Landslide Hazard Knowledge, Risk Perception and Preparedness in Southeast Bangladesh

Abstract

Over the last thirty years, Bangladesh has been experiencing hill cutting problems and subsequent landslide occurrence in its southeastern hilly region. Since 2000, landslides have caused over 500 deaths, mostly in informal settlements in southeast Bangladesh. The most significant single event was the 2007 landslide causing 127 deaths in Chittagong’s informal settlements. The landslide events took over 110 people in Rangamati on 12 June 2017. In the scenario of rising deaths by landslides in the southeastern region, this research aimed to understand communities’ landslide hazard knowledge, reasons for living in at-risk areas, risk perception and preparedness. This research applied both quantitative (i.e., structural questionnaire) and qualitative (i.e., semi-structured and open-ended questionnaire and informal interviews) data collection techniques to assess hill-top and hill-side dwellers knowledge, risk perception and preparedness to landslides in southeast Bangladesh. The investigation conducted face-to-face interviews with 208 community members, 15 key informant interviews, three Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and field observations and visits in southeast Bangladesh. The findings suggest that unplanned development activities, overpopulation, settlement along hill slopes and ineffective disaster risk reduction efforts are the anthropogenic contributories accompanying climate-change induced increased torrential rainfall are the main reasons for the increase of landslide occurrence. The results suggest that community members perceive a low-risk for landslides, despite the community’s location in high-risk areas. The community’s perception of low risk results in a lack of preparedness and an unwillingness to relocate a comparatively safer place. It was noted that landslide disaster preparation depends on the communities’ development maturity, house ownership, ethnicity, gender and economic status of the residents. It is suggested that the place of relocation for residents living in the high-risk areas should be selected with full consideration of psychosocial aspects of the community, particularly providing acceptable livelihood options.

A qualitative study of risk perception and preparedness knowledge in two Midwestern United States communities that are located near nuclear power plants

“…While the majority of interviewees acknowledge that the presence of the nuclear power plants is beneficial to their communities and indicate that they feel safe overall in regard to the facilities, the transcripts suggest that preparedness knowledge was lacking. This supports the previous findings of Alam (2020) and Couling (2014) regarding the positive relationship between a low‐risk perception and a lack of preparedness knowledge. It is likely that the high quantity of interviewees who reported feeling extremely safe had fewer motivation to prepare for a potential accident at one of the facilities.…”

“…For example, Bourque et al (2013) examined the impact of risk perception on household preparedness for terrorism and found that risk perception does not have a significant, direct effect on preparedness behavior. Furthermore, Alam (2020) conducted a study on landslide hazard knowledge, risk perception, and preparedness in an area of Southeast Bangladesh with a high‐risk for landslides. Findings suggest that the community's perception of a low‐risk for landslides results in a lack of preparedness (Alam, 2020).…”

“…Furthermore, Alam (2020) conducted a study on landslide hazard knowledge, risk perception, and preparedness in an area of Southeast Bangladesh with a high‐risk for landslides. Findings suggest that the community's perception of a low‐risk for landslides results in a lack of preparedness (Alam, 2020). Similarly, Couling (2014) explored the risk perception and preparedness levels in a part of New Zealand, where tsunami hazards are present.…”

The root causes of landslide vulnerability in Bangladesh

“…With the overwhelming population pressure and acute land scarcity, land prices in these areas have greatly increased and are out of reach to middle-to lower-income people (Alam, 2020). As a result, powerful land developers/grabbers are systematically destroying the hills by promoting profit-making businesses in selling plots and flats.…”

“…In recent years, landslide disasters have caused considerable loss to human lives and damage to critical infrastructure, ecosystems, livelihoods and local economy in the Chittagong Hill Districts (CHD) of Bangladesh (Rabby & Li, 2019). Landslide disaster has been categorised as an emerging threat at the national level driven by the impacts of increased frequency of extreme precipitation events (Khan et al, 2020), population pressure in flat lands, high rates of urbanisation, hill cutting and deforestation, and lack of cultural knowledge (Alam, 2020;Ahmed, 2017).…”