Inclusive resilience is both a cause and consequence of sustainable development. Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP) has been an embodiment of gender-inclusive community-driven disaster management globally. But, the inclusion of other vulnerable groups has not yet been investigated, which leaves the question of inclusive resilience unattended from its organizational perspective. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of CPP in promoting inclusive disaster resilience and to find out the key intricacies and barriers the program faces. The authors examined the ground reality from both ends of CPP volunteers and the intersectional groups in the coastal community and coalesced recommendations from both sides to devise a way forward to facilitate inclusive community resilience to disasters.
The study used a qualitative methodology and used focus group discussion (FGD) and key informant interview (KII) to collect data from target participants. A total of seven FGDs and four KIIs were conducted. This study took place in a cyclone-prone coastal upazila of Bangladesh where the residents face climate variabilities and disasters more frequently and intensively compared to other regions of the country.
The findings highlighted a need for appropriate training and equipment for the community volunteers in respect to their assigned duty within the CPP to reach the best outcome. The coastal community is well familiar with the direct and cascading impacts of climate change and disasters. But, there is a dearth of community consultation in deciding the course of actions adopted by CPP. Consequently, community people still feel disconnected and which in turn impedes the effectiveness of the program’s functions. The inclusion of elderly and persons with disabilities was not possible due to the nature of the duties carried out by CPP volunteers. However, the integration of a gender-balanced volunteer pool was verified through this study. Emphasis should be given to strengthening the capacity and restructuring policy frameworks conducive for CPP to collaboratively and independently implement projects on inclusive disaster risk reduction (DRR) interventions at their respective community level. The volunteers are extremely dedicated to community service, but lack of strong DRR infrastructures hinders their strife for inclusive resilience in the coastal community.
This study addresses the absence of research works on the role of CPP in building inclusive resilience in coastal Bangladesh. The results highlight the lack of inclusivity in terms of decision-making, infrastructural development and scope for further integration of CPP in DRR activities in the coastal community. This research is based on data and findings obtained through direct data collection by the authors from the study area.
