• Household livelihood vulnerability in the Sunamganj wetland communities was moderate. • Natural and environmental exposure-related factors were the largest contributors to vulnerability. • Water, health, food, and financial conditions significantly influenced household vulnerability. • Limited adaptive capacity and livelihood diversification increased vulnerability among households. • Strengthening infrastructure, livelihood resilience, and institutional support can reduce vulnerability in wetland communities. Bangladesh’s geographical setting makes many rural communities vulnerable to environmental and livelihood-related stressors, particularly in wetland ecosystems that depend heavily on agriculture and natural resources. This study assessed household livelihood vulnerability in northeastern Bangladesh using the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) and the LVI-IPCC framework. Primary data were collected from 420 households through a multistage sampling technique, capturing information on socioeconomic conditions, livelihood strategies, food security, water access, health, social networks, and adaptive capacity. The findings revealed moderate livelihood vulnerability across the study communities, with an average LVI score of 0.501. Natural and environmental exposure-related factors recorded the highest vulnerability index (0.850), while social networks recorded the lowest (0.265), indicating that exposure-related stressors constitute major challenges within the wetland communities. The LVI-IPCC analysis showed average adaptive capacity, sensitivity, and exposure scores of 0.414, 0.532, and 0.850, respectively, suggesting that households face high exposure relative to their adaptive capacity. Water, health, livelihood strategies, and financial conditions also emerged as important contributors to household vulnerability. The results further demonstrate that livelihood vulnerability in the study area is shaped largely by household socioeconomic conditions, limited livelihood diversification, weak infrastructure, food insecurity, and constrained access to resources and support systems. These findings highlight the need for targeted policy interventions aimed at strengthening adaptive capacity through improved water management, livelihood diversification, agricultural support services, rural infrastructure, healthcare access, and institutional support mechanisms. Investments in social protection systems, community support networks, and resilience-building strategies are also critical for reducing vulnerability and enhancing livelihood sustainability within wetland communities in northeastern Bangladesh.
Zabir et al. (Fri,) studied this question.