Flood-induced vulnerabilities and problems encountered by women in northern Bangladesh

Abstract

This study examines flood-induced vulnerabilities among women in northern Bangladesh. Poor and disadvantaged women are more vulnerable to disasters than men due to the conditions that predispose them to severe disaster impacts. Women suffer from physical injuries and are often evicted from their dwellings due to floods. Difficulties in finding adequate shelter, food, safe water, and fuel for cooking, as well as problems in maintaining personal hygiene and sanitation, prevent women from performing their usual roles at home. All of these are problems related to women’s gender identity and social roles. Many poor and destitute women remain unemployed during and after floods. Women also suffer from domestic violence and are subject to harassment when taking shelter or refuge at community centers. These particular vulnerabilities and problems interrupt women’s mitigation efforts and adaptation capacities in disaster risk reduction.

Keywords

Bangladesh / flood / flood-induced vulnerability / vulnerability of women

References

[1] Adger W N, Kelly P M. Social Vulnerability to Climate Change and the Architecture of Entitlements. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 1999, 4(3–4): 253-266 10.1023/A:1009601904210

[2] Allen K. Pelling M. Vulnerability Reduction and the Community-Based Approach. Natural Disasters and Development in a Globalising World, 2003, London: Routledge 170-184.

[3] Azad A K. Empowering Women for Disaster Risk Reduction. The Daily Independent, 24 November 2013, 2013, Dhaka: Bangladesh

[4] Banglapedia (National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh). 2012. http://www.banglapedia.org/.

[5] Blaikie P, Cannon T, Davis I, Wisner B. At Risk: Natural Hazards, People’s Vulnerability and Disasters, 2003, London: Routledge

[6] Brammer H, Khan H R. Bangladesh Country Study: Disaster Mitigation in Asia and Pacific, 1991, Manila, Philippines: Asian Development Bank

[7] Brooks N, Adger W N. Country Level Risk Measures of Climate-Related Natural Disasters and Implications for Adaptation to Climate Change, 2003

[8] Chambers R. Vulnerability. Editorial Introduction. IDS Bulletin, 1989, 20(2): 1-7 10.1111/j.1759-5436.1989.mp20002001.x

[9] DMB Disaster Management Bureau. Disaster Management Bureau (DMB) Yearly Report, 2000, Dhaka: Bangladesh

[10] DMB Disaster Management Bureau. National Plan for Disaster Management 2008-2015, 2008, Dhaka: DMB (Disaster Management Bureau), Disaster Management and Relief Division, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh

[11] Downing T E, Patwardhan A. Vulnerability Assessment for Climate Adaptation, Adaptation Policy Framework: A Guide for Policies to Facilitate Adaptation to Climate Change, 2003, New York: UNDP

[12] Fritz C E. Merton R, Nisbet R. Disaster. Contemporary Social Problems, 1961, New York: Harcourt, Brace and World 651-694.

[13] Islam N, Sultana N. The Status of Women in Bangladesh: Is the Situation Really Encouraging?. Research Journal of Social Sciences, 2006, 1(1): 56-65.

[14] Joakim E. Assessing the “Hazards of Place” Model of Vulnerability: A Case Study of Waterloo Region, 2008, Ottawa: Wilfrid Laurier University, Library and Archives Canada, Published Heritage Branch

[15] Kabir K. Hossain H, Dodge C, Abel F H. How Women Survived. From Crisis to Development, Coping with Disasters in Bangladesh, 1992, Dhaka: University Press Limited 74-80.

[16] Khondker H. Women and Floods in Bangladesh. International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, 1996, 14(3): 281-292.

[17] Kreps G A. Sociological Inquiry and Disaster Research. Annual Review of Sociology, 1984, 10: 309-330 10.1146/annurev.so.10.080184.001521

[18] Kumbetoglu F B, User I. Dasgupta S, Siriner I, De P S. Gender Aspects of the Disaster Recovery Process. Women’s Encounter with Disaster, 2010, London: Frontpage Publications Limited 22-51.

[19] Lewis J. Development in Disaster-Prone Places: Studies of Vulnerability, 1999, London: Intermediate Technology Publications

[20] Liverman D. Kasperson R, Dow K, Golding D, Kasperson J X. Vulnerability to Global Environmental Change. Understanding Global Environmental Change: The Contributions of Risk Analysis and Management, 1990, Worcester, MA: Clark University 8-23.

[21] MoFDM Ministry of FoodDisaster Management, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. National Plan for Disaster Management 2007–2015, 2006

[22] Nasreen M. Coping with Floods: The Experience of Rural Women in Bangladesh, 1995, New Zealand: Messey University

[23] Nasreen M. Women in Disaster: An Analysis of Division of Labour and Survival Strategies in Disaster, 1998, Dhaka: Academic Publishers

[24] Nasreen M. Development, Women and Gender in Bangladesh: From Theory to Practice. Social Science Review, The Dhaka University Studies, Part-D, 2000, 17(2): 16-26.

[25] Nasreen M. Violence against Women: During Flood and Post-Flood Situations in Banglasesh, 2008, Dhaka: Women’s Rights & Gender Equality Sector, Action Aid, Bangladesh

[26] Nasreen M. Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture and Food Security in Bangladesh. Paper presented in Special Conference on Climate Change and Bangladesh Development Strategy: Domestic Tasks and International Cooperation on 2 January 2009, 2009, Dhaka: Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA) and Bangladesh Environment Network

[27] Nasreen M. Dasgupta S, Siriner I, De P S. Rethinking Disaster Management: Violence against Women during Floods in Bangladesh. Women’s Encounter with Disaster, 2010, London: Frontpage Publications Limited 232-244.

[28] Nasreen M. Women and Girls: Vulnerable or Resilient?, 2012, Dhaka: Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies, University of Dhaka

[29] OEP-EOP Office of Emergency Preparedness, Executive Office of the President of the United Sates. Disaster Preparedness: Report to Congress, 1972, Washington DC: US Government Printing Office

[30] Sen A. Poverty and Famines: An Essay on Entitlements and Deprivation, 1981, London: Oxford University Press

[31] UNDP United Nations Development Programme. A Global Report: Reducing Disaster Risk: A Challenge for Development, 2004, New York: UNDP Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery

[32] UNDP United Nations Development Programme. Human Development Report 2013, 2013, New York: UNDP

[33] Villagran J C. Vulnerability: A Conceptual and Methodological Review, 2006, Bonn: United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security

[34] Warmington V. Disaster Reduction: A Review of Disaster Prevention, Mitigation and Preparedness, 1995, Ottowa: Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Fund of the Canadian Council for International Cooperation

[35] WaterAid Bangladesh. Implementation Guidelines for Ring-Well (RW), 2006

[36] Watts M J, Bohle H G. The Space of Vulnerability: The Causal Structure of Hunger and Famine. Progress in Human Geography, 1993, 17(1): 43-67 10.1177/030913259301700103

[37] World Bank. Economic of Adaptation to Climate Change: Bangladesh, 2010, Washington, DC: The World Bank Group

[38] World Bank. The Little Data Book on Gender, 2013, Washington DC: The World Bank

[39] World Economic Forum. The Global Gender Gap Report 2013, 2013, Geneva: World Economic Forum