Disaster Risk Mitigation Strategies in the Southwestern Coastal Region of Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh is a low-lying deltaic country in South Asia crossed by the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, and the Meghna Rivers. It is a land of about 159.3 million (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS 2011) people within its 147,570 km2 territory. Due to its geographical location, Bangladesh has struggled to cope with and recover from hazards and disasters for a very long time. Disaster risk reduction is a concept created by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR 2004); it denotes the aim to both reduce pre facto vulnerability regarding natural disasters and increase post-factum capacity to deal with them. This study mainly focuses on strategies linked to disaster risk mitigation at the southwestern coastal region following the cyclone ‘Aila.’ The purpose of the study is to explore the effectiveness of disaster risk reduction (DRR) processes and to find the level and degree of practical implementation of said processes in southwestern coastal Bangladesh. The methodology of the study is based on both primary and secondary data. This includes interviews as well as Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KII) for collecting qualitative and quantitative data. Sociocultural and politico-environmental processes strongly affect disaster risk mitigation—it is a matter of fact that DRR can have fruitful intervention so as to overcome the adversities linked to coastal livelihood. Observations showed that household heads are the main key player for the disaster risk mitigation strategies of a cyclone-affected community, which are severely vulnerable. The study also found that DRR processes depend on the effectiveness of the mitigation strategies which in turn is largely determined by their successful acknowledgement of an adaptation to the local communities and social structures involved. The study depicts various adaptation strategies by households and by the community at large (the local community cannot be considered as conscious and proactive); all initiatives regarding disaster risk mitigation activities must involve and promote local capacities. In addition, the study addresses community perception and responsiveness to efficiencies of DRR strategies and the role of both the local government and civil society organizations (CSO) regarding DRR and mitigation processes.