Effectiveness of Community Based Disaster Management in Bangladesh: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Bangladesh is globally known as vulnerable country to climate induced disasters and also famous as for its coping mechanisms and people’s participation in the process of managing these disasters. The geographical location, formation of earth surface, downstream river estuaries, demographic characteristics of population, socioeconomic and cultural condition of population push vulnerability to floods, droughts, river bank erosions, cyclones, tidal surges, tornadoes, earthquakes, salinity, epidemic, etc. The present study aims to explore the effectiveness of community based disaster management in Bangladesh. This study has been conducted in Merur Char, Bagar Char and Nilakshmia Union of Bakshiganj Upazila of Jamalpur district to examine the effectiveness of practiced/existing coping mechanisms of community people regarding disaster management, the government and NGOs’ initiatives to strengthen those coping mechanisms, the community people and community-based organizations (CBOs) participation in risk reduction options at community level. The methodological triangulation (quantitative and qualitative) has been used for collecting data on several issues like socioeconomic and demographic, disaster occurrence, practiced coping mechanisms within community, government and NGOs’ initiatives, CBOs’ activities for managing disasters, community people’s participation in DRR options, application and effectiveness of those coping mechanisms, CBOs’ activities and people’s participation. For quantitative data, survey has been conducted with 390 respondents while 6 FGD and 16 KII have been conducted for qualitative data. This study finds that the population has been experienced with flood, driving rain, nor ’westerly, riverbank erosion, water logging, cold wave, drought, cyclone and tornado in the study area. The community people coped with changing situation by applying coping mechanisms regarding food, fodder and fuel crisis. Besides they applied coping mechanisms degrading dwelling places, losing livelihoods, agricultural damages, water, health and sanitation issues, protecting violence against women and girls. Furthermore, the community applied the coping mechanisms regarding making the community neat and clean, mitigate disaster risks. This study also finds that the practiced coping mechanisms within the community, government and NGOs’ activities for strengthening those coping mechanisms, CBOs’ activities and community people’s participation in disaster risks reduction options were effective in managing the crisis regarding food, fodder and fuel due to disaster. The community people’s mechanisms regarding dwelling places, losing livelihoods, agricultural damages, water, health and sanitation issues, agricultural damages, mitigating disaster risks & government and NGOs’ initiatives were effective in strengthening the practiced coping mechanisms within community. The community people’s participation in risk reduction options were effective in managing disasters. Finally, this study recommends for involving all stakeholders in managing disasters, strengthening individual capacity for managing risk to reduce vulnerability, raising awareness regarding disaster management, making disaster resilient community through support from all stakeholders.