Seasonal Migration as a choice to Adaptation in the context of Environmental Degradation and Climate Change: Bangladesh as a Case

This study explores and analyzes different local factors influencing environmental and socio-economic change to drive migration in the coastal Bangladesh. Local people have been interviewed in-depth to explore the context and how they perceive it from their actual experiences. The study finds that the agricultural transformation has caused ecological disaster in the area due to salinity intrusion and shrimp farming leading to significant environmental transformation and threats to local resilience. Reduction of household resilience has shifted away vulnerable people to move outside territory ranging from one week to a maximum of six months as seasonal migrants which is a common trend for a long time for some people to strengthen household capital and savings as adaptation choice when regular employment is not available. People have little understanding of whether such environmental changes are linked to climate change or not but they emphasize man-made interventions and natural disasters. Climate change is a fact but in the present case of migration it only exacerbates an already existing problem. This influences people to migrate temporarily to increase their household resilience/capital from outside and can be considered to be an alternative livelihood strategy or adaptation choice if other local options fail.