Factors that influenced evacuation for cyclones in Bangladesh
Citation: Ahsan MN, Takeuchi K, Vink K, et al. A systematic review of the factors affecting the cyclone evacuation decision process in Bangladesh. Journal of Disaster Research. 2016:11;742-753.
Language: Abstract and full text available in EN.
Free to view: Yes.
Funding sources: Honjo International Scholarship Foundation (Japan).
What is this? In this systematic review, the authors searched for quantitative and qualitative documents that analysed the decision-making processes for evacuation in coastal Bangladesh. They restricted their searches to articles published in English between 1975 and 2015. The authors found 41 articles: 25 about evacuation for storms in general and 16 about evacuation during cyclones in Bangladesh.
What was found: Indigenous knowledge, individual knowledge, literacy, physical and mental capabilities, experience with previous hazards, training in disaster preparedness, local emergency connections, and access to media contributed to decisions about evacuation. A lack of credibility in early-warning messages and their inefficient dissemination influenced the perception of danger by people at risk. As a result, socioeconomic and socio-cultural factors were more influential than formal warnings to evacuate.
Implications: The authors of the review stated that to improve forecasts for cyclones, newer models with more precise tracking should be adopted. Dissemination could be improved by sending voice messages in Bengali to mobile phones. Additional quantitative studies were needed to narrow knowledge gaps about policy making for evacuation. Research on socio-cultural variables should be done in a timely manner to prevent recall bias.
Other considerations: The authors of the review discussed their findings in the context of place of residence, language, culture, socioeconomic status, and sex.
This summary was prepared by Beirut Ibrahim, checked by Jawaria Karim, and finalized by William Summerskill.