Climate Change and Community Resilience

This open access book documents myriads of ways community-based climate change adaptation and resilience programs are being implemented in South Asian countries. The narrative style of writing in this volume makes it accessible to a diverse audience from academics and researchers to practitioners in various governmental, non-governmental and international agencies. At a time when climate change presents humanity with a gloomy future, the stories of innovation, creativity, grassroots engagement and locally applicable solutions highlighted in this book provides insights into hopeful ways of approaching climate solutions. South Asian countries have been dealing with the impact of climate change for decades and thus offer valuable learning opportunities for developing countries within and beyond the region as well as many western countries that are confronting the wrath of climate induced natural disasters more recently.

SANDEE has been a pioneer in the developmentof research and training in environmental economics and related issues in South Asia and Prof Maler has been throughout SANDEE's history, its mentor, and its strongest supporter. Many young economists in South Asia have significantly benefited from Prof Maler's guidance and inputs. The present volume on “Climate Change and Community Resilience: Insights from South Asia” is a fitting tribute and an excellent reflection of Prof Maler's contributions to the SANDEE programme throughout his association.

- Mahesh Banskota, Professor, Development Studies, School of Arts, Kathmandu University

This comprehensive volume aptly identifies grassroots initiatives as the core of the problem of adaptation to climate change. The analysis of the different experiments is lucid, inclusive, and full of interesting detail. The methodologies used and the subjects covered span a range of frameworks and narratives. Put together, the studies are a fitting tribute to Karl-GoranMaler, who spent years putting his impeccable expertise to use for the cause of enhancing research in South Asia.

- Kanchan Chopra, Former Director and Professor, Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi, and Fellow, SANDEE

The slow international policy response to climate change elevates the importance of understanding how communities can respond to climate change’s many threats. This unusually accessible volume provides that understanding for South Asia while being relevant to the rest of the world. Its emphasis on research by scholars from the region makes it a wonderful tribute to Prof. Karl-Göran Mäler, who contributed so much to the growth of environmental economics research capacity in South Asia.

- Jeffrey R. Vincent, Clarence F. Korstian Professor of Forest Economics & Management, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, USA

Dr. A. K. Enamul Haque is a Professor of Economics at East West University (Dhaka, Bangladesh), Director of Economic Research Group, Executive Director of Asian Center for Development, a Member of the Steering and Advisory Committees of the South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE) and a member of the South Asian Network for Environmental Law and Policy (SANEL). He is an environmental economist with teaching, research and popular articles on climate change, agriculture and urban issues in developing countries with a focus on South Asia in general and Bangladesh in particular.

Dr. Pranab Mukhopadhyay is a Professor of Economics at the Goa Business School and the Program Director (Economics) at Goa University, India. He did his graduation from Presidency College, Calcutta and his master and doctoral work at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He is a Fellow of SANDEE and INSEE and the former President of INSEE (2016-18). Earlierhe worked as Environmental Economist at IUCN, Nepal. He has also been a consultant to ICIMOD, Foundation for Ecological Security, and GIZ India. He works in the area of global change, managing commons, nature and society, sustainable development, ecosystem services, and economic growth.

Dr. Mani Nepal is SANDEE Program Coordinator and Lead Economist at ICIMOD. Earlier, he worked as Associate Professor of Economics, Tribhuvan University; Visiting Assistant Professor, University of New Mexico, USA; Visiting Professor, Kathmandu University; and Adjunct Professor, Agriculture and Forestry University. He also worked as Senior Economist at the Department of Finance and Administration, Santa Fe, New Mexico; and as an Economist at the Nepal Foundation for Advanced Studies, and Agricultural Projects Service Center. Dr. Nepal is a Fulbright scholar who received MS degree in Policy Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and PhD in Economics from the University of New Mexico, USA.

Dr. Md Rumi Shammin is a Professor of Environmental Studies at Oberlin College in Ohio, USA where he served as the Chair of the program between 2015 and 2019. He has a Ph.D. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign and a Master’s in Natural Resources with a minor in Agricultural & Biological Engineering from Cornell University. Dr. Shammin’s scholarship focuses on energy and climate change analysis; climate adaptation and resilience building in developing countries; behavioral and human dimensions of the environment; ecological economics; refugee camp environmental management; environmental justice; and urban sustainability.