Determining Factors of Livelihood Resilience of Flood-affected Households in North-Western Bangladesh

Abstract

Aims: This study examines the key factors of livelihood resilience of flood-affected households in northwestern Bangladesh, a region recurrently impacted by flood hazards. Study Design:  The research employed convergent mixed-methods approaches, combining simultaneous quantitative analysis of household surveys (n=220) with qualitative insights from 12 focus group discussions (FGDs) and 8 key informant interviews (KIIs). Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted in Gaibandha and Lalmonirhat, two districts of Bangladesh, from April to June 2017. Methodology: The Composite Livelihood Resilience Index approach was adapted to assess absorptive, adaptive, and transformative capacity by combining 4 dimensions (e.g., social, economic, ecological, and institutional) with 12 indicators. Results: This study determined the overall livelihood resilience index of flood-affected households to be 33.33% in northwestern Bangladeshi areas. Absorptive ability was identified as the most important factor in total livelihood resilience, followed by adaptive and transformational capacity. The results demonstrate that social factors consistently dominate across all three capacities, highlighting their critical importance in building resilience against flood shocks and stresses. Economic dimensions are also significant, indicating that financial stability and adaptability are key components of resilience strategies. However, ecological contributions vary across capacities, while institutional contributions are consistently low, indicating a need for stronger governance frameworks and institutional interventions. In strengthening the livelihood resilience of flood-affected households, the regression analysis identified 4 key factors involving human capital (β= 0.278), non-farm income-generating activities (β= 0.251), social capital (β= 0.224), and infrastructure (β= 0.220), respectively. Resilience strategies depend heavily on localized factors such as land availability, river dynamics, and community infrastructure, while climate variability and institutional barriers disproportionately affect resilience. Without broader geographic coverage and thorough analysis in household-centric frameworks, findings may lack applicability to other flood-prone regions. Conclusion: This research concludes that the north-western community people have limited livelihood resilience capacity, positively influenced by four crucial determinants. The study recommends enhancing institutional support, boosting ecologically smart strategies adoption, strengthening transformative capacity, and fostering social networks for building resilient livelihoods of flood-affected households.  Policymakers could be aided with critical insights that could foster equitable resilience-building strategies tailored to the north-western regional context of Bangladesh.