Climate change, multi-hazards and society: An empirical study on the coastal community of Indian Sundarban

Abstract

Effective mitigation and adaptation methods are critical for addressing multi-hazards in various parts of the world as a result of changing climate occurrences. Basically, coastal areas around the world have been proven to be particularly sensitive and at risk as a result of recent climate change, forcing people to relocate in order to survive. In the previous 2–3 years, cyclones such as Fani, Bulbul, Amphan, and Yass have wreaked havoc on eastern India's coastal region. The aim of this study is to look into the coastal population of Indian Sundarban's perceptions of hazards and their solutions for dealing with the growing threat of hazards. To measure perceptions of multi-hazard impact, a survey of 850 rural households was conducted in four different geographical regions (i.e. island, coastal, riverine, and inland). Several forms of coping techniques have been discovered, and the results differ from one geographical place to the next, demonstrating the different impact of risks in the studied area. It is obvious from the analysis that, with the exception of island households, other areas use a very limited number of adaptation mechanisms. When it comes to the amount of coping strategies used, it has been discovered that most inhabitants outside of islands use 1–3 techniques (nearly 56%) using food and finance as safeguard, but island dwellers use 4–6 strategies (nearly 78%) in form of asset related issues. Reducing the amount of food consumed, obtaining financing from various organizations, and migrating are some of the primary tactics used in the study region to combat the negative effects of climate change-related multi-hazards.

Keywords

• Mitigation
• Multi-hazards
• Climate change
• Risk
• Sundarban
• Coping