Environmental and social vulnerabilities and livelihoods of fishing communities of Kutubdia Island, Bangladesh

Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries in terms of natural hazards due to its location and population density. Fishing communities of the coastal areas of Bangladesh are an especially vulnerable group of people due to natural disasters as well as socio-economic factors. Fishing communities of Kutubdia Island were considered in this study due to the risks driven by environmental change, natural hazards and disasters, and risks associated with fishing as an occupation. Death/disappearing of fishers at sea during fishing activities because of extreme weather events and lack of safety equipment are frequent in Bangladeshi coastal villages. Yet, no such study was available that estimated the number of fishers died or went missing at sea and the consequences of the victims' families. The objective of this study is to examine the vulnerability associated with the livelihoods of fishing communities of Kutubdia Island, Bangladesh.;A pilot study was conducted in May and June 2012, to develop questionnaire for surveys and became familiar with the environment, culture, and local people for conducting the surveys. From May to July 2013, questionnaire surveys were conducted by interviewing 300 households of fishing communities using national voter lists provided by the local government officials. Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was conducted with ordinary fishers and lessors separately. Land cover change detection and assessment of landuse patterns was considered in this study because most of the families involved in fishing are also involved in crop cultivation and salt farming in that region. Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing techniques were used to detect land cover changes from 1972 to 2013, and the 2012 landuse patterns were estimated by using spatial video collected by contour Global Positioning System (GPS).;Results of the surveys indicated the number of deaths/disappearing of fishers was 109. There were families that lost more than one household member and relative. Consequences to the families that lost fishers were dire as stated by the victims' families. Some recommendations for reducing vulnerability of fishing communities are provided. Finally, a model is proposed to address the vulnerability and livelihoods of fishing communities of Kutubdia Island, Bangladesh. This study would be useful for taking initiatives for reducing vulnerability and address the livelihoods of fishing communities of Kutubdia Island. However, besides Bangladesh this study will be helpful to adopt policies and action plans for addressing vulnerability and livelihoods of coastal communities in other developing countries in the world (e.g., India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Kenya) where similar vulnerability and livelihoods exist.