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Community Resilience to Cyclone Disasters in Coastal Bangladesh

Author

Listed:
  • Bayes Ahmed

    (Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction, Department of Earth Sciences, University College London (UCL), Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
    Department of Disaster Science and Management, Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Dhaka, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh)

  • Ilan Kelman

    (UCL Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction (IRDR) and UCL Institute for Global Health (IGH), University College London (UCL), London WC1E 6BT, UK
    University of Agder, Gimlemoen 25, Kristiansand 4630, Norway)

  • Heather K. Fehr

    (International Division, British Red Cross, UK Office, 44 Moorfields, London EC2Y 9AL, UK)

  • Manik Saha

    (British Red Cross, Bangladesh Office, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Bangladesh Delegation, 684-686, Bara Maghbazar, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh)

Abstract

Bangladesh is one of the poorest and most disaster-prone countries in the world. To address both problems simultaneously, sustainable livelihoods (SL) could be better connected with disaster risk reduction (DRR). For this purpose, one initiative implemented in Bangladesh is called the Vulnerability to Resilience (V2R) programme which ran from 2013 to 2016. This programme was primarily initiated and funded by the British Red Cross in a consortium with the Swedish Red Cross and the German Red Cross. This article presents the first evaluation of the V2R programme with three objectives. The first objective was to measure whether the selected communities have achieved community resilience characteristics as defined by the programme. The second objective was to conduct a cost-benefit analysis for the intervention. The third objective was to analyse V2R’s impact on the communities in terms of DRR and SL. Community-based focus group discussions and household-based surveys were conducted before and after the intervention (2013–2016) in two coastal communities in Patuakhali district, Nowapara and Pashurbunia. The analysis found that community members are now engaged with many hazard-resilient and vulnerability-reducing livelihood activities, using SL to implement DRR, yet these approaches were almost absent prior to V2R. Consequently, the communities have achieved resilience characteristics, being more well-organized and better connected; having better access to infrastructure, services, and economic opportunities; are more knowledgeable and healthier; and are better managing their available resources. Critiques of the concepts are discussed, although in this case, DRR based on SL has shown positive results, exactly as development theory suggests.

Suggested Citation

  • Bayes Ahmed & Ilan Kelman & Heather K. Fehr & Manik Saha, 2016. "Community Resilience to Cyclone Disasters in Coastal Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(8), pages 1-29, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:8:y:2016:i:8:p:805-:d:75998
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    3. Yongrui Guo & Jie Zhang & Yuling Zhang & Chunhui Zheng, 2018. "Catalyst or Barrier? The Influence of Place Attachment on Perceived Community Resilience in Tourism Destinations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-14, July.
    4. Md. Ali Akber & Muhammad Mainuddin Patwary & Md. Atikul Islam & Mohammad Rezaur Rahman, 2018. "Storm protection service of the Sundarbans mangrove forest, Bangladesh," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 94(1), pages 405-418, October.
    5. Rizwana Subhani & Shahab E. Saqib & Md. Anishur Rahman & Mokbul Morshed Ahmad & Siriporn Pradit, 2021. "Impact of Cyclone Yaas 2021 Aggravated by COVID-19 Pandemic in the Southwest Coastal Zone of Bangladesh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-13, December.
    6. Ishita Shahid Sams, 2019. "Impacts of Climate Change Induced Migration on Gender: A Qualitative Study from the Southwest Coastal Region of Bangladesh," International Journal of Social Science Studies, Redfame publishing, vol. 7(4), pages 57-68, July.
    7. Hui Xu & Yang Li & Yongtao Tan & Ninghui Deng, 2021. "A Scientometric Review of Urban Disaster Resilience Research," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-27, April.
    8. Christophe Béné & Mahfuzul A. B. M. Haque, 2022. "Strengthening the Resilience of Vulnerable Communities: Results from a Quasi-experimental Impact Evaluation in Coastal Bangladesh," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(2), pages 843-868, April.
    9. Barrett, Christopher B. & Ghezzi-Kopel, Kate & Hoddinott, John & Homami, Nima & Tennant, Elizabeth & Upton, Joanna & Wu, Tong, 2021. "A Scoping Review of the Development Resilience Literature: Theory, Methods and Evidence," Working Papers 309952, Cornell University, Department of Applied Economics and Management.
    10. Barrett, Christopher B. & Ghezzi-Kopel, Kate & Hoddinott, John & Homami, Nima & Tennant, Elizabeth & Upton, Joanna & Wu, Tong, 2021. "A scoping review of the development resilience literature: Theory, methods and evidence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
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