What Hinders Bangladeshis to Evacuate During Disasters

A study published in ScienceDirect investigated the factors that influence refuge-seeking and evacuating behaviours of people in Bangladesh during major cyclones.

According to the study, Bangladesh is the most climate-vulnerable country, heavily exposed to natural hazards, particularly in its low-lying areas along the Bay of Bengal.

Cyclones are considered the most destructive and costly natural events in Bangladesh. Based on the data from major cyclones that hit the country from 1970 to 2007, the nation’s number of fatalities has decreased at a rate of 2.5% per year.

Cyclone Bhola in 1970 registered the highest death toll number at 500,000, followed by Cyclone Gorky in 1991 with 138,882 deaths; Cyclone Sidr in 2007 at 3,363 deaths; Cyclone Aila in 2009 at 190 deaths; and Cyclone Amphan in 2020 at 22 deaths.

An important climate-mitigating measure to counter the impacts of cyclones is the establishment of temporary evacuation shelters to house vulnerable populations after a warning has been issued. But the effectiveness of these evacuation measures also depends on the people’s protective actions and hazard decision making during disasters.’

Do Bangladeshi people follow the government’s warning and orders to move to these shelters, or do they stay in their houses to protect their assets? Do Bangladeshi’s trust these shelters to protect them, or do they believe they have the equipment and supplies needed to keep them safe?

Excerpts from the study say:

• This paper presents an assessment of the factors influencing evacuation to cyclone shelters in coastal areas of Bangladesh over the past 30 years. It is based on the comparative study of Cyclone Amphan (2020) and three major historical cyclones: Gorky (1991), Sidr (2007) and Aila (2009).
• While substantial improvements have been made in disaster response infrastructure over the last three decades, shelter evacuation rates remain low. It was found that the majority of people are still taking a ‘wait-and-see’ approach, primarily due to concerns about losing their property. It was found that partial evacuation, observing environmental cues before evacuation and seeking refuge in neighbours’ houses, is indirectly associated with the fear of losing property. There is also an inadequate spatial distribution of cyclone shelters with minimal facilities.
• This study provides recommendations to enhance risk-based planning for cyclone shelters and gender-responsive efforts, ensuring a safe environment for the community to seek refuge at shelters through proper community-level planning.

To read the entire study, click the link below: