LAUSR

ABSTRACT Riverbank erosion is one of the major natural hazards that have long-term consequences for human life. Bangladesh, a riverine country, regularly suffers from serious riverbank erosion. As a result, thousands of people, living near or along riverbanks, are displaced every year. Based on a field investigation undertaken in a village of Southern Bangladesh, this study examines how rural women cope with riverbank erosion. It reveals that women remain highly dependent on their surrounding environment to perform a wide range of activities. As a result, displacement due to riverbank erosion severely affects them. This article also shows that despite the socio-economic, cultural and gender barriers, women build diverse strategies to carry on with their lives in a new environment. Our findings identify women's capacity to face adversities due to natural hazards and how they use their own agency to influence social transformation.