DIMENSIONS OF SMALLHOLDERS COPING TO DROUGHT IN BANGLADESH

By providing employment and food security, agriculture and agriculture centered economy generally determines the smallholders? livelihood in Bangladesh. But, the northwestern region experienced eight dry spells of major magnitude in last 40 years. The situation is likely to be deteriorating in coming years because of climate change. It continuously modifies livelihood strategies of the smallholders. They embrace both active and avoidant coping strategies to avoid production loss, persistent income inadequacy and seasonal unemployment resulting from drought and socioeconomic vulnerabilities. The goal of the study is to investigate the dimensions and status of such coping strategies. It depicts that ?active coping? strategies assist smallholders overcoming imperatives at a few degrees. But, lack of investment capacity and poor asset-base impel them to move into low-cost and low-return exercises. ?Avoidant coping? strategies debilitate their further capability to cope with challenges. Overall, the smallholders lag far behind to cope with drought and other socioeconomic constraints.