Cyclone shelters and cyclone resilient design in coastal areas of Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh is one of those countries that are most vulnerable to tropical cyclones. In recent decades, cyclone mitigations by the Government of Bangladesh and international organizations have greatly increased the coastal communities' resistance to cyclones. This thesis focuses on cyclone shelter programs, one of the most important cyclone mitigating measures. Although cyclone shelters have proven to be effective, they are currently not adequate, which requires more research and development for a more resilient future. This thesis has five chapters: an introduction that defines the problem, a broad review of settlement history and hazards in coastal Bangladesh, a planning chapter that zooms in on the issues at five spatial scales, followed by a design chapter that zooms out from proposals for improving shelter site planning to a more comprehensive analysis of the spatial network of shelters, and larger-scale coastal environmental planning and policy. The conclusion highlights the main contributions of this research: 1) developing a multi-scale integrative approach; 2) expanding the range of choice for structural cyclone mitigations; and 3) addressing environmental and cultural diversity and specificity in physical planning and design. This research can contribute to the improvement of cyclone shelters in Bangladesh and so as to make a successful program even more successful. Keywords: Bangladesh, cyclone shelters, flood hazards, mitigation, disaster resilient design