An increasing number of evidences in recent years have clearly established the fact that anthropogenic climate change is a reality. According to latest findings of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and other concerned organisations/agencies, developing countries are expected to suffer the most from the negative impacts of climate change. This is because climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture and fisheries are particularly important in economic terms and because these countries have limited human, institutional and financial capacity to anticipate and respond to the direct and indirect effects of climate change. Many sectors providing basic livelihood services to the poor are not able to cope even with today's climate variability and stresses. This is particularly true for Bangladesh. The frequent occurrence of extreme weather events such as the floods and tropical cyclones in Bangladesh can set back development in the country for decades.
The overarching goal of the research is to build an information source on specific aspects of vulnerability of women to climate change and to analyze how these specific vulnerability contexts can be addressed with planned adaptation measures, given the sustainable development framework of the country. The study also covered, though to a much lesser extent, various other disadvantaged groups such as ethnic minority groups, physically and/or mentally challenged groups, etc.
Initially an attempt is made to collate relevant information from available literature. 12 study sites from all over Bangladesh were carefully chosen to meet the criteria of representing diverse geo-physical realities and their interactions with the climate system anticipated for the future. Participatory Vulnerability Analysis technique, facilitated by tools such as Focus Group Discussions and Key Informants' interview (KII), has been used for the study. Through this technique an attempt is made to analyse vulnerability in the eyes of the vulnerable people. Two regional sharing workshops (at Jessore and Cox's Bazar) and a National Sharing Workshop (in Dhaka) are held in order to share the findings with local stakeholders and to have their feedbacks.
