Suchergebnisse

This research investigates the relationship between disasters, migration, and resulting social change in southwest coastal Bangladesh. The focus is on individual households' adaptation strategies in the aftermath of cyclone events. Migration is understood here in the context of Cyclone Sidr (2007) and Cyclone Aila (2009), and is defined as the temporary or even permanent exodus of at least one family member in search of better economic opportunities. The corresponding social change for the affected households, their home locations, and their new locations is described as an outcome of their migration. The research results are based on field surveys that were conducted in 2009 and 2010 with 1,555 respondents from 48 villages in southwest coastal Bangladesh, as well as on additional qualitative interviews. The findings show that after the phasing out of emergency aid, male members of a significant number of households started moving to neighboring cities. These migration patterns were then related to the distribution of income and assets at the community level, translating into the social clusters that were forced to migrate. (Asien/GIGA)

Due to climate change and its consequences to islands and coastal countries, the relocation of the people living in those vulnerable places has received a lot of attention from policy makers as well as academicians. There have been similar kinds of programs running in Bangladesh since the country's independence in 1971, and people who are landless or victimized due to river bank erosion, cyclones, or floods have been relocated under the umbrella program called 'Guchchagram', i.e., cluster villages. Different ruling parties had used different names for the project due to the financial nature of the project, but none of them have significantly differed from the overall goals and objectives of relocated settlements and the betterment of the landless and extreme event victims. Particularly, this study asks how and to what extent the livelihood of relocated households has changed, and what the potentials and constraints of the relocated settlements are. Based on an empirical study at four Guchchagrams of Gopalganj Sadar Upazila, the study shows that there is a significant improvement in the livelihood conditions of the migrated people, but the locational disadvantages and access to agricultural production, the local employment market, and some of the targeted objectives of the project have not achieved. To some extent, the rehabilitated families have similar risks as they had before; however, available agricultural lands and proper allocation can reduce such livelihood risks.

PurposeThis paper aims to discuss issues related to disaster mitigation planning provisions in Bangladesh, one of the most disaster‐prone countries in Asia. It seeks to concentrate on the issues related to the role of local groups in establishing cyclone shelters.Design/methodology/approachIn February 2008, a field study was conducted in the Southwest coastal region of Bangladesh. Combining the most recent empirical data, the location of cyclone shelters and the social supremacy structure are explored in this paper. Vulnerability due to infrastructure is defined here on the basis of available infrastructural facilities i.e. cyclone shelters, by using catchment area analysis in the geographical information system (GIS) software ArcGIS. The paper bases its argument on the assumption that the location of an infrastructure item like a cyclone shelter is dependent on the influential and motivational power of local elites and not on the necessity of the deprived people. Vulnerability, from this perspective, is interpreted in this study as a result of socio‐political supremacy in establishing cyclone shelters in coastal regions of Bangladesh.FindingsThe results indicate that locally supreme groups are located the closest to the cyclone shelter and may control local‐level disaster mitigation planning.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper outlines the "social supremacy" concept based on one rural union and the communication rationalities of the general people. Both describe the ways of identification, the social spectrum of public interests as well as the decision‐making process in rural Bangladesh.Originality/valueThe paper contains valuable information regarding rural society and its socio‐political structure as well as planning problems in coastal Bangladesh.