Building Vulnerable Islander Resilience to Natural Hazard: A Participatory Approach (original) (raw)
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International Journal of Disaster Management, 2021
Due to geographical locations, the Southwestern coastal region of Bangladesh is frequently experiencing climate change induced disasters such as cyclones, floods, and tidal surges. However, local communities at this region have a long history of coping with the adverse effects of these disasters. Consequently, this research assessed the social vulnerability towards natural disasters through local peoples’ perception and identified the existing immediate response against natural disasters at Kazirchar village in Muladi Upazila of Barishal district of the coastal region. In this study, a well-structured questionnaire survey, and focus group discussions were conducted to collect primary data. The collected data were processed and analysed to present the existing impacts of natural disasters. Besides, the immediate responses were categorized into different sectors. The study found that, the most prevalent coastal disaster in Kazirchar village was cyclone. About 48% of surveyed responden...
Community Resilience to Cyclone Disasters in Coastal Bangladesh
Bangladesh is one of the poorest and most disaster-prone countries in the world. To address both problems simultaneously, sustainable livelihoods (SL) could be better connected with disaster risk reduction (DRR). For this purpose, one initiative implemented in Bangladesh is called the Vulnerability to Resilience (V2R) programme which ran from 2013 to 2016. This programme was primarily initiated and funded by the British Red Cross in a consortium with the Swedish Red Cross and the German Red Cross. This article presents the first evaluation of the V2R programme with three objectives. The first objective was to measure whether the selected communities have achieved community resilience characteristics as defined by the programme. The second objective was to conduct a cost-benefit analysis for the intervention. The third objective was to analyse V2R's impact on the communities in terms of DRR and SL. Community-based focus group discussions and household-based surveys were conducted before and after the intervention (2013–2016) in two coastal communities in Patuakhali district, Nowapara and Pashurbunia. The analysis found that community members are now engaged with many hazard-resilient and vulnerability-reducing livelihood activities, using SL to implement DRR, yet these approaches were almost absent prior to V2R. Consequently, the communities have achieved resilience characteristics, being more well-organized and better connected; having better access to infrastructure, services, and economic opportunities; are more knowledgeable and healthier; and are better managing their available resources. Critiques of the concepts are discussed, although in this case, DRR based on SL has shown positive results, exactly as development theory suggests.
Journal of Environmental Management, 2020
In this study, we posit that in determining the underpinnings and attributes of community resilience to disastershocks, an analysis of actual and potential disaster victims' emic perspectives, that is the views of cultural insiders, on recovery processes and community resilience is crucial. We argue that community resilience must be framed within a deeper understanding of the subjective views of the actors themselves, their local knowledge and culture, and the historical context of the place or social formation. In this context, the primary goal of this study was to delineate the fundamental elements of community recovery and attributes of resilience to cyclones, storm surges, and other environmental disaster-shocks in Bangladesh's coastal communities, and, recognizing that social actions are pivotal elements of community resilience, we attempt to make a novel contribution by underscoring local emic perspectives. Using the tools of participatory research methods, we collected empirical data from four sources: a household survey of 300 household heads, eight focus group discussions, 20 key informant interviews, and five in-depth, household case studies. Our research findings revealed that the roles of traditional-informal as well as quasi-formal institutions were vital for rapid recovery and transformation to new local economic and livelihood trajectories. Resilience attributes that were deeply embedded in community characteristics assisted in ameliorating immediate impacts as well as in building future adaptive capacities. Out of 12 resilience attributes identified by the respondents, 'knowledge, skills and learning', 'values and beliefs', 'people-place connection', 'social networks and support', 'active institutions', and 'self-organization' capacities were ranked highest. The community resilience attributes and their functionality in the context of the coastal communities studied varied significantly depending on their economic base, occupations, and their respective contexts of vulnerability. Overall, the findings demonstrate that community resilience attributes function interactively rather than independently, and analyses of community attributes therefore require a clear understanding of network functioning and the processes that drive institutional structures, relations, and outcomes.
RESILIENCE TO NATURAL DISASTERS: A CASE STUDY ON SOUTHWESTERN REGION OF COASTAL BANGLADESH
International Journal of Disaster Risk Management, 2022
Bangladesh is one the disaster-prone countries in the world and has been suffering from different negative impacts. However, over the years, the coastal communities have developed their resilience capacity. This research assessed the local peoples' resilience against natural disasters at Kazirchar village in Muladi Upazila of Barishal district of the coastal region. In this study, an extensive literature review on disaster resilience, well-structured questionnaire survey, and focus group discussions were conducted to collect primary data. Most of the indicators show low values for socioeconomic resilience. The index value of literacy rate (1.12), primary health care facility (1.25), food consumption (1.30) and income (1.30) showed low disaster resilience. The result from the survey area implies a low level of institutional resilience (1.75). The reason behind low institutional resilience was weak disaster management activities. The index value of training (1.42), school/college (1.92), public awareness programme (2.14), and coordination (1) showed medium to very low of disaster resilience index. Results also showed that the villagers have low physical resilience. From the survey, electricity supply (1.08), dependency on rainfall (1.08), cyclone and flood warning system (2.10), water bodies (1.56) and housing pattern (2.94) were the physical indicators of this village and showed medium to low disaster resilience index. The overall disaster resilience score ranges from 1 to 2.94. Depending on the score, disaster resilience level was divided into five categories from high (3>2.5), medium (2.5>2), low (2>1.5) to very low (1.5>1.0). Based on the resilience index, the overall disaster resilience of Kazirchar village was low because of its low socioeconomic (1.67), institutional (1.75) and physical (1.68) resilience values. The findings of this study will help to take necessary actions for building a more disaster resilient coastal Bangladesh.
MATEC Web of Conferences, 2018
Small Islands face some of the main problems of any coastal area due to climate change and natural disasters. This study aims to analyze the resilience of coastal communities on a small island in terms of disasters and climate change, and to identify the strategies and adaptations that communities have undertaken as anticipatory for disaster and climate change in the future. Qualitative analysis combined with quantitative methods is used in this research to provide a clear estimate of the categories of resilience in each village. The primary data was collected by using interviews and focus discussion group and secondary data acquired through the documentation on related stakeholders. The resilience index provided by the Ministry of Maritime and Fisheries Affairs is used to categorize the resilience scales of villages. The results of this study show that the human aspects and natural resources aspects have high scores in resilience, but disaster and climate change aspects; environmen...
Livelihood Coping and Recovery from Disaster: The Case of Coastal Bangladesh
2013
Bangladesh has a long history of coping with and recovery from disasters. Although climate extremes are increasingly taking huge tolls especially in the southwestern part of the country, households are resisting the negative outcomes of these events eventually. This research explores the livelihood coping and recovery strategies of the people of a coastal village in the wake of a cyclone, Aila. The vulnerability approach to disaster is adopted as theoretical framework of the research, in which disaster is considered as hazards affecting vulnerable people. Using semi-structured interviews and observations, the coping strategies of a cyclone affected village community are examined. The study finds that people's livelihood coping and recovery largely depend on the indigenous knowledge. Results show that households followed diverse strategies such as livelihood diversification, informal risk sharing within the community and migration in response to the cyclone Aila. The study also addresses the role of local government, civil society organizations and communities and finds that these actors hardly addressed the root causes of vulnerability.
Achieving Community Resilience: Case Study of Cyclone Aila Affected Coastal Bangladesh
This paper aimed to explore the causes of human casualty and property damage by cyclone Aila and associated storm surge in southwestern coastal Bangladesh as well as the mechanisms, which contribute towards the creation of resilient community in the aftermath of cyclones. This paper revealed that at risk people employed various coping and adaptive strategies with their level of exposure and abilities to keep themselves safe in the face of cyclones. Massive destruction occurred due to cyclone and associated storm surge that breached the earthen embankment as well as inundated agricultural land and households. However, early warning dissemination by the cyclone preparedness program volunteers significantly reduced unexpected human casualty. It is realized that climate change is not preventable, but it is possible to protect societies and economies from nature's vicissitudes to some extent by devising appropriate structural and non-structural measures such as providing better information, improved planning and more climate-resilient infrastructure. People from cyclone Aila affected area have been suffering due to livelihood damage and asset base that put community people into poverty trap even though disaster related deaths have been reduced significantly due to different types of structural and non-structural measures. However, people have resorted to different adaptation strategies to come out from the disaster situation and tried to make themselves resilient to disasters. The study clearly illustrates that hand in hand activities of members of the community is needed to develop their capacities to prevent, prepare for, cope with and respond to disasters.
Capacities in Facing Natural Hazards: A Small Island Perspective
International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2014
Isolated communities on small islands are often characterized as vulnerable and marginalized. We studied the recent history of Laingpatehi, a village on Ruang Island off the north coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia to show that the marginalization-vulnerability nexus can be offset by capacity and social cohesion to enable sustainable livelihoods. The island has been impacted by volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and competition for marine resources from mainland-based fishermen. The community has shown a remarkable ability to cope and prosper in the face of a series of external hazards. We used a sustainable livelihoods approach to identify the assets that enabled the villagers to cope. Strong social cohesion was central to the ability to organize the community and confront hazards. A diversified livelihood strategy drawing on the small island environment and its coastal and marine resources, income generating activities in a distant satellite village, and significant remittances from employment in other parts of Indonesia underpinned people's capacities to face hazards. Government assistance played a supporting role. The case of Laingpatehi demonstrates how remoteness, rather than being a source of vulnerability, can provide access to existing resources and facilitate innovation. Disaster risk reduction strategies should focus more on reinforcing these existing capacities to deal with hazards and less on physical protection and postdisaster responses.
IAHS Medical Journal
Background: In recent years, large-scale natural disasters have frequently occurred in various parts of the world including Bangladesh due to its geographical location and the associated losses have increased. In order to avoid risks and damage, to strengthen resilience to natural disasters, national and local governments and local community need to be prepared. The purpose of the study is to identify consciousness and preparation for frequently occuring natural calamities by the island dwellers in Sandwip. Materials and methods: This was a descriptive type of cross-sectional study performed in the island of Sandwip of Chattogram for a period of 12 (Twelve) months. Sample size was 300 and sampling technique was convenient type of non-probability sampling. Data were collected by face to face interview with pretested questionnaire containing both structured and unstructured questions. Results: The mean ages of the respondents were 49.57 years. 51.3% were illiterate, most of them i.e.,...