mongla upazilas on the east, Paikgachha and Koyra upazilas on the west.

Methodology: Integrated assessment approach was used to determine the union level climate change vulnerability. 100 households from 9 unions of the study area were taken for survey. The vulnerability determined in this study was calculated from exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity. All the parameters were weighted with highest factor loadings from Principal Component Analysis.

Results: From analysis of all the identified indicators the study found Banishanta (0.97), Kamarkhola (0.97) and Sutarkhali (1.13) highly vulnerable due to their low adaptive capacity (0.31 for all). On the contrary, lower level of vulnerability is found in Dacope (0.52) and Chalna (0.37) unions with relatively higher adaptive capacity (0.50 and 0.67). Adaptive capacity was found the most influential (correlation coefficient of -0.723) components of vulnerability.

Conclusion: Unions of Dacope upazila are mostly vulnerable due to their low adaptive capacity. The vulnerability situation is even worse in southern unions like Sutarkhali. The present study can be useful in addressing proper measures to increase adaptation and mitigation of climate change in SW coastal Bangladesh.