‘Proceedings ofthe International Symposium on Coastal Zones and Climate Change: Assessing the Impacts and ‘Developing Adaptation Staregies, 12 ~13 April 2010, Monash Universit, Ausalia COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN ANALYZING THEIR LIVELIHOOD RESILIENCE TO CLIMATE CHANGE INDUCED SALINITY INTRUSION IN SUNDARBANS MANGROVE FOREST SHIBLY SADIK' AND REZAUR RAHMAN? ‘Center for Environment and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) Institute of Water and Flood Management, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology Dhaka, Bangladesh E-mail Address:ssjony@gmail.com ABSTRACT The world heritage site ‘Sundarbans mangrove forest’ in the south-western part of Bangladesh is not ‘only a biogenic coast rich in biodiversity but it also provides buffer for lives and livelihood ‘opportunities to 3.5 million people living in its adjacent areas. Around 1.4 million people directly depend on the Sundarbans for their livelihoods that makes the Sundarbans a unique example of Juuman-environment inter-relationship. Wood cutter (Bawali), honey collector (Mawall), fisher (ele), fuelwood collector, and snail and oyster collector are the major livelihood groups directly dependent ‘on Sundarbans. Sundarbans is highly vulnerable to expected climate change and the climate change induced salinity intrusion is being observed distinctly. Coupled with the poverty, the changing status of the Mangrove ecosystem makes the livelihood dependent on it more vulnerable, Adaptive governance and engagement of the community in policy research and strategy formulation is still awaited to practice. This study is aimed to analyze the livelihood resilience of the Sundarbans dependent community to climate change induced salinity intrusion with iterative engagement of the community in the research process. The resilience analysis of livelihood groups offers elements of adaptive strategy to the policy makers for mitigating the vulnerabilities. The overall study has been conducted through participatory approach, based on capital based sustainable livelihood assessment (SLA) method. Each stage of the research process (hazard analysis, resilience analysis) has been done with community participation through shared learning dialogue (SLD) that provided iterative transfer of information, knowledge and experience between community and researcher. The SLD provided opportunity of refining and verification of the research concept and process with the community engagement through series of iterative learning meeting with livelihood groups dependent on the Sundarbans mangrove forest. A capital based indicator framework was followed for resilience analysis. The indicator framework was made operational by developing word scenarios for each of the indicators that was outlined best case to worst case, Weighing of indicators, development of word scenarios for each indicator and the employment of the indicator framework were done through SLD. SLD provided base of analyzing the contribution of each livelihood capitals (natural, financial, physical, social and human) to livelihood resilience that gives indication of what to be prioritized in formulating adaptation strategy. Through the study, it has been found that the livelihood resilience of the wood cutter is very low. The weightage of natural capital in contributing livelihood resilience is highest but its contribution score is lowest due to deteriorated ‘forest health and high vulnerability 10 salinity intrusion, which gives indication of prioritization of ‘natural capital in formulating adaptation strategy 1. INTRODUCTION Human induced Climate change is unequivocal (IPCC, 20072). Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries having dense population on low lying coastal zone (IPCC, 2007b), The world 445