James Totton's Report

At the start of the summer I spent a month in Bangladesh carrying out research for my undergraduate dissertation. The research focused on examining the different risks and vulnerabilities that are experienced within the district of Sirajganj, Bangladesh, principally by the people, but also the various NGOs and academics who have commented on the subject area. The overall aim was to test if they all agreed on what vulnerability and risk was and if not, why not.

 Why Bangladesh for this research? Considered to be the ground zero for visible climate change, Bangladesh, located at the top of the apex in the Bay of Bengal faces serious risks of increased flooding and sea intrusion. Currently, 80% of the country consists of alluvial lowlands (prone to violent flash flooding), housing a population of 150 million. The Sirajganj district, located within central Bangladesh represents one of the most vulnerable areas within the country primarily due to flooding. First and foremost, understanding what people see as a vulnerability is key towards mitigating against the risks facing the people of Bangladesh.

During the fieldwork within the Sirajganj district, I spent time with five villages all experiencing different difficult conditions and receiving varying degrees of aid from NGOs. While in the field, I worked and lived alongside a local NGO in the area Manab Mukti Sangstha (MMS), who had a vision to see a society free from poverty, discrimination and risk of natural disasters. They were invaluable in sharing their knowledge of the local area as well as introducing myself and my research assistant to the villages we would be engaging with, helping to foster a sense of trust important for gathering knowledge on something that can be as personal as vulnerability.

For the data collection, I carried out a set of focus groups at each of the five villages with the men, women, youth and elders all included in the dialogue about what vulnerability was to them and how they fight it in their everyday lives. Due to the rural setting, English was not commonly found so all focus groups and interviews were done through my translator and research assistant Rigan, a friend and very competent researcher who without which my research would not have been possible. Beyond interviewing and focus groups I spent time touring the area, observing and recording the effects and responses to previous floods and disasters that have hit the Sirajganj district. This included very visible signs of risks including extensive soil erosion and salinity intrusion but also signs of how villages had tried to reduce their own vulnerability through the construction of dykes and raising their houses.

Alongside the field element of my work, I was also hosted at the International Centre for Climate Change and Development, an organisation who I had worked with in the past based in Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka. While there, I was able to use some of my findings to contribute to a wider academic discussion with various NGOs operating in Bangladesh concerning the greater role local people should have in deciding what projects take place in their villages. This is currently becoming a policy brief to formalise this discussion.

Overall, the trip was highly valuable, enabling me to reconnect with friends, colleagues and a culture that I hadn't had any contact with for over three years as well as contribute to the understanding of vulnerability and risk experienced at the grassroots level. The scholarship covered the costs of my flights, accommodation (including meals), travel insurance and my visa. Without the help of the scholarship I would not have been able to conduct this research for my dissertation. For this I am very grateful to the university for running such a program and giving me such an opportunity.