Overview

This volume critically examines the intersection of settler colonialism and human-created disasters affecting many Indigenous and minority communities in Bangladesh. Through a rigorous exploration of both historical and contemporary contexts, it shows how colonial and postcolonial policies have excavated community vulnerabilities, intensified environmental degradation, and intensified disaster risks.

Approach and Focus

Drawing on community-led case studies and centering Indigenous voices, the book advocates for decolonial approaches to disaster adaptation, emphasizing Indigenous and local sovereignty, traditional environmental knowledge, and self-determined leadership in addressing climate crises. It highlights sustainable and culturally interconnected strategies such as forest conservation, land-based agriculture, and community-led adaptation planning.

Target Audience and Significance

This volume is a critical resource for scholars, students, and practitioners working in environmental policy, climate adaptation, conservation, Indigenous studies, gender studies, environmental sustainability, and ethnic studies. It contributes to an urgent and timely conversation about how to reimagine disaster adaptation through relational, land-based, and decolonial frameworks.