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- Agricultural vulnerability and adaptation strategies by farmers to climate change in south-western coastal BangladeshPublication . Ashrafuzzaman, Md.; Gomes, Carla; Cerdà, Artemi; Schmidt, Luísa; Guerra, JoãoAgriculture in the south-western coastal region in Bangladesh (SWCRB) has high vulnerability to climate change (CC) owing to its proximity to the rivers and the coast, frequent natural disasters, and sea level rise (SLR) causing intrusion of saline water into agricultural fields. Climate change and SLR have caused an increase in soil salinity in the SWCRB over the years, exerting significant pressure on farming, traditional agriculture and means of living. This study examines the impacts of SLR and climate change on the agricultural land of Shyamnagar Upazila in Satkhira District of the SWCRB. This conceptual framework integrates socio-economic and geophysical factors to understand the vulnerability of farmers to climate change. A mixed-methods approach is used in this study with data analysis (qualitative and quantitative), including close-ended questionnaires, interviews, surveys, focus groups with regional farmers. The survey was conducted among 320 households in Shyamnager Upazila in Satkhira District of Bangladesh to identify current adaptation measures adopted by farmers considering the effects of climate change and associated impacts. Land use change analysis from 1989 to 2019 demonstrated the expansion of water coverage in the region. The study analysed secondary rainfall data available from the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) from 1968 to 2018, showing the changes in the rainfall pattern. Multiple logistic regression (MLR) analysis was employed to understand the interrelationship between adaptive measures used by farmers. It was determined that age, gender, and total income of survey respondents affected the chosen adaptation measures.
- An adaptive governance for water justice in EuropePublication . Gomes, Carla; Schmidt, LuísaThe intense droughts of the last five years, which most recently led the Portuguese Government to approve water rationing in the region of Algarve, are stark reminders of the scarcity threat looming over Europe. The increase in consumption in recent decades - from households to agriculture to industry – compounded by climate change - has contributed to a growing pressure. Water stress is not just a concern of Southern Europe anymore and has already prompted the European Commission to announce a new strategy for water resilience to be launched in 2024. The active involvement of social scientists has never been so crucial for water management as today. 20% of the European territory and 30% of Europeans are affected by water stress during an average year, according to the European Environment Agency. Droughts alone already represent an estimated loss of 9 billion euros annually, coupled with the impacts of storms and floods. It is estimated that 17 per cent of the continent’s population and 13 per cent of its GDP will be affected by a high to extreme risk of scarcity by 2050. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has created in 2015 a set of principles for water governance, some of them especially crucial in face of the climate emergency. Policy coherence between sectors has been one of the most challenging and is paramount for implementing a circular economy across the nexus with energy, waste management and food production. The appropriate scales for governing water resources within basin systems are another key element in this governance model. Water governance has been mostly local and incremental, as noted by the Global Commission on the Economics of Water (2023), in the wake of the UN Water Conference of March 2023. To develop a new water culture, it will be crucial to cultivate trust and engagement, one of the key dimensions of the OECD model. This requires finding balanced and negotiated solutions to address the trade-offs between competing water demands (e.g., tourism vs agriculture), which come to the fore especially during intense drought episodes. The new 332 models of governance require an effective and inclusive engagement of key stakeholders, but also social actors that are most vulnerable and historically underrepresented. This communication addresses the main challenges currently facing water governance in Europe. It is based on a policy review and also draws insights from recent analyses carried out in the six countries involved in the B-WaterSmart project (H2020, Grant No. 869171) (Portugal, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Germany and Norway), regarding models of governance and social acceptability of water-smart solutions (e.g., water reuse, stormwater management). We examine the key trends towards a more adaptive, fair and participatory governance of water resources in Europe, seeking to strike a balance between local priorities and the global nature of water adaptation.