Social vulnerability analysis for sustainable disaster mitigation planning in coastal Bangladesh

Abstract

PurposeThe opportunities and potentials of the coastal zone all over the world have not received much attention, and also the disaster mitigation approaches are seen as a curative measure rather than protective, both of which raise questions about sustainable coastal belt planning and development. What is needed is a multidisciplinary approach to tackle the complexity of social systems, and patterns of vulnerability in those systems. The aim of this paper is to attempt to understand those challenges in context of cyclone SIDR 2007 in Bangladesh.Design/methodology/approachThe combination of spatial and socio‐economic data in this study is based on an empirical analysis. After clustering the geographical boundary, a systematic random sampling technique was applied to identify the respondents for a household survey. A total of 47 percent of the respondents were illiterate and thus required the help of data collectors. In‐depth interviews were conducted with the victims of cyclone Sidr to ascertain their experiences during the event.FindingsThe heterogeneous characteristics of the respondents show that the impact of disasters varies from individual to individual, group to group and community to community. It is evident that an affected community waiting for relief and reconstruction materials attracts “dependency on relief works” which makes them more “vulnerable” to other calamities. In the long run it increases the poverty ratio and pressurizes them to stay in a “vulnerability trap” in any type of calamity. Furthermore, it reveals a socio‐infrastructural vulnerability and also the overall “social vulnerability” concepts by using a combination of socio‐spatial data.Originality/valueThis paper contains valuable information regarding the adaptation strategies to cyclone hazards resorted to by coastal peoples in Bangladesh.

Impact of the Farakka Dam on Thresholds of the Hydrologic Flow Regime in the Lower Ganges River Basin (Bangladesh)

“…The reduced potential of agricultural production conditions put approximately 10 million subsistence farmers out of work in the dry season, which has a negative impact on food security and livelihood opportunities [67]. In addition, increasing pressures of frequent disasters (e.g., cyclones, floods) along with human interventions (e.g., construction of embankments in 1960s) have created hardship for peoples' livelihoods in the southwest region of Bangladesh [68,69]. Such hardship has particularly affected poor women, who have the least amount of resources to address the collapse of livelihoods and increasing poverty [66].…”

Measuring social vulnerability to natural hazards in the Yangtze River Delta region, China

“…Much of the vulnerability research uses case study and qualitative assessments of the root causes of vulnerability to different hazards in various countries and world regions (Fordham 1999;Laska and Morrow 2006;Few and Pham 2010;Zou and Wei 2010;Mallick, Rahaman, and Vogt 2011). However, there is continuing interest in empirically measuring vulnerability (Cutter, Boruff, and Shirley 2003;Armas 2008;Myers, Slack, and Singelmann 2008;Mendes 2009), especially social vulnerability.…”

Community Resilience to Cyclone Disasters in Coastal Bangladesh

“…Thus, the case studies and analysis here provide further empirical evidence and operational experience to overturn the viewpoint that vulnerability and resilience are opposite sides of the same coin. Despite the high vulnerabilities and multiple hazards along the coastal regions of Bangladesh, these locations also provide ample SL opportunities and demonstrate substantial resiliences [69,70]. This mixed situation suggests that focusing at the local level only could not account for the complete picture of the community's vulnerabilities and resiliences.…”