Asian Social Science; Vol. 11, No. 28; 2015 ISSN 1911-2017 E-ISSN 1911-2025 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education 109 Shrimp Cultivation and Coastal Livelihood: A Focus on Bangladesh Coastal Vulnerability A. H. M. Zehadul Karim 1 & Sohela Mustari 1 1 Department of Sociology and Anthropology, IRKHS, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Gombak, Malaysia Correspondence: A. H. M. Zehadul Karim, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, IRKHS, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Gombak, Malaysia. E-mail: ahmzkarim@yahoo.com Received: June 18, 2015 Accepted: November 9, 2015 Online Published: November 23, 2015 doi:10.5539/ass.v11n28p109 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ass.v11n28p109 Abstract Shrimp cultivation has developed rapidly in coastal Bangladesh. Secondary literature provides evidence that to afford an alternative way of livelihood for the locals, shrimp cultivation has been extended widely throughout the coastal areas of Bangladesh. But, the extension of shrimp farming is unable to create work opportunity for the locals in the true sense. In this research, by using a household survey, to know their basic demographic information, it is revealed that though 80% of the household heads main occupation is fishing and related works only 0.71% of their main source of fishing is shrimp farm. Moreover, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions disclose that shrimp cultivation of this village is controlled and retained by the rich and outside investors, not by the poor locals. This research also discovers that man-made disasters along with natural disasters are equally responsible for generating vulnerability from shrimp cultivation. Keywords: vulnerability, shrimp cultivation, Bangladesh, livelihoods, man-made disasters 1. Introduction Since the very beginning of human history, people have long been using their coastal areas for multiple purposes; urban resolutions, docking, marine support and agricultural estates are some of the important functions which people have depended upon. These inclinations to coastal use mostly began in the 19th century as part of colonial expansion. Presently, investors are spending money on these coastal settings to expand tourism and increase global trade (Blaikie et al., 2004). Scientific research claims that the usage of coastal areas will increase further in the near future due to its unique natural setting as well as due to human requirements of food and resources which are simply the outcome of increasing population pressure. Adger et al. (2005) mention that in the near future, 50% of the world’s total population will live within 100 km of the coastal belt and according to them, these people experience effects of climate change through various natural hazards and man-made obstacles. These obstacles will grind down their resiliency very badly. It is projected in their paper that though at present 10 million people around the world are facing coastal disasters, it will further increase and will reach 50 million by 2080. They censure both climate change effects and population concentration for these natural disasters and for their vulnerable effects (Adger et al., 2005). This will be more devastating in the coastal areas of less developing countries than developed countries. According to Mirza (2003, p. 233): Developing countries are vulnerable to extremes of normal climatic variability, and climate change is likely to increase the frequency and magnitude of some extreme weather events and disasters. Adaptation to climate change is dependent on current adaptive capacity and the development models that are being pursued by developing countries. All these natural disasters which are regular in coastal areas have both direct and indirect implications on social life with massive vulnerabilities on the inhabitants. For instance, direct impacts of these disasters damage their infrastructure. Similarly, indirect impacts initiate vulnerabilities by destroying coastal ecosystems and increasing climate change effects, decreasing economic progress and lessening livelihood options. This is how these natural disasters increase overall social vulnerabilities for the coastal community (Adger et al., 2005).