Page 64 - 5th APA Conference Program Book Final

1353 Do the experiences and perceptions of climatic disasters influence the fertility
outcomes and intentions of women of reproductive ages in Bangladesh?

Khandaker Jafor Ahmed, Yan Tan, Dianne Rudd
The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia

Categories

9. Population and Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development

Abstract

Aiming to understand how the experiences and perceptions of climatic disasters influence women’s fertility
outcomes (measured by the number of children ever born, alive, and desired) and intentions, this research
conducted 544 household surveys and 73 in-depth interviews with women in flood- and cyclone-affected villages
in Bangladesh. Women’s experiences and perceptions of climatic disasters were differently associated with their
fertility outcomes and intentions. The findings of path analysis show that the experience of climatic disasters directly
influences women’s fertility; however, results are mixed: fertility decreases in the cyclone-affected village and
increases in the flood-affected village with an increase in experience of climatic disasters and their numbers.
Regarding fertility intentions, women were less likely to have another child if they experience a higher number of
cyclones and vice versa for floods. Perceptions of climatic disasters were significant affecting women’s fertility
intentions only in the flood-affected village. Qualitative findings of in-depth interviews show that their perceptions
of climatic disaster risks in the future and the worst experience of such disasters in the past shape women’s fertility
intentions and outcomes differently. These findings have significant implications for disaster management policy
and family planning initiatives during climatic disasters.

702 Are Adolescent Girls at Higher Risk of Child Marriage in the Face of Climate
Challenges?-Evidence from Bangladesh

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2
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1
SIGMA AINUL , Jyotirmoy Saha , Irfan Hossain , Sajeda Amin
1 Population Council, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Population Council, NY, USA
2
Categories
9. Population and Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development

Abstract

The paper combines data from three different sources in order to examine the effects of environmental vulnerability
on risk of child marriage among adolescent girls in Bangladesh. Communities in eight districts were characterized
according to the presence of three indicators of environmental vulnerability—a recent history of cyclones, flooding,
waterlogging and linked to the adolescent survey data that included a representative sample of 15,000 adolescent
girls and their marriage outcomes. These data are overlaid on satellite imagery and remotely sensed data of climate
shocks and stresses. Discrete time survival analysis was carried out to find out the association of different types
environmental vulnerability and its impact on adolescent girls’ marriage outcomes. Findings indicate that
communities with prolonged waterlogging coupled with salinity have significantly higher child marriage rates while
there is no evidence of higher risks of child marriage in flood affected areas. The results suggest the importance of

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