Disaster Risk Reduction Interventions in Bangladesh: A Case Study on Selected Villages of Southwest Region

Abstract

This research deals with the problems encountered by stakeholders in different sectors attempting to meet the needs of natural disaster-affected people in southwest region of Bangladesh. The questions this paper sought to answer include: what are the disaster risks and vulnerabilities in southwest region; who are the main actors in disaster management, both in formal and informal sectors; what types of intervention programmes are taken up by government organisations, development partners and national and international non-government organisations (I/NGOs); how does the community view those intervention programmes and what are their expectations; and what are the changes observed due to those interventions in the studied coastal community? To find answers to these questions, a sociological perspective was adopted, but other approaches were not altogether excluded. The work was set when disasters in Bangladesh used to be handled without a coordinated disaster management efforts and gradually developed having various policies and laws aimed at mitigating disaster risks and vulnerabilities. Over the past few years, however, Bangladesh has introduced more comprehensive and coordinated disaster management programmes for mainstreaming disaster management in development plans and programmes. The study attempts to gain an understanding of the fundamental difficulties experienced by stakeholders in meeting the needs of the affected people and communities. This study is descriptive in nature. The subject has been approached using quantitative and qualitative research methods, including personal engagement in disaster zones. In the quantitative section, social survey method was followed. In the qualitative section, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and key informants interview (KII) methods were applied to gain vital information and an in-depth understanding. Besides, for in-depth investigations, a semi-structured interview schedule and a check-list were designed to conduct FDGs and KII, considering the main variables of the study. Data were collected from 360 households to identify the disaster risk and vulnerability in the southwest region with a view to illustrate and evaluate the effectiveness of the existing Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) interventions in the study area. The present study mainly incorporates both Crunch Model and Release Model in explaining the mitigation strategies as well as the DRR intervention process. Findings included the three resistance factors occupying the most significant position to be: magnitude of disaster (risk and vulnerability); the state of disaster management actors both in formal and informal sectors; and DRR interventions in southwest Bangladesh. Any DRR interventions must also include these five factors: physical assets, environmental protection, livelihood, Water and Sanitation (WatSan) and training and awareness. For any DRR interventions to be successful, stakeholders should concentrate on the social structure and various socio-cultural factors like religious perceptions, social values, village politics, and dominance of local leaders and so on. Moreover, limited participatory approach have been followed by stakeholders (both government and non-government) and using various indicators of existing DRR interventions such as physical assets and environmental protection in the study area. All these compromise the effectiveness of the existing DRR interventions in the study area to a great extent. Discussions on the study findings focus on the relevance of DRR interventions and the operational efficiency of the stakeholders as well as local leaders. These include the importance of planning for high magnitude disasters and capacity-building at the local level, including education of vulnerable communities and coordination of disaster management policy, legal and institutional framework. For effective disaster mitigation and preparedness it is vital to pay continued attention to these issues. This research seeks to address an identifiable problem that has not been previously examined in social science discipline, while also offering suggestions regarding the scope for further research on Disaster Risk Reduction interventions.