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Power, Corruption, Social Exclusion, and Climate Change in Bangladesh

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Governance Matters: Power, Corruption, Social Exclusion, and Climate Change in Bangladesh Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation Authors Rahman, Md Ashiqur Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 29/09/2021 09:41:13 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/581306 GOVERNANCE MATTERS: POWER, CORRUPTION, SOCIAL EXCLUSION, AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN BANGLADESH by Md. Ashiqur Rahman CopyriGht © Md. Ashiqur Rahman 2015 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the SCHOOL OF ANTHROPOLOGY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the DeGree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate ColleGe THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2015 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Dissertation Committee, we certify that we haVe read the dissertation prepared by Md. Ashiqur Rahman, titled GOVERNANCE MATTERS: POWER, CORRUPTION, SOCIAL EXCLUSION, AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN BANGLADESH and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. ________________________________________Date: 07/10/2015 Timothy J Finan ________________________________________Date: 07/10/2015 James B GreenberG ________________________________________Date: 07/10/2015 Mamadou A Baro ________________________________________Date: 07/10/2015 Saleemul Huq Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate’s submission of the final copies of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I haVe read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement. ________________________________________Date: 07/10/2015 Dissertation Director: Timothy J. Finan 2 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an adVanced degree at the UniVersity of Arizona and is deposited in the UniVersity Library to be made aVailable to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledGment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the copyriGht holder. SIGNED: Md. Ashiqur Rahman 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The intellectual journey for writing the dissertation has been the most significant and exciting challenGe I haVe eVer faced. This dissertation would not haVe been completed without the support, Guidance, and mentoring of my committee members. I owe my deepest gratitude to Dr. Timothy J. Finan, Dr. James B. GreenberG, Dr. Mamadou Baro and Dr. Saleemul Huq. I am particularly indebted to my academic adVisor Dr. Timothy J. Finan for his constant guidance and incredible patience throughout the Ph. D. endeavor that beGan in 2010. This is Tim who taught me what research questions and research problems are, heart of any research. I would like to acknowledGe the Generous support from different sources that made this dissertation possible and successful. The BARA Research Award helped me conducting my fieldwork. Special thanks goes to Kathleen CraVero-Kristoffersson, president, Oak Foundation and former Director of UNDP's Bureau of Crisis Prevention and Response. Kathleen’s discretionary grant supported my travel cost to go back to Bangladesh for fieldwork and cover the expenses over there. In the same Vein, I am thankful to Diane Austin and Veronica for their help to disburse this scholarship. The School of Anthropology provided Tuition-waiVers and Graduate Teaching Scholarship that helped keeping my tuition low both when I was in the fieldwork and writing my dissertation here in Tucson. I am grateful to my friends Priscilla, Emery, and Luis who helped me by GiVing critical feedback in the initial staGe of the three articles and encouraGed me throughout this challenging journey. 4 I would like to acknowledGe contribution of the inhabitants of MunshiGong and BuriGoalini Union, women and men, who selflessly dedicated their time explaininG their experience and perception with me. Their contribution made this dissertation a possible one. I also thank Yousuf and Radha, the two research assistants, for helping me during the field research. Most importantly, I would like to thank my mother Monowara Begum, my wife Nilufar Yesmin and my two lovely kids Raiyan and Raed who sacrificed their time and extended helping hands to make this journey smooth. They are my true source of inspiration and encouraGement. Without their constant encouraGement and love I would not haVe made it possible. I would like to thank the wonderful little but very cohesive Bangladeshi community here in Tucson that is always with me. But, my gratitude will remain incomplete if I do not mention four names: Ismat Shafiqullah, Rowshan Sikder, Liza Karim and Shamima Faruqee for their true love and care. It is they who always gaVe me encouraGement when I am at loss. I will cherish Ismat Shafiquallah’s motherly love and affection in my memory for the rest of my life. Special thanks goes to my three carom partners: Dr. Sikder, Ali Faruqee, and Moin Uddin, it is they, who contributed a lot to make my Tucson life a Very enjoyable one. 5 DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my late father, Zaid Ali, who left us on January 11, 2012. I was not able to take care of him during his last days of life and could not attend his funeral due to this journey, doctoral study. 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS DISSERTATION ABSTRACT .......................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION .............................................................................. 10 Climate change Vulnerability ......................................................................................... 10 Socio-cultural dimension of vulnerability ..................................................................... 12 A governance approach to Vulnerability ........................................................................ 13 References ......................................................................................................................... 15 CHAPTER TWO: TIGERS WITH TWO LEGS: POWER AND CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY IN BANGLADESH ......................................................................... 18 Abstract ............................................................................................................................. 18 Climate Change Vulnerability and the Anthropology of Climate change ................. 18 Meaning of mastaan ........................................................................................................ 22 What mastaan means to Bangladeshi populations ...................................................... 24 Role of mastaan ................................................................................................................ 28 Changing role of mastaan in Bangladesh ..................................................................... 30 Climate change and Sundarban ..................................................................................... 33 Implications for vulnerability to climate change .......................................................... 35 Climate Change impacts and mastaans ........................................................................ 38 Discussion ......................................................................................................................... 40 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 41 References ......................................................................................................................... 45 CHAPTER THREE: GOVERNANCE MATTERS: CLIMATE CHANGE, CORRUPTION, AND LIVELIHOODS IN BANGLADESH ........................................ 52 Abstract ............................................................................................................................. 52 Key words: ........................................................................................................................ 52 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 52 Corruption in Bangladesh: Context and Extent ........................................................... 55 Climate change and liVelihoods in southwest coastal BanGladesh ............................. 57 7 Aim and methods ............................................................................................................. 61 Bribery, extortion, and liVelihoods ................................................................................. 65 Bribery, extortion, and vulnerability ............................................................................. 74 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 77 References ......................................................................................................................... 79 CHAPTER FOUR:HARBINGER OF BAD LUCK: TIGER WIDOWS, SOCIAL EXCLUSION, AND CLIMATE CHANGE
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