Climate Change and Health
Climate change continues to have negative impacts on the health of individuals across the globe. Dr. Khondkar Ayaz Rabbani, the fourth speaker in the Learning Symposium Speakers Series, addressed the specific challenges the climate crisis has caused in the South-West Coastal region of Bangladesh. Ranked high on the World Risk Index according to the United Nations, Bangladesh faces a variety of climate-related risks such as floods, draughts, earthquakes, and waterlogs. These risks have been described as the oversaturation of soil with water often caused by storm surge and tidal floods. Another risk faced is where water logging creates an anaerobic environment within the soil which makes the soil unsuitable for agriculture resulting in both the health and well-being of the individuals – as their livelihood and agriculture businesses are impacted.
In his talk, Dr. Rabbani recounts an important research project implemented with the support of Practical Action NGO called “Agriculture and Water Resilience in Coastal Areas of Bangladesh”. To better understand the challenges of waterlogging from the perspective of individuals personally affected by it, a local study was conducted that utilized rapid vulnerability assessment to assess the impact on agriculture, water security, livelihood, and the health and well-being of the communities.
Participant focused outcomes were determined from this study whereby capacity building, training, and education were executed in line to the specific community needs. Skills such as weather forecasting, flood conditions, predicting storms, mapping water sources, and knowledge about rain-water harvesting was disseminated through various training sessions with the communities. Other skills included seed conservation and utilizing floating toilets which were explored with the communities as appropriate responses to waterlogging. The hope was that by offering training, only when the community asked for it, individuals would experience fewer negative consequences and have the resiliency to overcome these challenges.
Overall, Dr. Rabbani encouraged attendees to consider their research through the lens of what would be most beneficial to the community. This is best done by understanding the challenge from the communities’ perspective first and understanding the ways in which they have adapted to the challenges over time, rather than imposing new ways of dealing with these challenges. Moving forward, it is crucial to assume that the local context is important and the willingness of the community to embrace new knowledge and resources is largely dependent on how collaborative the research process is.
Stay tuned for the recordings of our Speaker Series on our website.
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