Under changing climate, more frequent and severe extreme climate events have been causing both economic and non-economic losses and damages to local communities living in disaster-prone areas. Based on 14 focused group discussions, 20 in-depth interviews, and eight key informant interviews, this study sought to understand the losses and damages experienced by rural communities in three locations of Bangladesh, which are vulnerable to riverine and flash floods or cyclones, associated surges & coastal flooding, and salinity intrusion. This paper first captured people’s perception about different extreme climate events and other climatic stressors affecting their lives and livelihoods. Considering the latest extreme climate events, the study estimated the economic loss and damage of individual households — in housing, agriculture, and health sectors — ranging from US$ 568 to US$ 1054 per household per event. These losses and damages were highest in the south-western coast than the two flood-prone areas in the north and north-east, since multiple hazards were causing relatively longer impacts on the coast. As non-economic losses and damages, change in productive land, stressed mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing, sacrificing celebrations, temporary migration, and permanent change in profession were common in all three locations. The study also found that increased adaptive capacity enabled households to address their extreme climate event-related impacts. Households of the study locations, who got exposed to information and communication technology, as participants of a grassroots development project, have improved their coping and adaptation strategies by using the accessed information, technologies, and training. They improved their income by changing agricultural practices and diversifying livelihood options. They also developed leadership, entrepreneurial skills, and connectivity with different social and institutional networks. Building on this evidence, this paper proposed a conceptual framework showcasing the relationships of adaptive capacity with anticipated higher loss and damage scenarios under changing climate. This research concluded that more investment on raising adaptive capacity of households living in climate vulnerable locations is highly required to minimize loss and damage in the projected climate change scenarios.

中文翻译：

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孟加拉国评估气候灾害相关损失和损害以及解决这些问题的适应能力状况的经验证据


在气候变化的背景下，更加频繁和严重的极端气候事件给灾害多发地区的当地社区造成了经济和非经济损失和损害。本研究基于 14 次重点小组讨论、20 次深入访谈和 8 次关键知情人访谈，旨在了解孟加拉国三个地点的农村社区所经历的损失和损害，这些地区容易受到河流和山洪或飓风的影响，相关浪涌和沿海洪水以及盐分入侵。本文首先捕捉了人们对影响他们生活和生计的不同极端气候事件和其他气候压力因素的看法。考虑到最新的极端气候事件，该研究估计每个家庭每次事件在住房、农业和卫生部门造成的经济损失和损害从 568 美元到 1054 美元不等。西南海岸的损失和破坏比北部和东北部两个洪水易发区最高，因为多种灾害对海岸造成的影响相对较长。非经济损失和损害、生产性土地的变化、精神、情感和身体健康压力、庆祝活动的牺牲、临时移民和职业的永久改变在这三个地点都很常见。研究还发现，适应能力的增强使家庭能够应对极端气候事件相关的影响。研究地点的家庭作为基层发展项目的参与者，接触了信息和通信技术，通过利用所获得的信息、技术和培训，改善了他们的应对和适应策略。 他们通过改变农业实践和多样化生计选择来提高收入。他们还培养了领导力、创业技能以及与不同社会和机构网络的联系。基于这一证据，本文提出了一个概念框架，展示了气候变化下适应能力与预期更高损失和损害情景之间的关系。这项研究得出的结论是，迫切需要更多投资来提高生活在气候脆弱地区的家庭的适应能力，以最大限度地减少预计气候变化情景中的损失和损害。