Coping Strategies of the Resource Poor during Natural Hazards: A Case of Polder No. 29 under Dumuria Upazila of Khulna District in Bangladesh

The study was conducted to compare the livelihood adaptation of the disadvantaged people living in Polder No. 29 and LGED-managed sub-polder (Latabunia) in Dumuria Upazila in Khulna district of Bangladesh. Six villages under the Upazila were selected purposively. In total 120 respondents, in which 65 from Polder 29 and 55 from Latabunia Sub-polder were selected randomly. Slight differences were observed among the major socioeconomic characteristics of the disadvantaged people living in Polder No. 29 and Latabunia. There was also a variation in the sources of household income and income generating activities of the disadvantaged people in Polder No. 29 and LGED-managed sub-polder (Latabunia). No disadvantaged people in Latabunia were found to be involved in small trading and livestock keeping whereas it was common in Polder 29. It was also found that the disadvantaged people living in Polder 29 were affected less by different natural hazards than the disadvantaged people in Latabunia. As a result livelihood of disadvantaged people in Latabunia is more vulnerable than the livelihood of disadvantaged people inside Polder 29. So, Latabunia should be taken under BWDB polder area for protecting them from natural hazards.