Bangladesh is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. In particular, its riverine-island (char) dwellers face continuous riverbank erosion, frequent flooding, and other adverse effects of climate change that increase their vulnerability. This paper aims to assess the livelihood vulnerability of riverine communities by applying the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) vulnerability framework and the livelihood vulnerability index (LVI). Results indicate substantial variation in the vulnerability of char dwellers based on mainland proximity. The main drivers of livelihood vulnerability are char-dweller adaptation strategies and access to food and health services. The study further reveals that riverbank erosion, frequent flood inundation, and lack of employment and access to basic public services are the major social and natural drivers of livelihood vulnerability. Char-based policy focusing on short- and long-term strategy is required to reduce livelihood vulnerability and enhance char-dweller resilience.

https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/6/1623/pdf

Livelihood Vulnerability of Riverine-Island Dwellers in the Face of Natural Disasters in Bangladesh

Urban flooding has become a regular phenomenon in many towns and cities in the Asia Pacific region over the past years Professionals associated with disaster management and climate change are at the forefront of addressing urban flooding To reduce flood risks, vulnerability and its components must be understood Vulnerability assessment methods are diverse and complex, with a varied nature of understanding the key terms used in various contexts, and this diversity ultimately reflects on the interpretation of results in research settings Diverse interpretations and definitions exist in the disaster risk and climate change literature, complicating the process of astute and comprehensive vulnerability assessment The main purpose of this study was to quantify vulnerability indicators and develop a multidimensional model for vulnerability assessment Vulnerability is explored through the lens of five dimensions: social, economic, physical/infrastructural, institutional, and attitudinal This methodology is applied to urban flooding in Pakistan, to verify the proposed model Three study sites in urban areas with different population sizes, situated in high-risk flood zones in the Punjab Province of Pakistan were selected for empirical investigation A household survey was conducted, and indices were developed for each dimension based on well-defined indicators The proposed methodology for vulnerability assessment was tested and found operational This method can be replicated irrespective of spatial scales and can be modified for other disasters by streamlining hazard specific indicators

/pdf/multidimensional-model-for-vulnerability-assessment-of-urban-213ayb0nt9.pdf

Multidimensional Model for Vulnerability Assessment of Urban Flooding: An Empirical Study in Pakistan

Life in riverine islands in Bangladesh: Local adaptation strategies of climate vulnerable riverine island dwellers for livelihood resilience

Livelihood diversification in rural Bangladesh: Patterns and determinants in disaster prone riverine islands

Background: Women are more vulnerable than men in the same natural disaster setting. Preexisting gender inequality, socio-cultural community dynamics and poverty puts women at significant risk of mortality. Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable because of their limited or no access to prenatal and obstetric care during any disaster or humanitarian emergency setting. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 women who gave birth during the 2011 floods in Sindh Province, Pakistan. Thematic analysis explored women’s experiences of pregnancy and giving birth in natural disaster settings, the challenges they faced at this time and strategies they employed to cope with them. Results: Women were not afforded any control over decisions about their health and safety during the floods. Decisions about the family’s relocation prior to and during the floods were made by male kin and women made no contribution to that decision making process. There were no skilled birth attendants, ambulances, birthing or breastfeeding stations and postnatal care for women in the relief camps. Women sought the assistance of the traditional birth attendants when they gave birth in unhygienic conditions in the camps. Conclusion: The absence of skilled birth attendants and a clean physical space for childbirth put women and their newborn infants at risk of mortality. A clean physical space or birthing station with essential obstetric supplies managed by skilled birth attendants or community health workers can significantly reduce the risks of maternal morbidity and mortality in crisis situations.

/pdf/rural-women-s-experience-of-living-and-giving-birth-in-k3kg2ek9ii.pdf

Rural Women's Experience of Living and Giving Birth in Relief Camps in Pakistan.

Disasters are not discriminatory but affect every one of us irrespective of our age, gender, religion or any other determinant. However, women tend to feel the greater brunt of disaster consequences. It is a need of the day to examine why women are more vulnerable and at a great risk during disasters. In this regard, we conducted this study to assess public health risks and vulnerabilities in the context of floods through gender perspective. The study is a cross-sectional study conducted from September 2013 to January 2014. Two stage sampling techniques were adopted; first, two union councils (administrative units) in the district of Nowshehra were purposively selected as these were the most affected union councils in the floods of 2010 in Pakistan, and in the second stage, 386 households were selected randomly. The data analysis reveals that although more than 51% of the sample population was female, but females make up only 5% of household heads. Antenatal care (45%) and postnatal care (39%) coverage is very low and skilled birth attendants assisted only 26% deliveries. The higher the education status of the mother, the higher was the rate of health facility utilization. We concluded that women's health risks and vulnerabilities can be decrease largely with education in general, specifically with promotion of health education.

Gender-sensitive public health risks and vulnerabilities’ assessment with reference to floods in Pakistan

The United Nations proclaimed the 1990s as the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR). Since then the scientific community has undertaken significant research linked to disaster management, primarily focusing on geophysical hazards, risks, vulnerabilities, and early warning systems. However, limited research is available regarding the health status of a population on the move due to natural and manmade disasters, and how disasters influence key public health indicators. Key health indicators include, but are not limited to, immunization coverage, malaria incidence rate, measles incidence rate, malnutrition, and births attended by trained healthcare professionals. The objective of this research is to assess the health status of a disaster-induced displaced population with respect to specific public health indicators. A retrospective analysis of purposely-selected thirty camps of a displaced population in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan is performed by means of an outpatient registry database. The study's findings reveal that the levels of risks and vulnerabilities of camps vary regarding different kinds of indicators. Therefore, there is high probability that if the same programs and interventions are undertaken for all camps, the desired goals may not be possible to achieve.

Using selected global health indicators to assess public health status of population displaced by natural and man-made disasters

Millions of people are currently displaced from their homes because of local and international conflicts. In the last two decades, a substantial increase in the number of displaced people has been recorded. We measured the social vulnerabilities of displaced populations using a mathematical approach in combination with application of geographical information systems (GIS) tools and techniques to visualise movement and draw attention to the location of significant concentration of vulnerabilities. A retrospective study approach based on datasets collected from governmental and non-governmental organisations working with refugees and internally displaced persons in Pakistan was used. We applied simple mathematical formulas to calculate and map various types of vulnerability, such as refugee population, absorption capacity, unmet needs and overall vulnerability. This approach displays risks and vulnerabilities of displaced populations in an easily understood and straightforward manner that can be replicated in other parts of the world.

/pdf/mapping-displaced-populations-with-reference-to-social-496ddsuy7l.pdf

Anees Ahmad

Papers

Gender-sensitive public health risks and vulnerabilities’ assessment with reference to floods in Pakistan

Using selected global health indicators to assess public health status of population displaced by natural and man-made disasters

Mapping displaced populations with reference to social vulnerabilities for post-disaster public health management.