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and infrastructure. 15,16 The World Meteorological 2. Literature review
Organization estimated that tropical cyclones have led
to an average of USD 78 million in damages and 50 In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase
casualties daily over the past 50 years in the country. in the occurrence and severity of disasters, especially
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Moreover, storm surges and inundation have posed cyclones, in different parts of the world. Several studies
significant threats to lives and property in affected have documented the substantial challenges cyclones
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regions. 13,17 pose to vulnerable households in cyclone-prone areas.
Cyclones have had a negative impact on crop For instance, households in coastal Bangladesh reported
production in coastal Bangladesh, causing crop loss, soil a rise in climate hazards, notably tropical cyclones,
salinity, waterlogging, damage to agricultural inputs, storm surges, and flash floods. These events caused
delayed planting, and reduced yields. Several studies significant economic damages, averaging USD 144 per
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have investigated the vulnerability of coastal agriculture household following Cyclone Aila. Similarly, Kmoch
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to cyclones. 9,10,18 Recent changes in climatic variables— et al. outlined how existing vulnerabilities, agricultural
like rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and increased difficulties, and cascading impacts of Cyclone Komen
cyclone intensity—have further exacerbated these disproportionately affected lowland and upland
challenges by reducing crop production and increasing communities in western Myanmar. The repercussions
food insecurity in the region. In coastal areas, cyclones of cyclones extend beyond economic loss, impacting
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3
have affected millions of people, destroying homes and various aspects of household well-being. Subhani et al.
livelihoods, and triggering migration. For instance, reported severe consequences of Cyclone Yaas (2021),
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the economic damage from events like Cyclone Sidr including losses in income, housing, food consumption,
in 2007 has severely impacted the agriculture, housing, and water, sanitation, and hygiene conditions among
and construction sectors. The impact also extended affected households in Bangladesh.
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to rural water supply, sanitation, and public health, Shamsuzzoha et al. used Landsat 8 operational land
underscoring the need to explore adaptation strategies. imager and thermal infrared sensor data, incorporating
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normalized difference vegetation index, soil-adjusted
Besides, cyclones like Sidr (2007) and Aila (2009) vegetation index, and soil moisture index-based change
caused severe damage to coastal fisheries and fishing detection, combined through a weighted overlay and
grounds, further impacting the agricultural economy. 21 pixel-code sum method, to assess cyclone damage
Super Cyclone Amphan, which struck coastal in coastal Bangladesh. Their findings showed that of
Bangladesh in May 2020, caused significant economic 309.08 km² of agricultural land, only 2.50% remained
impacts. The cyclone led to widespread destruction of undamaged, with 87.01% of damage occurring in
agricultural land, forests, and infrastructure, causing transplanted Aman rice fields and 5.28% in winter
substantial income loss and heightened food insecurity vegetable fields. Hossain et al., using the Ricardian
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among affected households. The aftermath included method, found that rising temperatures and rainfall
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the destruction of thousands of houses, embankment positively impacted net crop income, especially in
collapses, and extensive saltwater flooding of irrigated areas. Farukh et al. analyzed the impact of
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agricultural land, leading to the decimation of crops and 52 severe cyclones (1960 – 2010) on coastal agriculture
livelihoods. The cyclone also caused USD 130 million using tropospheric instability indexes, general
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in damages, making it one of the costliest storms in the circulation model, and geographic information system,
North Indian Ocean region. Similarly, Cyclone Bulbul reporting major losses in Boro rice, Aus rice, and other
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made landfall on the southwestern coast of Bangladesh crops, especially during the 1991 cyclone. Kabir et al.
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on November 10, 2019, with storm surges of 1.0 – 1.5 m, used thematic analysis to study the impacts of Cyclones
inundating low-lying areas across 14 coastal districts. 24 Sidr and Aila on coastal communities in Amtali
Given this context, the present study aims to (Barguna) and Koyra (Khulna), revealing severe effects
analyze the impact of Cyclone Amphan and Bulbul on livelihoods, health, and vulnerable populations,
on rice production in coastal Bangladesh. Specifically, with poor health increasing disease susceptibility. Huq
we addressed the effects of these cyclones on rice et al. applied participatory rural appraisal to examine
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production in the affected coastal regions. To the best of climate change impacts on smallholder farmers in
our knowledge, this is the first attempt to investigate the coastal Bangladesh. The impacts were categorized
cyclone impacts on farm-level rice production in coastal as first-order (increased vulnerability), second-order
Bangladesh. (shifts in agriculture and production), and third-order

Volume 22 Issue 4 (2025) 42 doi: 10.36922/AJWEP025100063