Abstract
Although the significance of global leadership in combatting climate change has been widely studied, the effectiveness of local government leadership has been neglected in the literature. This study explores the relationships among climate-change belief, resilience to climate change, and local government leadership (LGL). It also examines local government’s leadership in mediating and moderating the climate-change beliefs (specifically, that climate change is occurring and that it is the result of human activity) and resilience to climate change of victims of river erosion in Bangladesh and uses mediation and moderation analyses to determine the effectiveness of LGL in Bangladesh. Survey data were collected from 200 riverbank-erosion victims, and two focus-group discussions were conducted in the northern districts (Bogra and Sirajganj) of Bangladesh. Applying a mixed-methods approach, this study used adaptive capacity and vulnerability theory (ACVT) as an analytical tool along with structural equation modelling to examine the proposed model. The results suggest that climate-change belief, resilience to climate change, and LGL have significant positive relationships with each other. However, while LGL shows a partial mediation on the relationship between climate-change belief and resilience to climate change, no moderation impact was revealed that demonstrated effective LGL influence among the victims. The study extends the literature regarding the outcomes of LGL activities and initiatives on climate-change belief and resilience to climate change within a non-western context. It also provides empirical evidence from the perspective of ACVT. These results can help both policymakers and local government leaders responsible for climate-change disaster management to expedite the UN’s sustainable development goal (SDG 13), especially in developing countries like Bangladesh.
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Appendix
Appendix
Focus-group Questions:
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1.
What do you know/understand about climate change?
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2.
What do you think are the causes and effects/consequences of climate change?
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3.
Do you have doubts on issues of climate change? What issues come to mind as you hear about or ponder climate change?
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4.
Have you engaged, or do you engage in any action to protect your family from river erosion? What are the actions you have taken to overcome your current situation?
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5.
Do you think the LGL have any responsibility to address climate change? What roles do you think the LGL (UP leaders) have in addressing climate change in your area?
Survey Questionnaire:
Climate-change beliefs:
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1.
I feel and believe that our local and global climate is changing.
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2.
Our average weather temperature is increasing.
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3.
Our activities, such as fossil fuel combustion, are an important cause of climate change.
Resilience to climate change:
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1.
I can deal with whatever comes in life due to climate change.
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2.
I can handle unpleasant feelings due to climate change.
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3.
I can gain confidence from past successes for new climate-change challenges.
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4.
I never give up even when things look hopeless to me.
Local Government Leadership
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1.
Our leaders (i.e., local government members such as UP members) embody what [our society] stands for.
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2.
Our leaders are our effective representatives to communicate with the higher-level government authorities.
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3.
Our leaders are the models (i.e., ideal members) to represent our local government authority for our society.
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4.
Our leaders exemplify what it means to be a responsible member of our society.
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5.
Our leaders promote our societal interests, including issues related to climate change.
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6.
Our leaders act as a champion for society.
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7.
Our leaders stand up for our society.
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8.
When this leader acts, they keep our interests at heart.
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9.
Our leaders makes us feel as we are part of society.
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10.
Our leaders create a sense of cohesion within society.
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11.
Our leaders develop an understanding of what it means to be a member of society.
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12.
Our leaders shape our perceptions about climate-change values and consequences.
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13.
Our leaders devise activities that bring us together to be more resilient for climate-change issues.
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14.
Our leaders arrange events that help us to understand and fight against climate change effectively.
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15.
Our leaders create a culture of inclusion to overcome the challenges of climate change.
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Haque, A., Jahid, A. Climate-change beliefs and resilience to climate change in Bangladesh: is leadership making any difference?. J Environ Stud Sci 11, 623–638 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13412-021-00706-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13412-021-00706-0