“A truly comprehensive introduction to the topic, Climate Change Impacts on Gender Relations in Bangladesh: Socio-environmental Struggle of the Shora Forest Community in the Sundarbans Mangrove Forest is an essential text for undergraduate and postgraduate students but also anyone wanting to better understand the complexities between gender, disasters and development in the coastal regions of Bangladesh. Sajal Roy’s own deep knowledge, passion for the subject and accessible writing style provide great insights into the different cultural, social and political and environmental perspectives of this agenda. The combination of accessible introductory description along with the critical commentaries is difficult to pull off, but this book manages it with style.”
Saleemul Huq, PhD, Director, International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), Bangladesh, and Senior Fellow, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), UK.
“Elucidating the socio-environmental struggles by the Shora forest communities living in the Sunderbans areas, Sajal’s book contribute immensely to the pertinent yet somewhat under-researched area of climate change and its nuanced impacts on gender relations in Bangladesh. Findings reiterate that empowering local communities leads to building communities' social capital, which they already possess, and possibly facilitates identifying community-led, gender-sensitive mechanisms in saving the forest. The book recommends concerted efforts by agencies and stakeholders in supporting longer-term initiatives such that climate change impacts on gender roles and relations can be positively realized, especially among communities like the Shora, who are exposed to multiple layers of vulnerabilities: climatic hazards, patriarchal societal construct, and inadequacies of resources.”
Golam M. Mathbor, Ph.D., Professor, School of Social Work, Monmouth University, New Jersey, USA.
“Most climate adaptation strategies focus on sustaining ecosystems and meeting basic human needs. Invariably this involves concepts of past and future equity in terms of access and use of resources. Sajal Roy analyses the changes and in gender relationships in the context of impacts on vulnerable communities and ecosystems in the Bangladesh Sundarbans. This excellent research provides an essential dimension for understanding and directing local climate adaptation as well as broader strategies for climate justice.”
Donna Craig, Ph.D., Professor in Environmental Law, School of Law, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia.
“Sajal’s rich ethnographic analysis of the Shora Sundarbarn forest community provides valuable insights into the gendered dimensions of disaster resilience and livelihood security. In a time of anthropogenic climate change, such intersectional thinking is essential to future poverty alleviation efforts. Scholars and practitioners of gender and development, rural livelihoods, climate change and development, South Asian development, human security, disaster resilience, forest-dependent communities, and feminist political ecologies will all find this book useful.”
Dr. Kearrin Sim, Lecturer and Program Convenor in Development Studies, College of Science and Engineering, Division of Tropical Environments & Societies, James Cook University, Australia.
“This book is a useful contribution to the much-needed study space for understanding the gendered imbalances in the context of traditional knowledge, contribution and deprivation in sustainable use of resources in Sundarbans. The author explores vividly the causal relationship between the complex ecological processes and the socio-environmental struggles, which will be a valuable contribution to anyone interested in women’s role in sustainable future.”
Dr Namrata Bhattacharya-Mis, Lecturer in Human Geography & International Development, University of Chester, UK.
“The book by Sajal Roy on Sundarbans uncovers few myths about this largest mangrove forest in the world – the home of Bengal Tigers. The struggles for livelihood by the local people, especially Muslim women, who risk their lives while roaming in this forest are depicted in the book in a fascinated manner, which will be liked by any reader.”
Professor Ataur Rahman, Western Sydney University, Australia.
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