Seasonal Disaster-Induced Energy Consumption in Domestic Chores and Agricultural Activities: A Study of Two Padma Char Villages in Bangladesh

The present paper aptly focuses on the seasonal disaster-induced energy consumption strategies of the char-dwellers of north-western and mid-Bangladesh in case of their domestic chores and agricultural activities. It emphasizes the interactions between energy use, natural disaster, and sustainable development. The energy consumption strategies are characterized by high uncertainty and consequent dependency on the indigenous energy system in this context. Though the increasing global energy consumption usually erodes the base of traditional livelihood, the domestic chores and agricultural activities of charland households are still dependent on their indigenous energy system. It is because of their unstable charland habitat and sheer lack of energy consumption facilities and/or of trained manpower for scientific energy consumption. The affordable and clean energy—one of 17 SDGs—is embedded in scientific and adequate energy consumption pattern for everyday livelihood. Accordingly, the sustainable development in two unstable study villages with the sheer lack of access to environmentally compatible and sustainable energy systems is most questionable in reality. The char-dwellers of Kajem Matobbar Dangi and Char Majherdiar are very far from getting opportunity of meeting and/or overcoming these challenges. Consequently, they are impelled to be extremely dependent on using indigenous energy system which makes hindrances to sustainable development. The direct interviewing with the purposively chosen displacee char-dwellers of two study villages, focus group discussions (FGDs), case studies, and informal interviews with some relevant stakeholders are utilized to gather empirical data for finalizing the present essay. Both the qualitative interpretation and quantitative measurement of social reality are considered to be reciprocally focused here. Considering the socioeconomic condition and livelihood status, possible present and future energy demand of the char-dwellers, a number of suggestive policy measures for ensuring energy consumption are formulated at the end of this paper.