Disaster Vulnerability in the Policy Context of Bangladesh: A Critical Review

Abstract

This chapter attempts to have an in-depth understanding of the climate change policy context of Bangladesh with regard to the notion of disaster vulnerability as a policy concern. The chapter reviews the policy from a social vulnerability perspective. With regard to the socioeconomic and environmental context of Bangladesh, it develops an analytical framework to examine the climate change policy. There is a lack of conceptualizing disaster vulnerability in policy formulation that makes it biased towards “physical adaptation” measures to reduce disaster risk. The political economy of climate change initiatives in Bangladesh leaves little scope to address vulnerability of grassroots communities. The chapter argues that in a country like Bangladesh where lack-of-development-led problems are persistent, there is an urgent need to develop context-responsive policies and action plans that should address the causes and dynamic processes of disaster vulnerability and lack-of-development issues in an integrated manner. Existing climate change policies do not address the structural dynamics of disaster vulnerability adequately. To this end, the chapter suggests policy-relevant insights towards the formulation of people-centered policies and strategies for Bangladesh.