Sustainable deltas in the Anthropocene

What are the possible trajectories of delta development over the coming decades? Trajectories will be determined by the interactions of biophysical trends such as changing sediment supplies, subsidence due to compaction of sediment and climate change, along with key socio-economic trends of migration and urbanisation, agricultural intensification, demographic transition, economic growth and structural change of the economy. Knowledge and understanding of plausible trajectories can inform management choices for deltas in the Anthropocene, including new policy perspectives and innovative adaptation. The emergence of visionary delta management plans in some large deltas, such as the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100, is an important and necessary component. This chapter synthesises the state of knowledge and highlights key elements of science that will inform decisions on future management of deltas.<br/

Differential livelihood adaptation to social-ecological change in coastal Bangladesh

Social-ecological changes, brought about by the rapid growth of the aquaculture industry and the increased occurrence of climatic stressors, have significantly affected the livelihoods of coastal communities in Asian mega-deltas. This paper explores the livelihood adaptation responses of households of different wealth classes, the heterogeneous adaptation opportunities, barriers and limits (OBLs) faced by these households and the dynamic ways in which these factors interact to enhance or impede adaptive capacities. A mixed methods approach was used to collect empirical evidence from two villages in coastal Bangladesh. Findings reveal that households’ adaptive capacities largely depend on their wealth status, which not only determine their availability of productive resources, but also empower them to navigate social-ecological change in desirable ways. Households operate within a shared response space, which is shaped by the broader socio-economic and political landscape, as well as their previous decisions that can lock them in to particular pathways. While an adaptive response may be effective for one social group, it may cause negative externalities that can undermine the adaptation options and outcomes of another group. Adaptation OBLs interact in complex ways; the extent to which these OBLs affect different households depend on the specific livelihood activities being considered and the differential values and interests they hold. To ensure more equitable and environmentally sustainable livelihoods in future, policies and programs should aim to expand households’ adaptation space by accounting for the heterogeneous needs and complex interdependencies between response processes of different groups

A perspective on migration and community engagement in Smart Cities

This is a conceptual paper interfacing community engagement and migration flows in relation to smart cities’ development. The paper notes community engagement as a crucial variable, in general and with reference to the aspired for impact on migration flows. It conceptualizes community engagement as an operationalizable construct for strategic design. The idea of community engagement is there in most multi-stakeholder projects and initiatives. Enhancing design and execution for making it count for superior performance of smart city initiatives is what we seek to develop here. The paper is also oriented to deliver an agenda for field research based on hypotheses it comes forth with

Equitable Access to Formal Disaster Management Programmes: Experience of Residents of Urban Informal Settlements in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to natural and man-made disasters. There exist many programmes for disaster management and prevention operated by government and non-government organisations. However, how accessible these programmes are to the most vulnerable section of the community is an open question. In order to contribute to this knowledge gap, we have surveyed 1122 households of 93 slums (informal settlements) of Khulna city, a coastal city with exposure to natural disasters. We investigate informal settlers’ perceptions on their access to pre- and post-disaster support. We examine if there is any difference in perception among different socio-economic groups. Results will be useful to develop more equitable and just disaster management programmes in Bangladesh and other developing countries.No Full Tex

Small Lot Housing as a Means to Realise Compact Cities: The Case of Perth, Western Australia

The means of achieving urban consolidation is extensively discussed in urban planning literature. However, it is not completely clear how consolidation goals could be facilitated by promoting homes on smaller lots. The paper addresses the dichotomy in Perth’s housing market created by strong policy support for apartments and multi-occupancy dwellings whereas there is an overwhelming demand for larger block single-family residences. We interviewed local government planners and developers to explore their views on appropriate design codes, consumer preferences and the potential for trade-offs. Findings from this study could encourage relevant stakeholders to approach urban consolidation in a more realistic way.No Full Tex

An integrated model of city and neighborhood identities: A tale of two cities

Drawing on the place branding literature, we explain how identity formed at a lower level of place scale (i.e., neighborhood) influences identity formation at a higher level of place scale (i.e., city). We tested the proposed hypotheses by developing and testing an integrated model of place identity for two cities in Bangladesh. Findings suggest that neighborhood brand love, resident-neighborhood relationship, place dependence and place social bonding positively impact neighborhood identity, which in turn positively influences resident-neighborhood satisfaction and resident-neighborhood citizenship behavior. The study also finds that city identity is formed by neighborhood identity and resident-neighborhood satisfaction. The current study addresses the calls for more research on place branding and marketing to advance the development of theory in the area of city branding

A geospatial analysis of the social, economic and environmental dimensions and drivers of poverty in south-west coastal Bangladesh

Census and spatial data are used to analyse geographical variations in poverty and identify the key socio-economic and environmental drivers of poverty. Results show a strong clustering of poverty within the study area with multivariate analysis indicating a significant association with environmental predictors. However, whilst increasing intensity of salinity intrusion is significantly associated with poverty, neither large shrimp nor freshwater prawn farms impact on poverty. The strong association identified between salinity intrusion and poverty could be attributed to loss of arable land, reduced agricultural productivity and income, food insecurity, rural unemployment, social unrest, conflicts and forced migration. This analysis provides important inputs to the integrated analysis of coastal Bangladesh and the delta