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A comprehensive understanding of the dynamic characteristics of geomorphological, ecological, and human systems is essential to explaining complex charland (mid-channel island) processes and crafting and implementing policy measures. This work demonstrates that the characteristics and outcomes of riparian hazards are determined by the interactive dynamics between hydrogeology and human conditions, which constitutes a novel contribution to the literature in this research area. We further contend that such dynamic social-ecological systems demand a flexible, adaptive management and planning approach. The present research has three key interdisciplinary objectives: (i) to analyze the salient features and characteristics of the geomorphological and riparian systems of the Bengal Delta; (ii) to analyze the evolutionary discourse of the legal systems concerning eroded (diluvion) and accreted (alluvion) land in Bangladesh; and (iii) to assess the characteristics of the coping and adaptation strategies employed by charland inhabitants. The findings of this research reveal that delta-building processes, which are characterized by dynamic shifts in the river channels, along with the erosion and accretion of charlands have made Bangladesh’s land and water systems very dynamic and unstable. The destabilization of these systems increases the inhabitants’ vulnerability to riparian hazards, which consistently results in the displacement of settlers and, consequently, a serious deterioration in their socioeconomic status. At present, Bangladesh does not have an effective institutional framework and structure for resettlement planning; therefore, the formulation of a comprehensive national resettlement policy with adequate flexibility to adapt to changing scenarios is urgently needed.

This study posits that for appropriately explaining the complex charland (mid-channel island) processes and formulating policy and planning measures, a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic characteristics of the geomorphological, ecological, and human systems holistically is essential. This is also valid for the territorial and maritime areas of Bangladesh. The objectives of this study are: (i) to analyze the salient features and characteristics of the geomorphological and riparian systems of the Bengal Delta; (ii) to analyze the evolutionary discourse of the legal systems concerning eroded (diluvion) and accreted (alluvion) land in Bangladesh; and (iii) to assess characteristics of coping and adaptation strategies of the charland inhabitants. The findings reveal that the delta-building processes, characterized by the dynamic shifts of river channels, and erosion and accretion of charlands have made the land and water systems of the territory very dynamic and unstable – resulting in consistent displacement of settlers and serious deterioration of their socioeconomic status. The historical evolution of land laws and regulations concerning the accreted land favoured vested interests. As no effective institutional framework and structure presently exists in Bangladesh for resettlement planning, formulation of a comprehensive national resettlement policy is therefore urgently needed.

PurposeThe plethora of contributions to social learning has resulted in a wide range of interpretations, meanings and applications of social learning, both within and across disciplines. However, advancing the concept and using social learning methods and tools in areas like disaster-shocks requires interdisciplinary consolidation of understandings. In this context, the primary focus of this paper is on the contributions of social learning to disaster risk reduction (DRR).Design/methodology/approachBy applying a three-round policy Delphi process involving 18 purposefully selected scholars and expert-practitioners, the authors collected data on the meanings of social learning for two groups of professionals, DRR and social-ecological resilience. The survey instruments included questions relating to the identification of the core elements of social learning and the prospects for enhancing social-ecological resilience.FindingsThe results revealed strong agreement that (1) the core elements of social learning indicate a collective, iterative and collaborative process that involves sharing/networking, changes in attitudes and knowledge and inclusivity; (2) social learning from disasters is unique; and (3) linkages between disciplines can be built by promoting interdisciplinarity, networks and knowledge platforms; collaboration and coordination at all levels; and teaching and practicing trust and respect. Social learning is useful in preparing for and responding to specific disaster events through communication; sharing experience, ideas and resources; creating synergies for collective action and promoting resilience.Research limitations/implicationsThe policy Delphi process involved a limited number of participants to control the quality of the data. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first of its kind to identify the core elements of social learning, specifically, in the disaster-shock context. It also makes significant contributions to the interdisciplinary integration issues.Practical implicationsThe practical implications of this study are related to pre-disaster planning and mitigation through the application of social learning on disaster-shocks.Social implicationsThe social implications of this study are related to valuing social learning for the improvement of disaster planning, management, and policy formulation and implementation in reducing disaster risks.Originality/valueThe study provides a consensus view on the core elements of social learning and its role in DRR and resilience building. Relevant to all stages of DRR, social learning is best characterized as a collective, iterative and collaborative process. It can be promoted by enhancing networking and interdisciplinarity.

Building community resilience to climate-induced disaster shocks requires an innovative, adaptive, and forward-looking approach. However, empirical data on such initiatives is lacking. Adopting an Adaptive Governance Framework, we gathered evidence that collaborative multi-loop social learning by multilevel institutions (local, regional, and national) can significantly enhance community resilience to climate induced disaster shocks and reduce gaps between institutional disaster governance responsibilities and capacities. Following a Case Study approach, we investigated the disaster resilience of two coastal communities in Bangladesh. Our primary data collection techniques were Key Informant Interviews and document reviews. The results of our investigation revealed three key prerequisites for building community resilience to nature-triggered disasters like cyclones or floods: i) the presence of multiple nested institutional structures at the local level; ii) multi-loop social learning at multiple institutional levels; and iii) documentation of lessons learned from each disaster and the application of these lessons to disaster governance at all institutional levels. We documented that bridging organizations play a decisive role in documenting and scaling-up lessons learned from episodic extreme weather events. Therefore, more emphasis needs to be placed on the importance of bridging organizations in scaling up lessons from episodic disaster events into national-level policy and practice.

Despite widespread recognition that social learning can potentially contribute toward enhancing community resilience to climate-induced disaster shocks, studies on this process remain few and far b...

In the field of flood management, risk and loss estimation is a prerequisite to undertake precautionary measures. Among several available tools, the HAZUS model is one of the most effective ones that can assist in the analysis of different dimensions of natural hazards, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, and tsunamis. The flood hazard analysis portion of the model characterizes the spatial variation of flood regimes for a given study area. This research attempts to illustrate how the geoinformatics tool HAZUS can help in estimating overall risk and potential loss and damage due to floods and how this knowledge can guide the decision-making process and enhance community resilience. Examining a case study in the Rural Municipality of St. Andrews in Manitoba, Canada, this study found that both the ‘Quick Look’ and ‘Enhanced Quick Look’ analyses provided robust results. However, for the RM of St. Andrews, which is characterized by differing levels of exposure on the floodplain, and where many new housing starts occur in high-risk flood zones, ‘Enhanced Quick Look’ with spatially explicit building stock is recommended. The case study of the RM of St. Andrews demonstrates that the HAZUS model can predict loss and damage with increasing magnitude of flooding depth. It is thus recognized that the risk and loss estimation tools can be effective means for future flood loss and damage reduction.

The feedback relationships between resource-dependent human communities and their local ecosystem services may result in an undesirable SES dynamic where community wellbeing continually deteriorates. Yet, very little is known about the mechanisms that can facilitate reordering people’s relationship with ecosystem for sustained wellbeing. We argue that innovative approaches built upon local strengths are more likely to succeed in such an endeavour, and multi-level implementation can help sustainability and community wellbeing. The objective of this paper is to give an account of local people’s wellbeing in relation to ecosystem services and their changes, the drivers that change the ecosystem services and impact wellbeing, and the role of innovation in enhancing adaptability and SES resilience to changes and disturbances. We conducted our field research during 2014–2015 in a wetland region of northeastern Bangladesh, utilising Case study and participatory research methods. Our empirical investigation in selected wetland communities has revealed that: (i) community wellbeing and wetland SES resilience are subject to erosion due to multiple drivers of change operating at different temporal and spatial scales; (ii) the feedback relationships among these multiple drivers often adversely affect community wellbeing; and (iii) innovative strategies built on local strengths can help reorder people’s relationships with local ecosystems, restore community wellbeing, and enhance local sustainability. The key determinants of such reordering include entrepreneurial skills, knowledge, learning, and networking abilities of the locals. Intervention strategies should therefore pay more attention to the locals’ ability to innovate and adapt to ecological changes, especially through new or shifted livelihood initiatives.

PurposeDespite Bangladesh's great strides in formulating disaster management policies following the principles of good governance, the degree to which these policies have successfully been implemented at the local level remains largely unknown. The objectives of this study were two-fold: (1) to examine the roles and effectiveness of local-level governance and disaster management institutions, and (2) to identify barriers to the implementation of national policies and Disaster-Risk-Reduction (DRR) guidelines at the local community level.Design/methodology/approachBetween January 2014 and June 2015 we carried out an empirical investigation in two coastal communities in Bangladesh. We employed a qualitative research and Case Study approach, using techniques from the Participatory Rural Appraisal toolbox to collect data from local community members as well as government and NGO officials.FindingsOur study revealed that interactive disaster governance, decentralization of disaster management, and compliance by local-level institutions with good governance principles and national policy guidelines can be extremely effective in reducing disaster-loss and damages. According to coastal community members, the local governments have generally failed to uphold good governance principles, and triangulated data confirm that the region at large suffers from rampant corruption, political favoritism, lack of transparency and accountability and minimal inclusion of local inhabitants in decision-making – all of which have severely impeded the successful implementation of national disaster-management policies.Research limitations/implicationsWhile considerable research on good governance has been pursued, our understanding of good disaster governance and their criteria is still poor. In addition, although numerous national disaster management policy and good governance initiatives have been taken in Bangladesh, like many other developing countries, the nature and extent of their local level implementation are not well known. This study contributes to these research gaps, with identification of further research agenda in these areas.Practical implicationsThe study focuses on good disaster governance and management issues and practices, their strengths and limitations in the context of cyclone and storm surges along coastal Bangladesh. It offers specific good disaster governance criteria for improving multi-level successful implementation. The paper deals with International Sendai Framework that called for enhancement of local level community resilience to disasters. Thus, it contributes to numerous policy and practice areas relating to good disaster governance.Social implicationsGood disaster governance would benefit not only from future disaster losses but also from improved prevention and mitigation of natural hazards impact, benefiting society at large. Improvement in knowledge and practice in disaster-risk-reduction through good governance and effective management would ensure local community development and human wellbeing at the national level.Originality/valueThe failure of local-level government institutions to effectively implement national disaster management and resilience-building policies is largely attributable to a lack of financial and human resources, rampant corruption, a lack of accountability and transparency and the exclusion of local inhabitants from decision-making processes. Our study identified the specific manifestations of these failures in coastal communities in Bangladesh. These results underscore the vital need to address the wide gap between national DRR goals and the on-the-ground realities of policy implementation to successfully enhance the country's resilience to climate change-induced disasters.

Being strongly influenced by the landscape of the Red River Valley, geophysical and a variety of sociodemographic and economic factors, the characteristics of floods are complex in the Province of Manitoba, Canada, which causes substantial loss and damage to lives and properties. The primary objectives of this study are two-fold: (i) to identify the geophysical and human-induced conditions of floods, and examine the trend in flood loss and damage in the Province of Manitoba, Canada; and (ii) to analyze the social vulnerability perspectives of floods in the Rural Municipality of St. Andrews, as a local community case study. Using the Delphi technique, primary data were procured from the field for community-level vulnerability analysis. Secondary data for a provincial-level analysis were collected from various public domains, including governmental departments and other non-government sources. The results reveal that a nested set of geophysical and societal factors determine the degree of vulnerability of individual community members. In Manitoba, it was found that socioeconomic damages caused by floods have increased considerably over time despite undertaking costly structural flood mitigation measures. We conclude that minimization of flood damages requires complementing structural measures with knowledge-sharing, collaboration among pertinent institutions, and the adoption of an interactive flood management system approach.

Background This study examines vector density, the prevailing knowledge, awareness, attitudes and practice (KAAP) of community members regarding dengue disease and their willingness to pay (WTP) for vector control in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods A population-based, cross-sectional study design was followed: (i) an entomological survey was carried out in 727 randomly selected households in 12 wards, representing four urban ecological zones and (ii) a survey of 330 household heads was conducted to study their KAAP. The χ2 test and multinomial logistic regression (MLR) were applied to investigate factors associated with WTP and other variables. Results The Stegomyia indices significantly vary among the urban zones, revealing that the paved and built areas with concentrated public/commercial services have the highest mosquito density. Most respondents (93.9%) knew about dengue and its severity (90.3%); however, many of them were unaware (79.3%) about the types of mosquitoes causing dengue. MLR modelling reveals that average spending per month for mosquito control, household income and knowledge about the effects of land use and seasonality on dengue were significantly associated with the WTP for controlling the dengue vector. Conclusions Concerted efforts should be made to increase awareness about dengue transmission and develop community-based sustainable dengue vector control programmes involving both the public and private sectors.

Numerous studies on climate change and variability have revealed that these phenomena have noticeable influence on the epidemiology of dengue fever, and such relationships are complex due to the role of the vector—the Aedes mosquitoes. By undertaking a step-by-step approach, the present study examined the effects of climatic factors on vector abundance and subsequent effects on dengue cases of Dhaka city, Bangladesh. Here, we first analyzed the time-series of Stegomyia indices for Aedes mosquitoes in relation to temperature, rainfall and relative humidity for 2002–2013, and then in relation to reported dengue cases in Dhaka. These data were analyzed at three sequential stages using the generalized linear model (GLM) and generalized additive model (GAM). Results revealed strong evidence that an increase in Aedes abundance is associated with the rise in temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall during the monsoon months, that turns into subsequent increases in dengue incidence. Further we found that (i) the mean rainfall and the lag mean rainfall were significantly related to Container Index, and (ii) the Breteau Index was significantly related to the mean relative humidity and mean rainfall. The relationships of dengue cases with Stegomyia indices and with the mean relative humidity, and the lag mean rainfall were highly significant. In examining longitudinal (2001–2013) data, we found significant evidence of time lag between mean rainfall and dengue cases.

This chapter presents an analysis of the dynamic geophysical character and human ecological system as found in the Bengal Basin. Characteristics of the Bengal deltaic geophysical and hydrological systems are briefly discussed, followed by a discussion on adaptive response of the inhabitants in view of the dynamic shifts of river channels in the delta building process. The analysis reveals how people living in the delta and the floodplains adapted to the historically unstable and dynamic shifts of the river channels; and thereby made their living and sustained their livelihood. This is further illustrated by case study evidences from the Brahmaputra–Jamuna and Ganges/Padma floodplains, dealing with contemporary coping strategies and adaptive behavior of floodplain residents toward risk management. This adaptive approach to displacement, migration and resettlement needs to be properly understood in formulating and implementing an effective char development policy in Bangladesh.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional value and antioxidant properties of aqueous extracts of some Bangladesh vegetables using fruits of ash gourd, bitter gourd, brinjal, okra, ridge gourd, snake gourd, and leaves of Indian spinach, kangkong, and stem amaranth. Proximate composition showed that the dried extracts were composed mainly of crude protein (14.6%-46.7%) and non-fibre carbohydrates (26.4%-53.5%). With the exception of stem amaranth, all the extracts had >40% DPPH radical scavenging ability at 0.5 mg/ml. In contrast metal chelation was lower, except in Indian spinach with ~46%. The ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) was highest for the kangkong (10.9 mM Fe3+ reduced), which is similar to the 9.9 mM for butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). All the extracts suppressed linoleic acid oxidation better than BHT within the first 5 days of the incubation period. We conclude that the Indian spinach, kangkong, and okra could be considered as the most promising sources of antioxidant compounds. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Vegetables are commonly consumed as part of a regular diet but the high water and fiber contents usually mean that large quantities are required to provide long-term health benefits. Therefore, in this work, aqueous extracts of nine Bangladesh vegetables were prepared to provide a more concentrated form of nutrients and bioactive compounds. The extracts had strong nutritional value based on the high contents of crude protein, potassium, iron, and non-fibre carbohydrates. The high content of polyphenolic compounds in the extracts can also provide health benefits, which was demonstrated through strong free radical scavenging, metal chelation, ferric iron reduction, and inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation. These vegetable extracts have the potential to be used as sources of bioactive compounds to prevent or treat non-communicable diseases that are associated with high oxidative stress.

Disaster management and resilience-building initiatives have been hypothesized as more effective when integrated with local governance structures. However, factors shaping the institutionalization ...

The Canadian Province of Manitoba has experienced many severe floods and other natural disasters, and in response municipal, provincial, and federal governments have developed various disaster and emergency management (DEM) policies and programs over the years to protect and preserve lives and resources. In this context, the present study examined how various disaster management institutions and policies in Manitoba have changed over the years, drawing insights from the existing literature. Framing devices employed included Birkland’s policy change and learning framework, Peter May’s categorization of policy learning, and other social learning literature. A total of 21 key informant interviews (KIIs), comprising 3 senior provincial political leaders, 10 senior bureaucrats, and 8 municipal emergency coordinators, were conducted to collect primary data. Our findings reveal that significant policy changes were made in response to events such as the droughts of the 1930s; the floods of 1950, 1966, 1997, and 2011; and the wildfires of 1989. However, these were largely “reactive” initiatives driven by “top-down” decision-making processes. While natural as well as technological disasters [such as the 1979 Mississauga (Ontario) train derailment and 1984 Bhopal (India) chemical plant disaster] led to the successful implementation of institutional learning provisions within Manitoba DEM policy, the achievement of similar provisions for responding to climate change and other emerging threats has been impeded by numerous barriers such as a lack of political will and/or financial constraints.

The varied interpretations of the concept of resilience in natural hazards research literature has attracted numerous criticisms. A common criticism centers around a poor understanding of the changes caused by natural disasters by the research stream. Considering resilience as a metaphor of change, and newspaper as a catalyst that often highlights post-disaster opportunities for "forward looking" (rather than bouncing back) changes, we examined some specific aspects of change in Canadian communities by analyzing coverage of natural disasters in daily newspapers. We posit that post-disaster newspaper discourse on resilience and change can not only assist enhancing academic inquiries on resilience but also contribute to improving practices for transformative changes in post-disaster contexts. We adopted a social constructivist approach to analyzing newspaper discourse, using the ProQuest database to find articles from the 1996-2017 period. The findings exhibited a trend of the increased use of narratives on resilience in Canadian newspapers since the 1990s that substantiates the hypothesis that transformative change in the personal and practical spheres requires alteration of peoples' attitude, behavior, and thinking toward environmental risks. The discourse emphasized incremental changes at the policy level: (i) to improve response and recovery, and (ii) to address the needs of vulnerable and disaster-affected population. Our findings overall underscore the importance of documentation and efforts towards streamlining learning; application of learning at multiple interconnected levels for progressive changes to enhance community resilience, and the need for building consensus among academicians, practitioners and policy makers regarding the meaning and use of the concept of resilience.

Despite decades of progress in disaster risk reduction, efforts to enhance risk awareness and influence behavioral change still seem to be falling short. When we reflect on our collective experience and envision the future of disaster risk reduction programs, we find promise in approaches that implicitly treat knowledge as not just something transmitted but as a relationship fostered with multiple publics. In this mode, the public is not simply a passive recipient of expert knowledge but a co-producer of risk knowledge. We argue that disaster risk reduction requires a reorientation based on a foundation built on three areas of research: (1) Indigenous and local knowledge, (2) social learning, and (3) narrative ways of knowing. We employ key ideas from these promising areas of research to formulate an integrative framework for the co-production of risk knowledge. Such an integrative framework can provide a powerful and useful vehicle for generating new practices around disaster risk reduction.

In the face of serious disruptions to local livelihoods and asset bases by extreme climatic events, it is paramount to reconstruct but also to transform and diversify livelihoods. However, the literature on these aspects is scant. In this paper, we posit that two frameworks, namely the livelihood strategy approach and community resilience thinking, are useful tools for effectively analyzing post-disaster transformational changes. In the empirical context of coastal communities of Bangladesh, our study specifically examines the changes experienced in livelihood assets due to Cyclones Sidr and Aila. Two coastal communities, namely Nilganj and Dhulasar Unions in the Kalapara Upazila of Patuakhali District, were selected to analyze the strategies used by local people to cope with and adapt to cyclone and storm surge disaster-shocks. Primary data were collected from three sources: a socioeconomic survey of 300 households, eight focus group discussions, and 20 key informant interviews. Our findings reveal that a significant number of cyclone victims were displaced from their homes by recent severe cyclones, changed their occupations -- both intra- and intersectorally -- and confronted increased consumption and social costs. We observed significant differences in impacts between farmers and those engaged in other occupations, such as fishing, with the latter being far more likely to change occupation post-disaster. The study uncovered significant evidence that local people are learning to live with change and uncertainty by nurturing and combining various types of knowledge and social memory, generating diversified livelihood options, and self-organizing to enhance their resilience to future extreme weather events.

Bangladesh is facing a large burden of non-communicable diseases. As a possible remedy, the WHO/FAO recommends consuming 400 g or five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, however, only a small proportion of the population practices this. The present study sets out to determine the sociodemographic factors that affect this low intake of fruits and vegetables, and the roles that beliefs and behavioural practices play in influencing food consumption. Logistic and ordered logistic regressions were used to identify what sociodemographic factors are significantly influencing fruit and vegetable intake, and to explain the role of social food beliefs. It was found that in Bangladesh 75% of urban and 92% of rural populations consume less than five servings a day. While gender was not found to be a significant factor, housewives appeared to be more at risk of a lower intake of fruits and vegetables. People with higher income, higher education, and who are older were all less likely to have problems with a low intake of fruits and vegetables. Higher education assisted in attaining positive beliefs and behavioural practices regarding food, while residing in a rural community was found to be a significant constraint.

Purpose Coastal and floodplain areas are on the frontline of climate change in Bangladesh. Small-scale coastal and floodplain fishing communities of the country face a host of cross-scale stressors continually, some induced by climate change, and they have developed coping and adaption strategies based on customary social and experiential learnings. This paper aims to examine the coping and adaptation strategies that small-scale fishing communities undertake in the face of stresses including climate change and variability. Design/methodology/approach This research takes a nuanced ethnographic-oriented approach based on around two-year-long field study in two coastal and floodplain fishing villages, represented by two distinct ethnic groups. The study adopts direct observational methods to denote the ways small-scale fishing communities address the arrays of stressors to construct and reconstruct their survival and livelihood needs. Findings It was observed that fishers’ coping and adaptation strategies comprise a fluid combination of complex overlapping sets of actions that the households undertake based on their capitals and capabilities, perceptions, socio-cultural embeddedness and experiential learnings from earlier adverse situations. Broadly, these are survival, economic, physiological, social, institutional and religiosity-psychological in nature. Adaptation mechanisms involve some implicit principles or self-provisioning actions that households are compelled to do or choose under given sets of abnormal stresses to reach certain levels of livelihood functions. Originality/value Based on empirical field research, this paper recognizes small-scale fishers’ capability and adaptability in addressing climate change-induced stresses. Policymakers, international development planners, climate scientists and social workers can learn from these grassroots-level coping and adaptation strategies of fishing communities to minimize the adverse effects of climate change and variations.

The fundamental processes of policy shifts emphasize how policy problems emerge and how policy decisions are made to overcome previous shortcomings. In Bangladesh, flood management policies may also have been driven by policy failures and flood-disaster events. In this context, we examined how policy shifts occurred in the country from 1947 to 2019 in areas of water management and flood prevention, control, and risk mitigation. To understand the nature of these policy shifts, we examined the evolutionary processes of flood management policies, the associated drivers, and the roles of key actors. Our findings reveal that policy transitions were influenced primarily by the predominance of the structural intervention paradigm and by catastrophic flood events. Such transitions were nonlinear due to multiple interest groups who functioned as contributors to, as well as barriers against, flood prevention policies. Policy debates over environmental concerns helped bring about a shift from a primary focus on structural intervention to a mixed approach incorporating various nonstructural interventions. Furthermore, our results suggest that the shifts in flood management policies have resulted in some degree of reliance on a &ldquo, people-centered&rdquo, approach rather than solely an &ldquo, engineering coalition&rdquo, which emphasizes the pivotal role of community members in decision making and the implementation of flood policies and programs.

While it has been widely recognized that building community resilience to climate induced shocks requires learning processes at multiple societal levels, there has been limited research on the specific types of learning required at individual level to influence change and transformation at the community level. To determine how transformative learning and risk-mitigation actions shape community resilience to climate-induced disasters, we carried out a mixed-method empirical investigation on the southern coast of Bangladesh. We found that the relationship between transformative learning and resilience-building is complex, involving multiple social cultural-structural factors (e.g., beliefs, values, power structures), practical considerations (e.g., impact on livelihood, evacuation and relocation logistics), and cognitive factors. From our observations, we draw four general conclusions: i) local culture can constrain people's framing of risk and capacity for critical reflection, resulting in a deliberate denial and amnesia of past traumatic experiences; ii) learning alone cannot enhance resilience unless it is translated into action; iii) dependence on experiential learning can lead to the assumption that the severity of past disasters will not be surpassed, generating a false sense of security; and iv) the cultivation of forward-thinking attitudes coupled with innovative strategies, such as social networking, can successfully enhance resilience to climate-related disasters. Future policymaking aimed at building community resilience to climate shocks should therefore take into account cultural and individual cognitive barriers to transformative learning and attempt to remove structural barriers to translating learning into practical action.

Studies on disaster risk reduction primarily centers on the research streams of vulnerability and resilience. The concept of adaptive capacity is central to both streams of study and has profound implications for disaster risk reduction. Drawing insights from both streams, we examined the adaptive capacity of wetland communities with regards to flash flood disasters. Focusing on societal dimensions, we investigated how the interplay of institutions, community power structures, and human agency shape adaptive capacity of wetland communities. We employed the “dominant-less dominant” research methodological framework, and followed a 4-tier study design: i) a household survey, ii) a semi-structured questionnaire survey, iii) oral history interviews, and iv) key informant interviews. Our findings revealed that wetland communities in the region are highly vulnerable to flash flood hazards. Local community members were conditioned, chiefly by the asymmetrical social power structure, to feel helpless in the face of natural disasters. Their reactive recovery measures have resulted in maladaptation and in their becoming passive towards risk mitigation for future floods. However, transformative patterns were also observed in a large proportion of the population, wherein community members modified or changed their behavior to achieve longer-term sustainability and risk mitigation. We concluded that in designing development interventions to enhance adaptive capacity, consideration must be given to the diverse range of skills and educational development among the local population.

In this study, we posit that in determining the underpinnings and attributes of community resilience to disaster-shocks, an analysis of actual and potential disaster victims' emic perspectives, that is the views of cultural insiders, on recovery processes and community resilience is crucial. We argue that community resilience must be framed within a deeper understanding of the subjective views of the actors themselves, their local knowledge and culture, and the historical context of the place or social formation. In this context, the primary goal of this study was to delineate the fundamental elements of community recovery and attributes of resilience to cyclones, storm surges, and other environmental disaster-shocks in Bangladesh's coastal communities, and, recognizing that social actions are pivotal elements of community resilience, we attempt to make a novel contribution by underscoring local emic perspectives. Using the tools of participatory research methods, we collected empirical data from four sources: a household survey of 300 household heads, eight focus group discussions, 20 key informant interviews, and five in-depth, household case studies. Our research findings revealed that the roles of traditional-informal as well as quasi-formal institutions were vital for rapid recovery and transformation to new local economic and livelihood trajectories. Resilience attributes that were deeply embedded in community characteristics assisted in ameliorating immediate impacts as well as in building future adaptive capacities. Out of 12 resilience attributes identified by the respondents, 'knowledge, skills and learning', 'values and beliefs', 'people-place connection', 'social networks and support', 'active institutions', and 'self-organization' capacities were ranked highest. The community resilience attributes and their functionality in the context of the coastal communities studied varied significantly depending on their economic base, occupations, and their respective contexts of vulnerability. Overall, the findings demonstrate that community resilience attributes function interactively rather than independently, and analyses of community attributes therefore require a clear understanding of network functioning and the processes that drive institutional structures, relations, and outcomes.

The container-inhabiting Aedes mosquitoes are the major vectors transmitting dengue and several other arboviral diseases such as chikungunya and zika across the tropical world. Surveillance for immature Aedes, particularly pupae, is an effective tool for measuring dengue outbreak risk. While in Bangladesh, the greatest burden of dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever cases has periodically been occurring since the first major outbreak in 2000, very limited research has yet been pursued to understand the dynamics of Aedes pupal production in this country. In this backdrop, this study was carried out to i) identify containers at household premises contributing to dengue vector productivity; ii) measure the extent of pupae productivity of household containers; and, iii) determine the effects of household ecological factors upon productivity of pupae in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. During the monsoon months of 2013, a total of 1,033 containers (674 wet and 363 dry) in 727 household premises in 12 wards of the city of Dhaka were inspected to measure container productivity and collect household ecological, and human behavioural data. The results reveal that the majority of immature mosquitoes (73.52% larvae and 84.91% pupae) developed in containers located outdoor that are used mostly for household chores. Plastic containers (57.55% of all immature mosquito-positive containers) used for household chores produce most of the immature mosquitos. The results of the zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) model reveal that pupae production significantly varies by container type (p-value = 0.0136) for the count regression group. However, when considering container size along with container type, container size is found significant for pupae production (p-value = 0.0041), showing that container size is confounded with the container type and the pupae production. Containers greater than 50 litres (L) are likely to produce 4.9 times more pupae than containers with

Dengue viruses are responsible for over 100 million infections a year worldwide and are a public health concern in Bangladesh. Although risk of transmission is high, data on vector population characteristics are scanty in Bangladesh; therefore, a comprehensive prediction of the patterns of local virus transmission is not possible. Recognizing these gaps, multi-year entomological surveys were carried out in Dhaka, where the disease is most frequently reported. The specific objectives of the present study are threefold: i) to determine the risk factors for the presence of Aedes mosquitoes; ii) to identify the types of most productive and key containers; and iii) to estimate the effects of climatic factors on Aedes abundance in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Entomological surveys were conducted in 12 out of 90 wards in Dhaka. These wards were selected using a probability proportional sampling procedure during the monsoon seasons in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and in the dry season in 2012. All containers inside and around sampled households were inspected for mosquito larvae and pupae, and containers were classified according to their relative size, use pattern, and materials of construction. During the study period (2011-2013), 12,680 larvae and pupae were collected. About 82% of the identified immature mosquitoes were Aedes aegypti, while the remainder were Ae. albopictus and other mosquito species. The largest number of immature mosquitoes was collected from tires and refrigerator trays during 2011 and 2012 monsoon seasons. Conversely, plastic drums were the most productive during the 2012 dry and 2013 monsoon season. Vehicle parts and discarded construction materials were the most efficient producers of Aedes mosquitoes in all surveys. The presence of Aedes mosquitoes was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in low socio-economic zones of Dhaka. Container location, presence of vegetation, and availability of shade for containers were also significantly associated with finding immature Aedes mosquitoes, based on multivariable analysis after confounder adjustment. Rainfall, temperature, and relative humidity also significantly affected the mean abundance of mosquitoes. Proper use, disposal, and recycling of the containers that effectively produce large numbers of Aedes vector mosquitoes may decrease the risk of arboviral transmission.

The Canada 150 Conference on Migration of Bengalis was triggered by our academic as well as personal desires to establish broadly the history of migration of Bengalis or Bangla-speaking people to Canada. As long-time researchers on Asian immigrants in Canada, and through our involvement in the Metropolis Research Project, we realized that there was hardly any published material on Canadian Bengalis. Therefore, in 2017, on the eve of Canada’s 150th anniversary, we took the opportunity to celebrate and document the history and contemporary trends of Bengali immigrants in Canada. ISBN: 9781772870442

This paper illustrates a shifted microfinance modality that adopted greening principles towards sustainability. The empirical context of the research was a green microfinance programme implemented by an NGO microfinance institution at two study sites in Bangladesh. The research conceived and tested a microfinance model underpinned by ‘ecological modernization’ and ‘innovation and entrepreneurship’ theories. Field studies were carried out between January 2012 and June 2013 in order to match the ‘theoretical realm’ with the ‘observational realm’. A case study and participatory methods were the primary means of studying the modality and operations of the green microfinance strategy. The study compared the ecological outcomes of green microfinance-assisted enterprises and traditional microcredit-assisted enterprises and measured their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Cool Farm Tool software was used to quantify GHGs. Comparison with a designed experiment shows that micro-enterprises employing green strategies emit less GHGs than the ones with traditional strategies. The research revealed that the microfinance-based greening interventions help to ensure ecological outcomes for micro-enterprises; thus, the combination of the embedded economic and social elements of the classic microfinance model with the new ecological elements supports sustainability.

Worldwide, more than 50 million cases of dengue fever are reported every year in at least 124 countries, and it is estimated that approximately 2.5 billion people are at risk for dengue infection. In Bangladesh, the recurrence of dengue has become a growing public health threat. Notably, knowledge and perceptions of dengue disease risk, particularly among the public, are not well understood. Recognizing the importance of assessing risk perception, we adopted a comparative approach to examine a generic methodology to assess diverse sets of beliefs related to dengue disease risk. Our study mapped existing knowledge structures regarding the risk associated with dengue virus, its vector (Aedes mosquitoes), water container use, and human activities in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. "Public mental models" were developed from interviews and focus group discussions with diverse community groups; "expert mental models" were formulated based on open-ended discussions with experts in the pertinent fields. A comparative assessment of the public's and experts' knowledge and perception of dengue disease risk has revealed significant gaps in the perception of: (a) disease risk indicators and measurements; (b) disease severity; (c) control of disease spread; and (d) the institutions responsible for intervention. This assessment further identifies misconceptions in public perception regarding: (a) causes of dengue disease; (b) dengue disease symptoms; (c) dengue disease severity; (d) dengue vector ecology; and (e) dengue disease transmission. Based on these results, recommendations are put forward for improving communication of dengue risk and practicing local community engagement and knowledge enhancement in Bangladesh.

This article, part two of a comprehensive research, contributes to the debate why fishantry as a social domain deserves separate analytical treatment by way of providing context-specific substantiations and insights from two farming and two fishing villages located in the floodplain and coastal ecosystems of Bangladesh. Part one of the series dealt with the flawed anatomy of the peasantry as a conceptual domain, relegation of fishers in the anthropological and political theorizing and development discourse, and the theoretical debates in favour of a separate taxonomical domain for fishers. This article focuses on the comparative aspects between peasantry and fishantry with further insights concerning the internal differentiation within fishantry. Grounding on the analyses of these two distinct senses of representations and the dialectical interplay between peasantry and fishantry, we argue that in view of changing social and anthropological fields in this new era of realignment, the dynamic dimensions of identities, scope of reconceptualization of social domains, and internally differentiated classes of rural Bengal deserve new attention. There is also a critical need for more thoughts on modifying macro-level policies in favour of fishantry.

Small-scale fishers in coastal areas of Brazil face numerous challenges, including marginalization by large-scale industrial operations, poor market access, lack of working capital, and pressure to diversify their livelihood base. From the perspective of adaptive capacity, this investigation was carried out in three communities in the municipality of Paraty (Rio de Janeiro State), and sought to determine the main challenges facing local fishers, and fishers’ current adaptive and transformative actions against these challenges. Findings revealed that the majority of fishers (55%) own mid-size diesel boats (6–9 m) and face constant pressure to scale-up and diversify operations to take advantage of the growing tourism sector. Such expansion requires financial capital. However, due to fear of losing assets, inability to arrange a co-signer, and lack of adequate collateral, many fishers are reluctant to obtain credit from government-sponsored programs and seek credit elsewhere. Fishers with larger boats are increasingly opting for tourism-related activities through informal credit arrangements. However, of the smaller-scale fisher respondents some 27% have opted to downsize their fishing operations through intrasectoral adjustments. These actions reflect a general trend of aversion to financial liability and vulnerability by way of flexibility, dynamism, and diversification. It is recommended that access to credit should be made easier for small-scale fishers to provide more options to diversify their livelihood base but without exerting additional fishing pressure on already overfished stocks.

BACKGROUND The recurrence of dengue has become a growing public health threat. This research examines the knowledge, beliefs, attitudes and practice of local community members regarding dengue transmission in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. It also investigates explanatory demographic and socioeconomic factors that affect community knowledge, beliefs and practices. METHODS In July-August 2011, a random sample of household heads or alternatives (n=300) was surveyed in 12 wards of Dhaka. This survey was supplemented by 12 focus group discussions (n=107) and 18 key informant interviews in three selected wards. RESULTS Most community members had heard about dengue (91.3%; 274/300) and knew (93.7%; 281/300) that mosquitoes act as the primary vector of its transmission. In contrast, most (87.3%; 262/300) was unaware that Aedes mosquitoes prefer to lay their eggs in water containers. Multivariate logistic regression modeling revealed that the respondents in age group 45-60 years were 2.83 times more likely to have positive attitudes towards undertaking precautionary measures to prevent dengue than the respondents aged

The objective of this research was to explore, both theoretically and empirically, the ecological impacts of small-scale entrepreneurial ventures in developing countries. To this end, six microenterprises in rural southwestern Bangladesh established using green-microcredit strategies were evaluated in terms of goals, operational procedures, economic viability, social contributions, and impact on local ecological sustainability. This research revealed that the majority of such enterprises are not only sustainable and comply with current ecological standards, but also contribute a considerable number of vital ecosystem services while simultaneously maintaining suitably high profit margins to promise long-term economic viability. These findings indicate that microenterprises given environmental guidance by developmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs)—especially NGOs microfinance institutions, NGO-MFIs—have the potential to make significant ecological contributions and address the issue of climate change from the bottom of the social ladder upwards.

Going beyond the myths prevalent in the socio-cultural embeddedness of rural Bangladesh, this article examines the diverse visible and invisible roles of fisherwomen in small-scale fisheries. This research considered two ethnic groups situated in two different ecosystems: the floodplain freshwater ecosystem is represented by new-entrant Muslim fishers ‘Maimal’ and the coastal ecosystem is represented by caste-based Hindu fishers ‘Jaladas’. From the basic ontological worldview of human dignity, moral individualism, and the social recognition of women’s rights, we argue that fisherwomen’s roles need to be recognized, focused, and valued to develop a horizontal understanding that is a prerequisite to the process of democratization, and the proper functioning of a just society. In the rural societies, a host of attributes, such as the deep-rooted socio-cultural constructions of the motherly myth, extreme tolerance, family teaching, religious antagonism, poverty, lack of education, internalization of a subordi...

Historically, fishers have been embodied among rural primary producers, and they have been largely overlooked in efforts of anthropological and political theorizing of the peasantry. This article, which is the first part of a study, takes up the challenge to analyze the theoretical basis and argues in favour of why fishers do deserve a separate analytical treatment. We observed that, despite some commonalities, interactions, and dependencies between fishers and peasants as rural inhabitants and professional groups, fishers exhibit distinct characteristics in terms of their socio-political dimension, culture, Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), production relations, adoption of technology, local institutions, and resource governance. We, therefore, assert fishantry as a distinct social domain that deserves a separate analytical framework relative to peasantry. Empirically, the attributes of fishantry are more visible in small-scale fisheries in developing or least-developed societies. In part two of this study, which will be published in the next issue, we present the analysis pertinent to the independent existence and the social relations of fishers in the fishing communities in Bangladesh. We envision that manifestations of a fishantry theoretical framework would be reflected in the policy domain as designated resources and programs that would aim for the sustainable management of fisheries resources and the well-being of the user groups.

Background Dengue virus (DENV) activity has been reported in Dhaka, Bangladesh since the early 1960s with the greatest burden of dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever cases observed in 2000. Since this time, the intensity of dengue activity has varied from year to year, and its determining factors remained relatively unknown. In light of such gaps in knowledge, the main objectives of this study were to determine the magnitude of seroprevalence and seroconversion among the surveyed population, and establish the individual/household level risk factors for the presence of DENV antibodies among all age groups of target populations in the city of Dhaka. Methodology/Principal findings Considering the lack of fine scale investigations on the factors driving dengue activity in Bangladesh, a prospective cohort study involving serological surveys was undertaken with participant interviews and blood donation across the city of Dhaka in 2012. Study participants were recruited from 12 of 90 wards and blood samples were collected during both the pre-monsoon (n = 1125) and post-monsoon (n = 600) seasons of 2012. The findings revealed that the seroprevalence in all pre-monsoon samples was 80.0% (900/1125) while the seropositivity in the pre-monsoon samples that had paired post-monsoon samples was 83.3% (503/600). Of the 97 paired samples that were negative at the pre-monsoon time point, 56 were positive at the post-monsoon time point. This resulted in a seroprevalence of 93.2% (559/600) among individuals tested during the post-monsoon period. Seroprevalence trended higher with age with children exhibiting a lower seropositivity as compared to adults. Results from this study also indicated that DENV strains were the only flaviviruses circulating in Dhaka in 2012. A multivariate analysis revealed that age, possession of indoor potted plants, and types of mosquito control measures were significant factors associated with DENV seroprevalence; while attendance in public/mass gatherings, and use of mosquito control measures were significantly associated with DENV seroconversion after adjusting for all other variables. Conclusions/Significance Our study suggests that there is a high level of endemic dengue virus circulation in the city of Dhaka which has resulted in significant DENV seroprevalence among its residents. Seropositivity increased with age, however, a substantial proportion of children are at risk for DENV infections. Our serological analysis also documents considerable DENV seroconversion among study participants which indicates that a large proportion of the population in the city of Dhaka were newly exposed to DENV during the study period (pre-and post-monsoon 2012). High levels of seroconversion suggest that there was an intense circulation of DENV in 2012 and this may have resulted in a significant risk for viral associated illness. Findings of our study further indicated that home-based interventions, such as removing indoor potted plants and increased bed net use, in addition to vector control measures in public parks, would reduce exposure to DENV and further decrease risk of viral associated disease., Author summary Similar to many other tropical regions of the world, dengue is a major public health problem in Bangladesh where Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are the main vector. Through this serological survey, we present data on the magnitude (measured in proportions) of seroprevalence and seroconversion within 12 selected wards in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. In 2012 the observed dengue seroprevalence was 93% among individuals tested during post-monsoon with a seroconversion rate between pre- and post-monsoon periods of 57.7%. This finding suggests that dengue virus (DENV) circulated in the city during the observation period. Past exposure to dengue virus was highly associated with age, possession of indoor potted plants, types of mosquito control measures used, and human movement and attendance in mass gatherings, while the extent of dengue seroprevalence were not associated with the socioeconomic status of the study participants. Our findings suggest that household utilities and water management or storage practices and recognition and elimination of mosquito development sites and participation in mass gatherings are important factors that affect exposure to dengue. Intervention strategies should therefore target these factors for effective prevention and control of dengue infection.