Lasting Recovery in Bangladesh

By Caitie Lynch

When Cyclone Sidr hit Bangladesh on November 15, 2007, nearly 3 million people were left homeless along the country's devastated west coast. The poorest lived in houses that were easily destroyed by the brutal cyclonic winds.

Some families were able to reconstruct their homes after returning from the cyclone shelters; other homes were unsalvageable. Many vulnerable families, including widows, people with disabilities and the elderly, were unable to rebuild their homes without assistance.

Ali Hossain Howlander is a survivor of the storm. He is a fish vendor, and the sole provider for his family of four. Unfortunately, Cyclone Sidr completely ravaged coastal towns like Ali's, wrecking boats and fishing supplies as well as houses and schools. Survivors were left without homes, industry or sources of income. In short, they had no way of rebuilding their lives.

To address the aftermath of this disaster, Catholic Relief Services and Caritas Bangladesh designed a reconstruction plan to help storm survivors like Ali and his family. The comprehensive preparedness plan includes training for the survivors and other local workers in durable construction and repair methods. The end result will be permanent shelter for 2,500 families and skills they can use in the future.

"At the moment, we are rebuilding family houses for those whose houses were totally destroyed by the cyclone," says Cassie Dummett, country manager of CRS Bangladesh. "Soon Caritas is going to start constructing and repairing community cyclone shelters. Caritas built 255 of them during the 1990s as part of a wider government coastal cyclone preparedness program, and Caritas is planning an additional 35 shelters in parts of the coast where people have no access to existing structures."

Using local labor and supplies gives men like Ali, whose jobs were directly affected by the cyclone, the opportunity for employment. Directly involving beneficiaries in the shelter-building process rejuvenates the economy while also educating people in disaster preparedness.

Locals collect materials at distribution points and undergo training in cyclone-resistant construction methods and how to raise the foundations of their homes. Community leaders participate in committees to purchase locally available materials—such as bamboo poles and fences—and monitor construction.

The committees also negotiate on behalf of individuals for permission to build on government land. Land tenure issues make reconstruction difficult. Many legal documents were destroyed in the cyclone, which means that families have no way of proving that they are allowed to live on plot of land, even if they had been living there for decades before. By working closely with the Bangladeshi government and other organizations, CRS and the committees were able to negotiate and ensure beneficiaries' rights.

Our Work in Bangladesh

CRS has been providing humanitarian assistance to Bangladesh since the country's independence in 1971. The agency began by assisting refugees and then gradually moved to education and emergency response activities because of the magnitude and intensity of the problems in the country.

CRS also supports Caritas Bangladesh's disaster risk management program. The program advises community groups and local government committees in disaster preparedness: warning people when bad weather is coming, finding weak spots in construction, enforcing safety regulations, and encouraging people to stay active in preparing themselves and their communities for future disasters.

Caitie Lynch is an intern at CRS headquarters in Baltimore.