Ruszczyk, Hanna A., Rahman, M Feisal, Bracken, Louise J. and Sudha, Sumaiya (2021) Contextualizing the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on food security in two small cities in Bangladesh. Environment and Urbanization, 33 (1). pp. 239-254. ISSN 0956-2478
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Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic is an evolving urban crisis. This research paper assesses impacts of the lockdown on food security and associated coping mechanisms in two small cities in Bangladesh (Mongla and Noapara) during March to May 2020. Due to restrictions during the prolonged lockdown, residents (in particular low-income groups) had limited access to livelihood opportunities and experienced significant or complete loss of income. This affected both the quantity and quality of food consumed. Coping strategies reported include curtailing consumption, relying on inexpensive starchy staples, increasing the share of total expenditure allocated to food, taking out loans and accessing relief. The pandemic has exacerbated the precariousness of existing food and nutrition security in these cities, although residents with guaranteed incomes and adequate savings did not suffer significantly during lockdown. While coping strategies and the importance of social capital are similar in small and large cities, food procurement and relationships with local governments show differences.
| Item Type: | Article |
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| Additional Information: | Funding information: The “Liveable Regional Cities in Bangladesh” project was funded by the Capacity Development Acceleration Fund of the Centre for Sustainable, Healthy and Learning Cities and Neighbourhoods (SHLC). SHLC is funded via UK Research and Innovation, and administered through the Economic and Social Research Council, as part of the UK government’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). The COVID-19 rapid response research was funded by the GCRF Living Deltas Hub NE/S008926/1. |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Bangladesh, COVID-19, food security, informal settlements, middle class, pandemic, secondary and small cities, urban |
| Subjects: | B900 Others in Subjects allied to Medicine F800 Physical and Terrestrial Geographical and Environmental Sciences L700 Human and Social Geography L900 Others in Social studies |
| Department: | Faculties > Engineering and Environment > Geography and Environmental Sciences |
| Depositing User: | Elena Carlaw |
| Date Deposited: | 16 Sep 2021 10:05 |
| Last Modified: | 16 Sep 2021 10:15 |
| URI: | http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/47212 |
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