Gendered Vulnerability in Wetland Bangladesh: An Intersectional Analysis of Climate and Social Stressors; Evidence from Nikli Upazila, Kishoreganj

<p><span>Wetland ecosystems in Bangladesh, particularly the haor regions, are highly vulnerable to seasonal flooding, flash floods, and climate variability. These environmental stressors interact with socio-economic inequalities to produce differentiated vulnerability across population groups. This study examines gendered vulnerability in the Haor ecosystem, focusing on Nikli Upazila in Kishoreganj District. Using a mixed analytical approach combining micro-level survey data (n=29 households) and literature review, the research explores how climate exposure intersects with structural gender inequalities. Findings reveal that 55% of surveyed women are extremely vulnerable who are single mothers either widow, abandon by husband, husbands with disability, while vulnerability remains pervasive across all groups due to poverty, landlessness, disability, and social exclusion. The study identifies key dimensions of vulnerability, including livelihood insecurity, limited access to healthcare and sanitation, increased unpaid care burdens, and restricted participation in decision-making. Structural vulnerability: Women’s challenges are not only economic but deeply tied to marital instability, health, and geography.</span></p> <ul> <li>Geographic isolation<span>: Wetland areas limit livelihood diversification, pushing women into precarious labor or migration.</span></li> <li>Intergenerational impact<span>: Children’s dropout and madrasa reliance perpetuate cycles of poverty.</span></li> <li>Disability and health<span>: These compound vulnerabilities, requiring targeted interventions.</span></li> </ul> <p><span>Women’s vulnerability in Nikli Upazila’s haor ecosystems is multidimensional, shaped by the intersection of climate exposure, socio-economic precarity, and entrenched structural inequalities. Seasonal flooding amplifies unpaid care burdens, restricts mobility, disrupts livelihoods, and heightens health and safety risks, leaving women with limited adaptive capacity. Addressing these challenges requires integrated, gender-responsive strategies that expand women’s agency, diversify livelihoods, improve healthcare and WASH services, and strengthen protection mechanisms. Embedding gender equity into climate adaptation policies will foster inclusive resilience and sustainable development in Bangladesh’s climate-vulnerable wetlands.</span></p> <p><span>The paper argues that vulnerability in haor regions is not solely environmental but deeply embedded in gendered social structures. It recommends integrated, gender-responsive climate adaptation strategies to enhance resilience, agency, and socio-economic security.</span></p>