Hazards in a Fickle Environment: Bangladesh

About this book

This interdisciplinary volume presents first-hand longitudinal research on the riverine hazards in Bangladesh. Addresses the profound significance of the societal aspects and human geographical dimensions of natural disasters. The characteristics and nature of responses to floods and riverbank erosion hazards are examined, as well as the assessment of the impact of the hazards. The book states that disaster impacts are caused as much by social, economic, political and cultural factors as they are by the fickle physical environment of the Quaternary alluvial floodplains.

Contents

Part 1 Hazards in nature and people perspectives: hazardous environment and disastrous impact - the challenge of understanding and responding; natural disasters-induced displacement - an overview of an emergent crisis; human coping responses to natural hazards - a survey and critique of approaches. Part 2 Riverine hazards and human ecology - Bangladesh: physical dimensions of riverine hazards in the Bengal Basin - the case of the Brahmaputra-Jamuna flood-plain; social-class formation and vulnerability of the population - a historical account of human occupance and land-resource management. Part 3 Riverbank-erosion hazard in Serajganj District - impacts and responses: the rural study design - the characteristics of the samples; impacts of riverbank-erosion disaster - understanding differentials in rural socio-economic characteristics; coping responses of flood-plain users in rural Kazipur; the displaced poor in urban environment - towards sustainable reduction of disasters and flood-plain development; public-policy issues - water management, hazard mitigation and resettlement; towards a sustainable flood-plain development strategy.

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