Mass Media and Climate Change Induced Disaster Risk Reduction and Mitigation in Coastal Area of Bangladesh: A Sociological Study

Abstract

The geographical location, dense population and extreme poverty have made Bangladesh one of the most vulnerable countries in the world, in terms of natural hazards. This chapter is an attempt to explore the role and responsibility of mass media to disaster risk reduction and mitigation in coastal area especially in the south-western part of Bangladesh. The chapter also aims to measure the access of information to the rural masses and their preparedness for mitigation to the losses of upcoming hazards. As part of the methodology, a semi-structured interview was conducted in order to obtain quantitative data and 200 respondents were interviewed using purposive sampling. Along with this, some qualitative tools i.e. FGDs (Focus Group Discussions) and KIIs (Key Informants Interviews) were adopted to support the quantitative data. The findings of the study indicate that Radio and Television are the most effective and usable means, disseminating hazards related-news among the coastal people because of its cheapness and easy accessibility. The findings also reveal that mass media influence people to take precautionary activities such as going to cyclone center, saving property/livestock, shifting children and elderly people to safer place etc. The findings also indicate that many of the respondents cannot have access to media-news due to poor communication system, cost effectiveness, uncertainty to get news, shortage of media workers, poor infrastructural development etc. However, for mitigating the loss of natural hazards effectively, the findings keep emphasize on getting cheap access of news, developing communication system, circulating timely authentic disaster-related news, ensuring disseminate news to remote area and increasing awareness among coastal people in Bangladesh. Very few empirical studies on climate change communication as well as mass media to disaster risk reduction and mitigation are found in the existing literatures. So as a part of effective climate change communication system, this work may help government as well as policy makers to make and implement policy to disaster risk reduction and mitigation in the hazards prone coastal area.