Cyclone disaster vulnerability and response experiences in coastal Bangladesh

For generations, cyclones and tidal surges have frequently devastated lives and property in coastal and island Bangladesh. This study explores vulnerability to cyclone hazards using first‐hand coping recollections from prior to, during and after these events. Qualitative field data suggest that, beyond extreme cyclone forces, localised vulnerability is defined in terms of response processes, infrastructure, socially uneven exposure, settlement development patterns, and livelihoods. Prior to cyclones, religious activities increase and people try to save food and valuable possessions. Those in dispersed settlements who fail to reach cyclone shelters take refuge in thatched‐roof houses and big‐branch trees. However, women and children are affected more despite the modification of traditional hierarchies during cyclone periods. Instinctive survival strategies and intra‐community cooperation improve coping post cyclone. This study recommends that disaster reduction programmes encourage cyclone mitigation while being aware of localised realities, endogenous risk analyses, and coping and adaptation of affected communities (as active survivors rather than helpless victims).     

Nutritional response to the 1998 Bangladesh flood disaster: Sphere minimum standards in disaster response

In this study we use a cross-sectional survey to evaluate the nutritional response to the 1998 Bangladesh Flood Disaster by 15 relief agencies using standards developed by the Sphere Project. The Sphere Project is a recent attempt by agencies around the world to establish universal minimum standards for the purpose of ensuring quality and accountability in disaster response. The main outcomes measured were resources allocated to disaster relief types of relief activities and percentage of agencies meeting selected Sphere food aid and nutrition indicators. Although the process of nutritional response was measured, specific nutritional and health outcomes were not assessed. This review found that self-reported disaster and nutritional resources varied widely between implementing agencies, ranging from US $58,947 to $15,908,712. The percentage of resources these agencies allocated to food aid and nutritional response also varied, ranging from approximately 6 to 99 per cent of total resources. Agencies met between 8 and 83 per cent of the specific Sphere indicators which were assessed Areas in which performance was poor included preliminary nutritional analysis; beneficiary participation and feedback; disaster preparedness during non-emergency times; monitoring of local markets and impact assessment. Agencies were generally successful in areas of core humanitarian response, such as targeting the vulnerable (83 per cent) and monitoring and evaluating the process of disaster response (75 per cent). The results here identify both strengths and gaps in the quality of humanitarian response in developing nations such as Bangladesh. However, they also raise the question of implementing a rights-based approach to disaster response in nations without a commitment to meeting positive human rights in non-disaster times.     

Exploring the feasibility of private micro flood insurance provision in Bangladesh

This paper aims to contribute to the debate on the feasibility of the provision of micro flood insurance as an effective tool for spreading disaster risks in developing countries and examines the role of the institutional-organisational framework in assisting the design and implementation of such a micro flood insurance market. In Bangladesh, a private insurance market for property damage and livelihood risk due to natural disasters does not exist. Private insurance companies are reluctant to embark on an evidently unprofitable venture. Testing two different institutional-organisational models, this research reveals that the administration costs of micro-insurance play an important part in determining the long-term viability of micro flood insurance schemes. A government-facilitated process to overcome the differences observed in this study between the nonprofit micro-credit providers and profit-oriented private insurance companies is needed, building on the particular competence each party brings to the development of a viable micro flood insurance market through a public-private partnership.     

The urban poor in Dhaka City: their struggles and coping strategies during the floods of 1998

Bangladesh experienced one of the worst floods in recorded history in 1998. This paper focuses on the needs and coping strategies of the urban poor in Dhaka City, which had been very badly affected. The city's roads were completely under water, and most areas were water-logged with drainage and sewage systems blocked. Rising water levels compelled many slum dwellers to move to temporary shelters and relief camps. Women and children were the worst affected. The lack of sanitation facilities and privacy forced women and children to defecate in their own homes. There was an acute scarcity of safe drinking-water, and food prices rose dramatically. Diarrhoea, fever and colds were the most common illnesses affecting the poor. The floods left many of them unemployed, and in some families, the result was increased tension and incidents of domestic violence. In some areas, members felt pressured to repay micro-credit loans. Most NGOs, however, suspended loan repayments. During this period, a committee was set up to co-ordinate and work towards addressing some of the main post-flood problems.     

湖南省城市洪灾成因及防治对策

针对湖南省特殊的地理条件、致灾的天气系统、脆弱的生态环境、较低的防洪能力,研究了湖南省城市洪水灾害的主要成因,分析归纳出湖南省城市洪涝灾害的基本特点.在此基础上,根据湖南省城市社会经济可持续发展的需求,提出了洪灾的防治对策.     

Drought in Bangladesh: Lessons for planners and administrators

The 1978–1979 drought in Bangladesh affected three crop seasons, reducing rice production by an estimated two million tons. Rainfall deficiency varied regionally and locally, and drought effects varied with soils, crops and management. Farmers used new practices such as irrigation of crops normally grown rainfed, cultivation of famine millets, and – when rain eventually fell – transplanting crops that normally are direct seeded (including replanting to fill gaps in drought-affected fields). Crop rotations also were adjusted to compensate for crop losses or late planting and to take advantage of reduced flood-levels or changed market prices. The various and location-specific responses by farmers provide useful lessons for planners and administrators in a disaster-prone country: production plans and programmes must be flexible; relevant environmental factors, crop areas sown and crop condition must be closely monitored and the implications promptly assessed; and the farmers' repertoire of disaster-mitigating practices should be recorded so as to provide a basis for more pragmatic research, extension and development programmes. A method for monitoring and assessing rainfall is described.     

广西漓江洪涝灾害及防御对策研究

利用GIS信息系统和降水实况资料,对发生在广西漓江的洪涝情况进行分析。通过对洪涝灾害进行实地调查,利用灾害风险评估技术,对漓江洪涝灾害进行风险区划,对洪涝灾害的防御措施进行探讨。漓江上游是广西的暴雨中心,汛期暴雨常造成漓江洪涝灾害,特别是5-6月份,每年基本上都有2~3次大面积的洪灾;沿江两岸都是洪涝灾害的高风险区;漓江洪水具有来得快,消得也快的特点;造成漓江致洪暴雨的天气形势主要是华南静止锋;加强上游降水量的监测和预报,加强上游水库蓄水错峰的调控能力,完善低洼地段防洪堤坝建设,可以有效地防御洪涝灾害。     

2003年淮河洪水调度及灾后思考

2003年梅汛期,淮河流域发生了仅次于1954年的大洪水,本文概括了这次淮河汛情特点,总结了安徽各类防洪工程联合调度和科学防控的做法,就洪灾之后的治淮和防洪除涝问题提出了建议与对策.     

渭河流域"05.10"洪涝灾害特征分析

利用2005年9~10月渭河流域内各气象站和水文站的资料,对2005年渭河流域致洪暴雨的雨情、水情及灾情进行分析。对洪水的特征,水情、河道的概况,特大洪灾的降水特点进行总结,得出“05.10”洪水具有降水范围广、水位高、洪水倒灌、灾害重等特征,造成的经济损失严重。揭示了洪灾形成的主要原因,从而对减少洪灾的形成和流域的治理提出有关建议,达到防灾减灾的目的。     

Evidence against disaster-induced migration: the 2004 tornado in north-central Bangladesh

Migration is generally considered to be one of the primary responses to a natural disaster. The existing literature widely acknowledges the fact that disaster victims migrate from affected areas. This paper, though, provides empirical evidence of the non-occurrence of out-migration in the aftermath of the 14 April 2004 tornado in Bangladesh. Data collected from 291 respondents from eight tornado-affected villages suggest that no one from these locations migrated to other areas. The constant flow of disaster aid and its proper distribution by the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were the main reasons why victims did not leave. This study contributes to the disaster literature by providing three important findings: disasters do not always create out-migration; emergency aid can compensate in monetary terms for damage caused by disasters; and some of the arguments made in the literature against the provision of emergency relief for disaster victims are not always valid for all countries.     

Coping strategies and risk manageability: using participatory geographical information systems to represent local knowledge

The accumulated knowledge and perceptions of communities 'at risk' are key elements in managing disaster risk at the local level. This paper demonstrates that local knowledge of flood hazards can be structured systematically into geographic information system (GIS) outputs. When combined with forecasting models and risk scenarios, they strengthen the legitimacy of local knowledge of at-risk populations. This is essential for effective disaster risk reduction practices by external actors, local non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and municipal authorities. The research focused on understanding coping strategies and 'manageability' of flood hazards as defined by communities. 'Manageability' is how people experience flooding in relation to their household capacity and the coping mechanisms available. The research in the Philippines highlights the significance of localised factors, including socioeconomic resources, livelihoods, seasonality and periodicity, for understanding manageability. The manageability concept improves practice at the municipal level by legitimising local coping strategies, providing better indicators, and developing understanding of flooding as a recurrent threat.     

泾河流域1644-2003年洪涝灾害和洪水沉积特征研究

通过对泾河流域1644-2003年洪涝灾害历史文献资料的搜集、整理和分析,对该时期泾河流域洪涝灾害等级、洪涝灾害时空变化特征及其成因进行研究。同时结合泾河下游洪水沉积剖面,对该时期洪水特征进行分析。研究表明:泾河流域1644-2003年发生洪涝灾害总计165次,平均每2.18年发生一次。主要以中度涝灾为主,其次为大涝灾,轻度涝灾和特大涝灾发生次数较少。1644-2003年,泾河流域的洪涝灾害总体呈现不断增加的特点,泾河流域洪涝灾害发生频次最高的是在1894-1953年,发生频次最低的是在1644-1723年。泾河流域发生的165次洪涝灾害中,上游发生的洪涝灾害最多,其次为下游,中游最少,上、中、下游同时发生的洪涝灾害为4级特大涝灾。不同阶段气候的冷暖干湿变化和人类活动对泾河流域植被的破坏是泾河流域发生洪涝灾害的主要原因。1644-2003年的洪涝灾害在泾河下游形成了2.56 m厚的河漫滩洪水沉积剖面,该剖面沉积层主要由特大涝灾、部分大涝灾和中度涝灾形成,剖面记录的洪水频次比历史文献记录的洪水频次要明显少。     

基于洪涝灾害控制目标的河网结构-调蓄能力情景模拟研究

采用SOBEK软件平台构建平原河网模型,模拟不同情景下河网结构变化对河网削减洪峰能力的影响,尝试找到能够有效调控洪峰的河面率范围和河网结构参数。研究表明,在不改变河面率的情境下,支流的交汇角度小,交汇点在干流上游时河网削减洪峰能力相对较大;在提高河面率的情境下:随河流弯曲度增大调蓄能力增大,当弯曲度为2.8时河流单位面积削减洪峰的能力达到峰值;随河面率增大河网削减洪峰能力增强,但单位河面积削峰效率存在峰值,模拟得出河面率为3%～5%时,单位河面积增量的削峰效率最强;增加支流面积比增大干流面积能更有效地改善河网的调蓄功能。     

The plight of some of the poorest of the poor: vulnerabilities of fishing families on Kutubdia Island,Bangladesh

ABSTRACT

Globally, fisheries are important economic resources and support many coastal communities, but the people that rely on fishing experience a range of environmental hazards. This research surveyed 300 fishing households on Kutubdia Island, Bangladesh, regarding their fishing activities and the conditions and perceptions of risk while fishing at sea. This is an artisanal fishery of small boats used for day trips, and larger but still simple boats used for multi-day trips farther offshore. Many households (62%) reported sickness or health problems while at sea. Medicine or first aid kits are carried by only 35% of the boats. Hazards encountered at sea included bad weather (69%), pirates (60%), unfriendly encounters with larger boats (20%), and engine failure (13%). The 300 households reported that 109 fishers had been lost at sea during the past 21 years. From this we estimate an annual death rate of 1335 per 100,000 fishers here, making it among the most dangerous in the world. Bangladesh needs a regulatory framework for its fisheries to include environmental, economic, political, cultural, and social components. Such a regulatory arrangement would support the Kutubdia fishers and should be incorporated into Bangladesh’s national policy for achieving its sustainability goals.     

Flood risk and inequalities between ethnic groups in the floodplains of England and Wales

Previous research has shown that many vulnerable communities experience disproportional exposure to flood risk. This paper, though, is the first to look at broad ethnic/racial group differences in the United Kingdom. It contends that differences in culture and language, especially those of new immigrants, bestow vulnerabilities on such communities, resulting in a lack of knowledge that enables people to be aware, to be prepared, or to recover expediently after a flood emergency. Using UK 2011 Census data and Environment Agency flood maps, the paper demonstrates that it is the non‐white communities in Wales that confront the most disproportionate level of flood risk: 23 per cent as compared to 11.4 per cent of their white neighbours. In contrast, the difference in flood risk between white and non‐white ethnic/racial groups in regions of England is within a range of plus or minus two per cent, except for in Yorkshire and The Humber where white populations face a much greater risk of flooding.     

Human vulnerability, dislocation and resettlement: adaptation processes of river-bank erosion-induced displacees in Bangladesh

The purpose of this research was to identify and analyse patterns of economic and social adaptation among river-bank erosion-induced displacees in Bangladesh. It was hypothesised that the role of social demographic and socio-economic variables in determining the coping ability and recovery of the river-bank erosion-induced displacees is quite significant. The findings of the research reveal that displacees experience substantial socio-economic impoverishment and marginalisation as a consequence of involuntary migration. This in part is a socially constructed process, reflecting inequitable access to land and other resources. Vulnerability to disasters is further heightened by a number of identifiable social and demographic factors including gender, education and age, although extreme poverty and marginalisation create complexity to isolate the relative influence of these variables. The need to integrate hazard analysis and mitigation with the broader economic and social context is discussed. It is argued that the capacity of people to respond to environmental threats is a function of not only the physical forces which affect them, but also of underlying economic and social relationships which increase human vulnerability to risk. Hazard analysis and mitigation can be more effective when it takes into account such social and demographic and socio-economic dimensions of disasters.     

基于云模型和熵权法的巢湖流域防洪减灾能力评估

防洪减灾能力评估是洪涝灾害管理急需解决的重大问题之一。从防洪除涝能力、监测预警能力、抢险救灾能力及灾害管理能力4个方面来构建指标体系,建立基于云模型和熵权法的巢湖流域防洪减灾能力评估模型,对整个流域以及流域内各县市的防洪减灾能力进行评估,并与通过组合赋权法及最优分割法得到的结果进行验证对比。以期为防洪减灾能力评估提供新的思路,对巢湖流域的防洪减灾能力建设提供科学依据。研究结果表明:巢湖流域整体防洪减灾能力属于中等偏上水平,但流域内部差异明显;其中合肥市辖区、和县的防洪减灾能力属于高水平;巢湖市、含山县处于中等水平;肥西县和庐江县位于较低水平;肥东县、无为县、舒城县的防洪减灾能力则最低。     

洪水风险与国内外城市防洪规划实例

基于洪水风险和脆弱性的概念，介绍了有关国家城市防洪规划的实例，强调了洪水灾害中风险和脆弱性对城市规划的影响。文章最后指出了我国防洪规划应注意的问题。     

Urban earthquake hazard: perceived seismic risk and preparedness in Dhaka City,Bangladesh

Bangladesh is vulnerable to seismic events. Experts suspect that if an earthquake with a 7.0 magnitude occurred in large cities of Bangladesh, there would be a major human tragedy due to the structural failure of many buildings. The primary objectives of this paper are to examine seismic risk perception among residents of Dhaka City and investigate their levels of earthquake preparedness. A questionnaire survey conducted among 444 residents of the city provided the major source of data for the paper. The survey results suggest that an overwhelming majority of the respondents were not prepared for a major earthquake, which is anticipated to occur in Dhaka. Multivariate analysis of survey data reveals that value of residential unit and respondent educational levels appear as the most significant determinants of preparedness status of the respondents. This study recommends increasing earthquake awareness and preparedness among residents of Dhaka City.     

防洪工程信赖对公众洪灾风险认知的影响——以开封沿黄地区与岳阳洞庭湖区为例

防洪工程作为人类抵御洪灾的首选手段,为人们提供了保障,但人们对其风险认知还存在一定的偏差。本文从公众层面入手,在我国历史上洪灾最严重的两大流域—长江流域和黄河流域,分别选取岳阳沿洞庭湖区和开封沿黄河地区为研究区,调查公众对当地防洪工程的信赖状况和水灾风险认知情况,回收有效样本831份。据此分析影响防洪工程信赖的因素和工程信赖对公众风险认知的影响。研究发现,公众对防洪工程的信赖度较高,区域趋同性明显;公众对工程信赖的程度,因居住地与风险源的距离、性别、年龄和家庭劳动力结构的不同而存在差异;同时,对防洪工程的过于信赖,会降低公众对洪灾的恐惧心理和警惕性,并使得公众产生消极和积极并存的应对灾害的行为倾向。洪灾多发地区应建立大型洪灾、巨灾的风险防范和洪水保险机制,完善我国的再保险制度;政府在高风险区的分区域管理过程中,应以大局为重;构建"文化自觉"的科学防灾文化观,正确引导公众认识到工程措施能力的限度,扭转在工程信赖基础上的风险认知偏差。