Associate Professor Md Rabiul Islam
University Utara Malaysia, Malaysia
Title: Impact of Climate Change on Livelihood Vulnerability Index
Abstract:
The communities engaged in small-scale fishing
within inland open-water areas are considered to be among the most susceptible
populations. Fishery activities play a crucial role in supporting food
nutrition and security, poverty alleviation, and sustainable livelihoods for
communities. Nonetheless, scholars tend to undervalue their contributions on both
a global and national level. The present investigation evaluated the influence
of climate change on small-scale fisheries from a vulnerability standpoint,
employing two indices to measure livelihood vulnerability. Initially, the
Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) was employed, followed by the use of the
IPCC Vulnerability Framework Approach (LVI-IPCC framework). The primary aims of
this investigation were to evaluate the susceptibility level of small-scale
fisheries communities in light of the consequences of climate change. In order
to attain the stated goal, a randomised selection process was employed to
gather data pertaining to small-scale fisheries communities located within
three districts in sub-districts. The individuals in question hailed from the
localities of Chatmohor, Gurudaspur, and Tarash and were engaged in the
occupation of fishing. A comprehensive survey was conducted, wherein a total of
300 households belonging to the small-scale fisheries sector were interviewed.
In general, the outcomes of LVI and LVI-IPCC did not alter the hierarchy of
vulnerability status, as both methodologies concluded that the households in
Tarash exhibited greater vulnerability compared to those in Chatmohor and
Gurudaspur. Additionally, the present investigation has revealed that
small-scale farmers encounter a multitude of challenges, such as an inadequate
food supply, limited cash accessibility, persistent illnesses, precarious
drinking water, joblessness, insufficient physical resources, the absence of
early warning systems, and minimal engagement in social networks. In order to
enhance the standard of living for individuals in the small-scale fisheries
sector, policymakers should implement modifications to food policies, health
facilities, access to informal credit, training programmes, and an effective
early warning system.
Biography:
Dr. Rabiul Islam is currently an Associate Professor at the School of International Studies (SOIS) AACSB accredited under University Utara Malaysia since January 1, 2018. Prior to joining in UUM, he was a senior lecturer in the department of Economics. He was a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Institute for Environment and Development, University Kebangsaan Malaysia. In addition, he obtained his PhD in Environmental Economics under the Institute for Environment and Development, UKM. Moreover, he completed bachelor and master’s in economics at the Islamic University, Bangladesh. He is an academic and a highly profile researcher. He has more than 17 years of experience in research as well as economics teaching and published over 160 papers in highly reputable journals and presented in international conferences in front of world-renowned audiences in the respective fields. His core research areas are environmental economics, climate change, international studies, political economy etc. He received excellent service award in 2021 and excellent publication award in 2022 for his academic and research excellence in University Utara Malaysia as a significant recognition. Furthermore, he also has Scopus H-index 15, Research gate H-index 22, Google scholar H-index 28 which shows the internationally recognized and outstanding achievements.