This study examines flood-induced vulnerabilities among women in northern Bangladesh. Poor and disadvantaged women are more vulnerable to disasters than men due to the conditions that predispose them to severe disaster impacts. Women suffer from physical injuries and are often evicted from their dwellings due to floods. Difficulties in finding adequate shelter, food, safe water, and fuel for cooking, as well as problems in maintaining personal hygiene and sanitation, prevent women from performing their usual roles at home. All of these are problems related to women's gender identity and social roles. Many poor and destitute women remain unemployed during and after floods. Women also suffer from domestic violence and are subject to harassment when taking shelter or refuge at community centers. These particular vulnerabilities and problems interrupt women's mitigation efforts and adaptation capacities in disaster risk reduction.

Background: Bangladesh, one of the most densely populated countries in the world has been ranked 9th on the Climate Risk Index for 2017: the 10 most affected countries & 7th on the Long-Term Climate Risk Index: the 10 countries most affected from 1998 to 2017. Every year it is afflicted with various climatic disasters including floods, hurricanes and cyclones. Apart from the obvious devastation of lives and property, there is a huge increase in clinical diseases when these disasters occur. Mental health of affected persons after these disasters is a topic that is often neglected by local and national level. Methods: A qualitative case study was conducted on perceived need on mental health support & availability of such services in a cyclone affected area in rural Bangladesh. Ten (10) key informant interviews (KIIs) with different stakeholders and ten (10) in-depth interviews (IDIs) with affected people were taken. Findings: We found that cyclones had numerous psychosocial impacts on the population including acute stress disorder, sleep disorder, post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSDs), generalized anxiety disorders, suicidal ideation and depression. The survivors had specific needs for receiving support. Children, elderly and women were perceived to be more vulnerable. The government and NGOs had no specific action plans and initiatives to address these issues and support the mental health of affected population. There was a visible gap in finding effective ways to provide affected people with the required mental health & psycho-social services (MHPSS). Conclusion: Resilient, responsive and self-sustaining health systems for this vulnerable population are required. Implementation of effective mental health programs and strong mental health policies remain a challenge in Bangladesh where there is a cultural fatalistic acceptance of mental health issues.

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Contamination of shallow tube well drinking water by naturally occurring arsenic is a severe societal and human health challenge in Bangladesh. Multiple technological interventions seeking to ameliorate the problem face hurdles in securing social acceptance, i.e. the willingness of users to receive and use a technology. While most papers focus on expert understanding of social acceptability, this paper analyzes how users themselves understand the factors shaping the social acceptability of safe drinking water options in rural Bangladesh. We then deploy such understanding to comparatively assess which factors users see as most important in securing social acceptance for three safe drinking water options in rural Bangladesh: the arsenic removal household (Sono) filter; the deep tube well; and an improved dug well. We draw on focus groups and semi-structured interviews with technology users in six villages across three districts to analyze how users assess the social acceptability of specific arsenic-safe technologies. Our findings highlight that factors such as availability, affordability and compatibility with existing water use practices, as understood by users, are key to securing users' acceptance of a specific arsenic-safe option. In concluding, we point to a future research agenda to analyze user-oriented social acceptability of arsenic-safe technologies in developing country contexts.

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