Reflection on Vulnerability Mapping and Learning from Module 3
Identified Vulnerabilities from the Virtual Field Trip Regions
Based on the vulnerability mapping activity, I identified Dhaka, Cox’s Bazar, and Satkhira as highly climate-vulnerable regions Vulnerability Mapping Activity-…. These areas experience multiple climate hazards including extreme heat, flooding, waterlogging, salinity intrusion, sea-level rise, and frequent rainfall. The impacts are severe on safe drinking water access, housing, livelihoods, health, and food security. In coastal regions like Satkhira and Cox’s Bazar, salinity intrusion and shrimp cultivation have damaged agricultural land, reduced freshwater availability, and caused loss of biodiversity. Urban and peri-urban areas such as Dhaka face heat stress, water contamination, and poor drainage, increasing health risks and living costs. The overall vulnerability extent for most locations was assessed as High, as communities are facing life-threatening risks, displacement, hunger, and disease Vulnerability Mapping Activity-….
Key Community Groups Affected
The most affected groups across all regions include men, women, children, and the elderly, with women and girls facing additional burdens such as harassment and time loss in fetching water Vulnerability Mapping Activity-…. Children suffer from diarrhea, skin diseases, and malnutrition, while daily wage earners experience income loss during floods and extreme heat, sometimes going several days without work or food. Poor housing structures made of bamboo and betel leaf further increase exposure to rain, heat, and flooding.
Insights from Community Testimonial Videos
The community testimonial videos highlighted how climate change is no longer an abstract issue but a daily lived reality. People spoke about contaminated water, lack of safe shelter during cyclones, disease outbreaks, and displacement due to riverbank erosion. A powerful insight was how environmental stress intersects with poverty, hunger, and weak institutional support, making recovery difficult. Many communities rely on deep tube-wells as the only water source, which is increasingly unsafe due to over-extraction and salinity.
Reflection on the Text-Based RPG Game (Disaster Resilience Challenge)
During the text-based RPG game “Disaster Resilience Challenge”, I chose options that prioritized safe drinking water, emergency shelter, and livelihood protection over short-term economic gains. These choices were influenced by the real-life vulnerabilities identified in the mapping exercise—particularly how lack of water and income quickly leads to health crises and hunger. The game clearly reflected the trade-offs communities face, such as choosing between repairing homes or securing food, which closely mirrors the challenges discussed in this module.
Overall Learning Reflection
This module deepened my understanding that vulnerability is multi-dimensional, shaped not only by climate hazards but also by social, economic, and institutional factors. The vulnerability mapping, community testimonials, and RPG gameplay together showed that climate resilience requires integrated solutions, combining safe water access, health services, livelihood diversification, and strong governance. The experience reinforced the importance of community-centered and context-specific adaptation strategies in addressing climate vulnerability.