Re-thinking disaster-prone vernacular settlements: a comprehensive strategic planning towards disaster-adaptive settlements in Bangladesh

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.