Addressing non-economic loss and damage: learning from autonomous responses in Bangladesh

Abstract

People in the Majority World disproportionately experience Loss and Damage (L&D) related to climate change. Policymakers and researchers are exploring ways to address L&D. However, significant knowledge gaps remain, including how to address what has been termed Non-Economic Loss and Damage (NELD). We contribute to filling this knowledge gap by analysing the NELD people are experiencing and by exploring autonomous responses to these impacts. This study took place in two regions of Bangladesh: the southwestern Shyamnagar Upazila and the northcentral Durgapur Upazila. We find that people autonomously formulate responses to various NELD from different climate-related hazards (e.g., droughts, floods, and heatwaves). In doing so, people rely on various factors, such as financial assets and social relationships, to respond to NELD. However, because marginalised groups and individuals have little capacity to respond, they are forced to adopt certain responses that further erode their well-being. Moving forward, interventions responding to NELD can identify, build on, support and complement some of these existing responses. We argue that strengthening the capacity of affected people will better enable people to formulate non-erosive responses to NELD.