ADAPTIVE INFRASTRUCTURES as DISASTER SHELTER

With a population of over 165 million people and a population density of more than 1,140 persons per km2 Bangladesh is a very densely populated country. The country’s geographic location in the waters of Bay of Bengal, often the source of tropical cyclones and storm surges, makes Bangladesh one of the most natural disasters prone nations in the world. A severe tropical cyclone hits the country, every 3 years on average.

Multi-purpose cyclone shelters, that can provide refuge to vulnerable population in the events of natural hazards and to a certain extent with the utility of community functionalities during normal times, have become a vital component of disaster management strategies. Country has already constructed more than 2,500 such shelters across 16 of the most disaster prone coastal districts. In the backdrop of the recommendation of The World Bank [TWB] that the country needs 5,500 new shelters (TWB, 2010)

But data & reports indicates that existing cyclone shelters are not equitably distributed to provide the needs of the highly vulnerable population.

• First, there was an uneven focus on constructing the shelters for the sake of it, rather than ensuring ways to manage these assets by engaging communities. For instance, nearly 9% of the existing shelters were deemed unusable in the event of natural disasters. In some cases e.g. Patuakhali up to one third of the cyclone shelters were unusable.

• Second, the current distribution of cyclone shelters was disconnected from the on-ground needs.  The cyclone shelters were not equitably distributed to provide the needs of the highly vulnerable population e.g. 85% of the vulnerable people in Noakhali district are at risk in the event of future natural disasters.

• Third, while the actual construction of the shelters was the responsibility of several layers of government agencies, these agencies did not have clear guidelines for the management of the cyclone shelters.

“Due to poor maintenance, a number of those shelters have already become unsuitable for use. At one side, the proper use and maintenance of these shelters cannot be ensured and on the other hand, the development partner countries and organizations have been expressing their concerns on the use, maintenance and management of those shelters.”- Cyclone Shelter Construction, Maintenance and Management Policy 2011.

There is no doubt that existing and new shelters are vital for mitigating or minimizing the casualties of vulnerable populations in the event of natural disasters. It’s estimated that over 500,000 may have died due to the effects of the Bhola cyclone while the 1991 storm killed less people outright but left up to 10 million homeless. The 1991 cyclone was a much more powerful storm yet “only” 145,000 people died. And in May of 1997 when a dangerous cyclone roared in from the Bay of Bengal, over one million people took refuge in cyclone shelters and the death toll was limited to roughly 100. Better communications, a centralized government and hundreds of new cyclone shelters were contributing factors to the much-reduced death toll.

But these bare-bone permanent structures of temporary need can be utilized in more intellectual way to provide and serve the community to gain resilience.

• As these Disaster Shelters are already built on the most vulnerable areas and to be built more, can we think about the future development of the structures with integrated food & medicine storage & distribution center so that we can evolve from post-disaster Foreign Aid based Development to a more Resilient & Self Sustainable Development?

• By adding different programs & functions can we generate fund for maintenance & management of shelter & generate shelter-based income and employment opportunities during a normal time period for the shelter catchment stakeholders with the aim of improving their livelihood?

• In this era of technological enhancement can we adapt new structural system & locally available materials to meet future global climate challenge?

• With climatic data analysis can we redefine the shelters with new parameters? Harvest energy & create new identity?