Post-Aila Community Recovery Innovations and Planning

Abstract

In the aftermath of super cyclone Aila in 2009, there was neither adequately or appropriately response planning and implementation from disaster management including relief and rehabilitation agencies, as was the case with the super cyclone Sidr which hit almost same South West Region of Bangladesh in 2007. Cyclone Aila damaged >50 % of houses, affecting ten million people and totally damaged shrimp business—a source of second largest export earnings for the country and collapse of the agro-ecosystem as well which was critical base for livelihood source of the inhabitants. Although government undertakes sizeable recovery operation (USD16.95 million for food, cash and shelter and international community and UN USD84.74 million) for public infrastructure after each disaster but restoration at the vulnerable populations’ livelihood and shelter in particular faces deficient and needs remain unmet. At the same time there was the rethinking about the actual usefulness of post disaster early recovery including livelihood restoration and build back better shelters and possible risk reduction alternatives linked to sustainable development. Recovery resilient issue is emphasized to focus on investment on non-infrastructure resilience, livelihood and knowledge as well as governance to create enabling environment for early recovery. About 7.7 % of the coastal populations are covered by the existing cyclone shelters. The cyclone track seems to be extended from South East to South West. The state of habitat in the Aila affected areas, although deplorable provided the opportunity to try out innovations, one such being the concept of the Disaster Resilient Habitat (DRH). DRH called for an endeavor towards disaster/climate proof cluster settlement as the resilient habitat. This effort includes strengthening an entire village and its community together in a comprehensive manner with cyclone-resilient houses and infrastructure so that they are able to withstand winds and storm surges to protect both lives and livelihood assets and even if there is destruction, getting back to life is easier. This chapter will describe how this innovative idea came into being and how it was implemented. The approach ensured that solutions emerge from the community rather than being top down with a combination of package including mobilization of social, physical, ecological and economic resource, and owner driven initiatives from planning to implementation having both software and hardware aspects managed by the community. The combination of technical expertise and local skill would emerge as creative solution. The DRH is considered a more structurally and ecologically sustainable solution than cyclone shelters. Perhaps in the future huge investments in top down cyclone shelters can be better utilized in this bottom up sustainable approach of comprehensive risk reduction.