Attachments
Mou Rani Sarker, Md. Abdur Rouf Sarkar and Humnath Bhandari
Executive summary
Coastal Bangladesh faces severe climate change impacts, with agriculture among the hardest-hit sectors. In the low-lying areas of the southern coastal region, traditional farming is often unsuitable due to prolonged flooding, making floating agriculture a valuable locally led adaptation strategy. Women play crucial roles in these adaptation efforts but are frequently overlooked in Bangladeshi society. This study systematically reviewed published literature and combined these insights with field observations to examine the research landscape on floating agriculture, particularly its gendered dimensions. Most studies on floating agriculture emphasize its biophysical and technical aspects, leaving significant gaps in understanding its social dimensions. Gender dynamics, in particular, remain largely unexplored in the existing literature. Our field insights further revealed that both internalized the restrictive norms of the "Man Box” ideology, reinforced the marginalization of women and limiting their participation in traditionally maledominated spaces. Our study advocates for further research on gender dynamics to foster equity, facilitate knowledge sharing, and promote environmental justice. Key recommendations include improving women’s access to land and credit, providing training, promoting social education to challenge restrictive norms, and fostering a more inclusive "human-box" approach.