ABOUT BOOK

Purpose Humanitarian accountability is practiced with the normative aim of challenging systematic inequalities and power imbalance in humanitarian governance. This study interrogates the actual practices of humanitarian accountability from the perspectives of climate-related displaced communities in Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach Inter-community participatory social network analysis (PSNA) was adopted during the fieldwork to centralise the perspectives of climate-related displaced people in knowledge construction. The on-site revision of the research design manifested methodological reflexivity, fostering epistemological plurality. Findings The universal practice of downward accountability shows limited sensitivity to local power asymmetries in rural Bangladeshi society. This apolitical approach is often co-opted by humanitarian agencies, further marginalising displaced people in governing process. In contrast, the nuanced concept of an accountable humanitarian network represents a socially embedded practice driven by local actors and institutions, emphasising respect for the rights and agency of displaced people. Originality/value The findings were co-constructed by the author, research assistant and participants, contributing to methodological reflexivity in disaster studies and advancing humanitarian accountability practice.