Bangladeshi coastal communities have been facing environmental challenges for centuries (Lein 2000). Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated countries of the world, is situated in the world’s biggest delta, formed by the rivers Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna. It is termed a least-developed country (LDC)4 by the United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and the Small Island Developing States (UNOHRLLS 2010), with 63% of its population employed in the sectors of agriculture, forests and fisheries Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (BSCAA 2010, 1). All three primary livelihood options are determined by environmental conditions and access to natural resources. Bangladesh and its population are thus extremely vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. The scale and frequency of extreme climate events has been steadily increasing, making survival difficult and expensive (Government of Bangladesh, Ministry of Environment and Forest 2005). Unable to cope with these events, according to some estimates more than 26 million people in Bangladesh are likely to migrate (Myers 2002, 611). That is almost 16% of the total population of the country The three primary forms of livelihood practiced in the coastal areas are all based on natural resources, exhibiting great vulnerability to climate shocks and stresses. In two of the sub-districts within the region, Shyamnagar and Koyra, over 64 per cent of households depend on the climate-sensitive sector of agriculture as the main source of livelihood (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics 2001a, b). Shrimp farming:. Introduced in the area in the 1980s, this has proved to be one of the most popular livelihood options in Bangladesh because of its ability to generate high economic returns. According to the chief executive of Shyamnagar sub-district, 30 per cent of all Bangladesh’s shrimp exports are from this sub-district, and shrimp farming is the primary source of revenue for the district employing around 0.3 million people annually (interview with Dileep Bonik, Thana Nirbahi Officer, Shyamnagar SubDistrict, Government of Bangladesh, 17 July 2009). However, shrimp farming has been criticised by environmentalists as unsustainable, and Shahin Islam, from a local non-government organisation (NGO), Barcik, argued that wetlands that preserved biodiversity have been lost shrimp farming (interview, 15 July 2009). Shrimp farming has also been responsible for damages to the embankment, further increasing risk from climatic forces, as farmers build unauthorised sluices to allow saline water to enter their farms in monitored volumes (interview with Qazi Imtiaz Hashmi, Deputy Director, Planning, Department of Environment, Government of Bangladesh, 21 July 2009). The intrusion of brackish water makes the possibility of cultivating other crops minimal, forcing neighbouring farmers also to take up shrimp farming (if they can afford it), or find other sources of employment. Bibek, a daily-wage agricultural worker from Chauramukha, reported: ‘Our options are limited. If we can get a loan, we start a shrimp business. Or we go elsewhere to find a job’ (interview with Bibek Das, 12 July 2009). Paddy farming. While shrimp farming is predominant in the area, one village in the sample exclusively practised paddy farming. However, increasing salinity in soil and groundwater were reported to have been affecting crop yield in the area. According to farmers, fluctuating rainfall patterns have also been a problem for rice farmers. Forest resource extraction. The Sunderbans is a vast forest area lying in the delta in southwest Bangladesh. It is a rich source of natural herbs, medicines and other resources, such as honey and timber. Villagers frequently enter the forest area in search of fuelwood, and to catch fish from the ponds inside the forest. Villagers highlighted that frequent storms6 made access to and availability of forest resources difficult. Water scarcity Ponds are the main source of drinking water. Climate variability in the form of slow-onset changes such as unpredictable rainfall, and an increase in salinity, have together created acute drinking water shortages in the area, and also been responsible for skin diseases. After Aila, all the open water sources had become unusable, and villagers had to rely on tankers of water supplied by the government. Weak embankments Embankments were constructed in the late 1990s to protect the area from floods and cyclones under the Bangladesh Coastal Embankment Rehabilitation Project (World Bank 2005). However, these have proved inadequate in the face of abnormal, and regular cyclonic storms and floods (Islam 2002). Households reported that continuous exposure to floods and storms had weakened the embankment. They complained of a lack of regular maintenance by the government. Villagers also claimed that the embankment created drainage problems because it meant saline water from storm surges flooded both the shrimp and the paddy fields increasing soil salinity. A review of the responses reveals that climate shocks and stresses have been affecting households by aggravating existing problems. Migration occurs in response to multiple pressures, and it is difficult to isolate environmental pressures from ongoing economic ones. Thus, the effects of climate change increase the impetus towards migration, forcing people to go in search of safer environments that can offer them reliable livelihoods, and household security (Black et al. 2008). A village elder from Neeldumuria said: ‘It is so hard to live here. Every day something happens. Who do we blame if there is a storm? There is nothing to do but find another home. How long can we go on living like this?’.