towards living with floods in the Padma river bank areas: The case of Bangladesh Local adaptation processes to climate variability

This paper outlines a part of a research and design project based on work undertaken for the B. Arch. at the Department of Architecture, Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology in 2007-08. This paper devotes to discussing how the present floodplain residents live coping with floods, particularly in the flood-prone areas like Padma riverbank areas. The findings of the study on how these categories of residents cope with floods can be integrated into establishing official flood management measures to effectively manage flood disasters in flood prone areas which would greatly reduce flood losses. Floods in Bangladesh are a complex phenomenon. They pose enormous threats to the population through loss of life and economic damage, but at the same time, moderate floods contribute to the fertility of the land. Flood hazards of bank side areas of rivers are difficult to control through structural measures; Flood proofing through assistance to self help measures to reduce the damage to property and stress are largely accepted preventive efforts that these people have practiced. Adaptations towards the impact of climate change have made them quite self-dependent in facing disasters. A sample based survey in the selected case study area was done to make the plan efficient. This paper concentrates to heightening the community's responsibility to sustain adaptation towards flooding and to proactively internalize the adaptation process.

PLEA 2011 - Architecture and Sustainable Development, Conference Proceedings of the 27th International Conference on Passive and Low Energy Architecture

Local adaptation processes to climate variability, towards living with floods in the Padma river bank areas: The case of Bangladesh Conference Paper