Abstract:
Bangladesh is one of the most disaster prone
countries in the world. Almost every year,
natural disasters in one kind or another, cause
huge loss of life and substantial damage to
infrastructure, housing, agriculture and
livelihoods. Casualty heightens due to the
vulnerability of the vernacular settlement
patterns and built environment to disasters.
Climate change poses significant risks of more
frequent natural disasters leading to more
damage to the vernacular settlement in the
disaster-prone regions of Bangladesh. Unsafe
location, orientation and spatial arrangement
of social, physical, environmental, and
economic infrastructures make the
settlements more exposed to the severity of
cyclones or floods to this end, this paper aims
to understand and present the vernacular
settlements patterns with regards to their
level of vulnerability to disasters. Based on
these understanding, this study suggests
some strategic planning options to improve
adaptability of the disaster-prone rural
settlements.
