Damage, loss, and needs assessment for disaster recovery in Batiaghata Upazila

The people of Bararia village which is located at surkhali union in Batiaghata upazila in Khulna faces many types of disaster. They always struggle with nature. Their livelihood is very difficult.

Last month there are occurred river erosion and many land goes into the river. Loss of life may not be happened due to erosion but it makes people undone. It causes a massive financial loss. 25 houses and 4 acres land are go into the river and approximate 15 houses are threatened.

Local people says since 1985 the river erosion is started. At that time erosion is not very destructive but during 2007 the erosion is very destructive.

Due to this frequent river erosion many houses,land and agricultural land are goes to the river. But there are no steps from the government to reduce this problem. Recently many houses go into the river which are adjacent to the Bararia bazar. Now ring embankment is established but it is not effective.

People used some local method to stop the frequent erosion. It works some time. They use branch of plant and try to stop this.

A woman Vobani Rani says that her houses and agricultural land all are destroy from river erosion, now they lived at road sides. School teacher says that due to river erosion the embankment is diminish day by day.

But the management committee don’t take any steps and established embankment on their land.

Coastal areas of Bangladesh are being submerged gradually due to the global warming and sea level rise. The collision between downwards current of fresh water and uprising sea level creates strong twirling that cause erosion to the coast. Lack of national forecasting system for the erosion and lack of planned and necessary embankment along with the coast create erosion. In this area people also face the cyclone and flash flood. In 1988,the most destructive floods destroy many land and cause the death of many people. On 15 November 2007, Cyclone Sidr and 2007,ayla struck the south-west coast of Bangladesh with winds up to 240 kilometers per hour is also destroy many houses and agricultural land in this area.

High winds and floods also caused damage to housing, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. Electricity and communication were knocked out, and roads and waterways became impassable. Drinking water was contaminated by debris and many sources were inundated with saline water from tidal surges, and sanitation infrastructure was destroyed.

The main agricultural product is aman rice which production is also reduced for cyclone. In this area the people are always faces the disaster but there are no cyclone shelter center and precursor to reduce this destruction.

School teacher says that they need a cyclone shelter center and they want this center should be established in this school because many people took shelter during sidr and ayla in this school. The reasons for this disproportional large impact of storm surges on the coast of Bangladesh are the following:

(1) The phenomenon of recurvature of tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal,

(2) Shallow continental shape, especially in the eastern part of Bangladesh,

(3) High tidal range,

(4) Triangular shape at the head of the Bay of Bengal,

(5) Almost sea-level orography of the Bangladesh coastal land,

(6) High density of population and coastal defence system.

What needs to be done:

1. Government initiates for embankment construction and maintenance every year in association with the Water Development Board in order to protect the coastal erosion.

2. Infrastructure development such as coastal embankment and ensure their regular maintenance.

3. Training on disaster preparedness involving local institution/ local government

4. Coastal afforestation and mangrove plantation with the experience of local knowledge and its maintenance.

5. Forecasting river erosion using satellite images.

6. Sustainable embankment construction and its maintenance.

7. Established cyclone shelter center in coastal area.

8. Increase awareness among the local people.

9. Increase awareness among the students.