Ranjan/ October 3, 2019/ Draft

Developing Disaster Early Warning System for the Disable People (???)

Introduction

The purpose of this study is to identify what kind of idea disabled people hold about

climate change & disaster, if they receive an early warning, if so, how and how do they

combat these Disasters. Perception regarding Climate change & Disaster differs between

region, economic status and gender. The differences mentioned also differ between

Disaster and early warning systems. Through ethnographic research these differences

have been identified. Even though regional, economic status and gender has been paid

special attention, disabled people have not been incorporated to that extent in project

design and implantation. Through this research, another aspect that has been identified is

that not all disabled people view Climate change & disaster’s early warning system and

the method of combating them, through the same lens. The differences in types of

disability, regional difference, educational qualification among disabled population and

difference in gender effect the understanding of Climate change and Disaster’s early

warning system. This research attempts to identify and analyze these multilateral

experiences. At the same time, recommendation on how this disabled population might

obtain a better understanding regarding Climate Change and early warning system is also

portrayed.

How do Disable people conceptualize climate change and disaster?

Since this research was not based on a particular region, the natural differences in climate

and disaster is expected. First we take on, the situation in the Northern Bengal. From the

interviews and narratives of the participants it is found that even though all of the people
are not necessary familiar with and understand the concept of climate change and

disaster; culturally, socially and in their daily life are able to understand, perceive and

combat it. They understand that there has been an increase in temperature, storms and

thunderstorms. When this change turns into negative impact, it is known as Disaster.

Those disabled people who are relatively educated or Go-NGOs trained can literally

conceptualize the Climate change. In the Northern Bengal, nine out of twenty participants

(disable persons) can literally define Climate change. Out of the nine, even though three

participants have graduated SSC and the other six are without any institutional education,

are well aware of information related to rise in temperature and storms through training

from NGO.

Even people without any intuitional education or any training from the NGO can realise

from their life experiences that there is a rise in temperature, it feels warmer, more

frequent thunderstorms and the characteristics of flood in north Bengal are becoming

more hazardous. Among the participants, the elderly usually has a better level of

experience. 65 years old Chokku Mia is physically disabled, has no institutional

education nor any training. He says,

In the past 10-15 years, the amount of heat has increased. Day by day it is

taking a terrible turn. I remember, 10 to 15 years ago, there was no

electricity. In the summer, I used to just sit under a tree when I felt the heat

and used to sleep with the window open. That used to be suffice. Now

even if a fan is spinning while under a tree, you can still feel the heat. At

night, even if the window is open with a fan turned on, the heat is

unbearable. Cannot fall asleep.

Diasabled women has a worse experience with heat. Compared to men, the rate of

participation of women is low. However, their perseverance is different from men. In

Chilamri Thana, Momtaj Khatun (45) is physically disabled and constructs her

experiences as:

The heat is already difficult enough for women, for disabled ones becomes

unbearable. Men can wear less clothes, but women need to cover (porda)

and stay close to the fire in the kitchen. It is very difficult to do these in the

heat. We do not feel like doing the chores and are always thirsty. We do

understand the temperature is increasing day by day. We are forced to

wear cotton clothes and bathe multiple times.

In northern Bengal, participants inform that between 8 to 10 years there has been an

increase in thunderstorms. In Kurigram, between April-August of 2019, thunderstorms

have been felt over 10 times. These thunderstorms terrify the disabled the most. Momtaj

Khatun (45) is a resident of Chilmari Thana. She is physically disabled (walks on one leg)

says:

I am terrified during thunderstorms. I have heard during thunderstorms it

is best to take shelter in a safe place. But I cannot run, how can I seek

shelter?

In reality, these people need to be well informed about these subjects through training.

The participants have put greater importance on these kinds of training. The reasoning

behind this is that the rate of education in the pasture is very low and the disabled have the

least rate of it. This is why they need to be trained. Among the participants, those who are

trained have a clear idea about Climate Change.

In Chittagong, the need for training among the participants could also be observed. The

nature of the disaster is different from north Bengal. This area is more prone to cyclones

and tidal waves. Compared to north Bengal, the activities of NGO and GO programs

regarding Climate change and Disasters are also higher. The trained participants

understand what Climate change and Disaster is. The disabled understand information

regarding temperatures in Celsius/Fahrenheit. However, those who have not received the

training cannot literally define Climate change and Disaster. There are no statistical data

of the percentage of disabled people who have received training under NGO/GO training

regarding climate change and Disaster. One NGO employee states:

Approximately 70 percentage of the participant do not know what Climate

Change is. They need proper training. Even though information is relayed

over television, it is impossible to give an idea to those who cannot watch

TV or read the newspaper without training.

However, those who have not received the training cannot define Climate Change

literally but can still understand that the rate of temperature, cyclone, thunderstorm is

increasing through subsistence. Mohiuddin Chowdhury (40), a physically disabled

grocery store owner says:

Even though we are disabled we still understand the heat is increasing day

by day. It is getting hotter because it is raining less. There are six members

in my families, I am the only one disabled. I have more difficult life

because I am disabled. I also feel the heat more. When the heat becomes

unbearable, I soak my feet with refrigerated water and mix it in a bucket to

bathe.
From the above narrative we can understand, that even the people who are not familiar

with the concept of Climate Change, can conceptualize in their own, way through life

experiences, that the temperature is increasing and rainfall is decreasing.

Disable people and disaster early warning signal at Northern Bengal area

Disaster is not the same everywhere in Bangladesh. The types of disasters vary across

regions. Studies in two disaster areas have shown that the north is more prone to floods,

thunderstorms. Information technology is not well developed in the Northern Territories,

especially in the remote villages of the Chilmari areas. This is why the early signal system

for flood is very inadequate. This area is flood prone, but as the flood forecast is not

reaching the population at all in time not only the disabled people even the predictions do

not reach normal people properly. Interviews with a total of twenty people with

disabilities from Kotwali thana of Dinajpur district, Kurigram Zilla Sadar, Kumari district,

Romari and Chilmari thana revealed that people in relatively downtown areas could know

about the forecast for floods through the public announcements (using microphone or

amplifier) and TV, but no forecast/disaster early warning of the flood of year 2019 did not

reach the remote areas. Shima Das, a twenty years old women with partial vision

disabilities says,

“Nobody in my household knew about arrival of the flood water. When we were

sleeping at night people from outside started shouting that the flood water was

coming. Suddenly when I wake up from sleep and look outside the house, I see that

the yard is filled with water. There is so much water that there is no way to get out

of the main gate. Everyone in the house knows swimming but I didn't know. I'm

overweight so to carry me we had to bring a raft (bhela). After everyone swum to

 the shelter, I was taken aboard by raft with the help of my neighbors.”

Similarly, Idris Ali (25) of Kotwali thana of Dinajpur, is a physically challenged person,

said

“To get to the bathroom in the middle of the night, before I tried get out of the bed

my feet touched the water. I shouted. Everybody woke up from sleep. We saw that

water has entered the house. Everyone was running. But I cannot run. Brother

and father carried me out of the house.”

Thus, interviews with twenty persons with disabilities it is known that none of the twenty

people received the disaster early warning of the flood of the year 2019. However, from

the District Parishad office Dinajpur and Kurigram are it is known that public

announcements concerning the early warning of flood were made in various parts of the

city, under the mobile phone network of the district, SMS was sent to all mobile phones.

From those interviewed, though public announcements were made in cities but not in

coastal areas. Even though SMS was sent to the mobile phone, all people or all members

of the families in the village do not have mobile phones. Through the interviews of twenty

people it is known that, four disabled individuals have their own mobile phones, one does

not have a personal mobile phone but the other members of his family has their own

mobile phones. But only two out of twenty people can read the message. Rest of the

people are not familiar with sending message through SMS. Therefore, Therefore, early

warning of floods through mobile phone SMS could play no role in flood warning for the

disabled.

Disabled people who were interviewed, almost everyone is aware of one thing that even

disaster early warning on TV or mobile phones has little effect. For that reason, they point
out that there is no electricity during that time of thunderstorm or flood, cannot play/turn

on the TV. Mobile phones run out of charge during disaster so these types of mediums

play no effective role. Beside these mediums of communication, it is important to give

more priority to public announcements.

Physically challenged person named Asaduzzaman, who is also member of Disaster

Committee informs that,

“Although there is a disaster management committee at the union level, its

effectiveness could not be seen. One or two public announcements were made in a

time of disaster. But there are no separate programs for the disabled. If the

Disaster Management Cell is executed at the union level, they will be able to take

on a disabled friendly program. There are NGOs network for disabled people.

Those are city centric. They must spread in the remote areas of the village. When

launching a disaster awareness program with special emphasis on people with

disabilities, people with disabilities in remote areas may also be aware like those

people with disabilities in cities.”

Through the interviews of disable people shortly before the flood water arrives broadcast

news telecast on the rise of river water on radio and TV. Not everyone receives the news

because there is no radio or TV in the house. And those who watch the news do not

understand the language of the meteorologist. Rahom Ali (40), a resident of Sukherbati

village of Romari thana, said

“This year is a couple of weeks before the flood it was broadcast in TV that river

water was rising. But the centimeters, meters that were being used to propagate

the river water rise, we couldn't understand it. People like us who do not know
 how we read or write don't understand these measurements/propagation.

Explaining to us in simple words will help us to prepare well in advance.”

It is clear from the above statement that the precautionary measures taken at the public or

private level is incomprehensible to the local people who has not receive any institutional

educational qualification. And since the interviewers with disabilities have not received

any institutional education, it is difficult for them to understand these. So giving them an

understanding message can play a helpful role in providing information on disaster

forecasting/early warning.

Disabled people’s experience of the disaster early warning system in Chittagong

The nature of the Natural Disaster in the greater Chittagong region is different from that

in the North. The early warning system of these disaster for people with disabilities in this

region is also different. While Flooding is known as the biggest natural disaster in the

North, however, with time, people in Chittagong have adapted themselves to dealing with

cyclones and tidal waves. The devastating cyclone of 1991 killed numerous people and

ravaged a lot of resources there. The tidal waves after cyclone subsequently caused severe

damage to life and property. From then on, various initiatives and measures have been

taken by public and private organizations to ensure the safety of life and property from

cyclones and tidal waves. Mohiuddin Chowdhury (37), a resident of Khankhanabaad area

of Chittagong, is a physically disabled person. He said:

“After the cyclone and tidal wave of 1991 and 1997, various types of dams

were provided in the area. After the dam, the tidal waves are no longer

there.”
It is known from the informants that, an early warning for the prediction of cyclone can be

obtained through radio, TV and mobile phones. However, such facilities are not readily

available to all, NGOs, the Red Crescent Society and the government has adopted various

methods. Disaster alert system in Chittagong has been greatly improved since 1997.

Mehrunnesa, a resident of Ward 4, Sadhanpur, said:

“In 1990, there was no early warning/ forecast of the storm. Suddenly

there is a storm accompanied by hail. I had several big hails fell on my

head. I lost my consciousness. My family members took me to the hospital.

After 12 days, I came to my senses. This is not the case anymore. Now we

know beforehand.”

In Chittagong region, there are many NGOs who predict and provide early warnings of

the disaster for disabled people, arrange yard meetings and exchanges information

through groups. Such NGO activities play an effective role in providing early warning of

disasters among people with disabilities. In 2019, the meteorological department

predicted the possibility of a cyclone named ‘Foni’. At this time, 5-6 days advanced

forecasts/ early warnings are given in remote areas through the government and NGOs. A

visually impaired youth, Yaseen (40), of Tararkul village of Baskhali thana said:

“This year's early warnings/ forecasts for hurricanes was pretty good. The

government informed the villagers through public announcements.

Through the activities of the NGOs, everyone came to know that the

cyclone is coming in a very dire form. We, especially those with

disabilities, can learn about this in advance and move to safer places.”

In truth, most of the disabled do not understand the signals between 1 and 10 sent by the
government. They understand that the higher the number of the signal is, the more careful

they need to be. This is how they ascertain the meaning of the signals.

An interview, with an officer of the Department of Meteorology regarding early warning/

forecasting of a cyclone or typhoon was conducted. He informed:

“In 2019, the Department of Meteorology took maximum steps to forecast

the cyclone. Advertising on radio, TV, SMS on mobile phones and public

announcements were made to inform every corner of the area in the

region.”

In fact, their move / campaign has reached to the disabled in the remote areas. Although,

public announcements, Red Crescent and an NGO named Jagantor has played a greater

role in making the disabled the most aware than radio, TV advertisements or SMSs sent to

mobile phones. A vision impaired said:

“How will blind people like me see the SMS sent to mobile phones? And

those who do not know how to read, how would they read the SMSs?

Besides the SMS, listening to the voice record of the message will be useful

for everyone.”

There is another matter that has a lot in common with the Northern experience. When

there is no power during a disaster, it becomes difficult to access information through

electronics. In addition to the machine-driven equipment, public announcements and

NGO Networking is proposed to bring these systems into a further and wider range.

Disability friendly Early Warning System

Interviews with people with disabilities seriously reveal their proposals to adopt

Disability Friendly Disaster Management Strategy. The concept of Disability-friendly is

not easy. Since there are different types of disability, it is also important to develop

different types of disaster early warning system. Earlier discussions have shown that SMS

on mobile phones do not play an effective role for disabled people. In addition, voice

messages are troublesome for the hearing impaired. Therefore, it is important to have

both audio-visual modes installed on a machine-driven system.

In order to provide disaster warning signals to the disabled, a multi-dimensional

(multiple) signal system needs to be introduced. For those areas where electrical

equipment (such as areas without electricity, mobile phones, disabled people without a

TV) are not able to be used properly, the NGO Network plays an effective role. Therefore,

it is important to increase the range of NGO Networks for people with disabilities.

Based on the data obtained from the study, public announcements are most effective. The

areas where public announcement has been used as a form of early warning system, a

greater number of people have received disaster warnings/forecasts. So it is necessary to

make sure that public announcement can be used to send early warning everywhere. If

necessary, microphones at the mosques needs to be arranged to announce the disaster

message.

To inform every disabled person about the Disaster information a database needs to be

created with the disabled person’s name, address and mobile phone number. The Union

Parishad and the NGOs which work with the disabled can arrange to send disaster related

information via this database. Even if a member of the disabled family is informed, they

in turn can carry this information to the disabled.

Making disaster shelters disabled friendly

A physically disabled person says in an interview:

“Even if we get the information, what do we do after that? Do we go to the

shelter? When we do get to the shelter, I don’t have the ability to get up 2/3

floors. I need someone’s help. I cannot use a wheelchair. As long as I stay

at the shelter I need help from someone to move around.”

In the cases where the permanent shelters that have been established or the schools and

colleges that are declared as temporary shelters, the disabled population are not taken into

consideration. Assistance from family members are needed for general moving around,

getting food and going to the toilet. One of participants informs that 4 out of the 6

members of his family is physically disabled. During the sudden flood this year, they

assumed they will not survive. No early warning/forecast of the flood was received. They

were stuck inside the house, in water, for around one and a half days. When water rose

and was inside the house, an able member of the family used a raft made using banana

tree to rescue everyone after seeking assistance from other people.

Even after reaching the disaster shelter, their experience was not pleasant. When 4

members of a family cannot walk, the rest 2 have a lot more responsibility. They have to

wait in line to go to the toilet, it takes longer, this makes people upset and they shout.

When in line to get food, they have to take criticisms from others.

Neither in Chittagong nor in any of the shelters in the north take any steps to resolve these

kind of problems. During the study, it was found that three buildings were constructed

from the UNDP's Early Recovery Facility project at Khanakabad in Chittagong Banskhali
Upazila in 2017. However, in reality, not one disabled person could be identified that has

benefited from these facilities.

The disabled people strongly demand that they should be given importance when the

Government or NGOs conduct any kind of project. If shelters are not friendly to the

disabled, people with disabilities experience indescribable hardship. Such traumatic

experiences are more frightening for women with disabilities and their experiences are

being described in the next part.

Disabled Women and their experience in multiple ways of marginality

It can be found, from the interviews with disabled women that they are victims of

different types of issues of Bangladesh’s patriarchal society. In rural Bangladesh’s reality,

the veiling system, impact of religious rituals and practices, and lack of social security

restricts the mobility of women compared to men. In cases of disabled people, women's

mobility is further reduced. Disabled women in both Chittagong and the North say that it

is very rare that they go out of the house. They also have a limited understanding of early

warnings during disasters. However, not everyone is in the same situation; even though 3

educated women are disabled, they are members of disability related NGOs and receive

information about cyclones from the NGOs. Others say that they receive early warnings

in the areas where there are public announcements. In addition, other family members

provide assistance by sharing information.

The interviews taken from disabled women, in areas ravaged by flood, have not received

any early warnings/forecasts. Due to this, it takes them even longer to get to the shelter

and have to face many obstacles. A 60 years old physically disabled women says,
 “I don’t have any children, nor did I ever get married. I stitch for a living.

Suddenly, one night I could see there was water in the room. How am I

supposed to leave the house when I cannot even walk? I was trapped in the

house for one whole day. After one day the neighbours rescued me and

took me to the shelter.”

This disabled woman informs that she raised her sister’s son since he was young. Now her

nephew lives separately with his child after marriage. He didn’t enquire about her even

when she was stranded in flood this year. Her experience says, even the family members

consider the disabled a burden. Even close relatives are busy with self-preservation

during a disaster. The disabled is given a chance at safety only after all the family

members are at a safe place. She is the last person to receive news of a disaster. Disabled

women will get the time to prepare themselves if disaster early warning/ forecast can be

given to them directly.

Furthermore, the shelters are not women friendly. Even at these shelters, there are

different kinds of problems. A disabled woman’s mother says,

“Women have different problems at shelters. Men and women have to stay

in the same room. Men sleep at one side and women on the other. In this

time women face cases of sexual harassment. I stay up all night to guard

my daughter when she sleeps. Different types of eve-teasing occur

wherever young women are seen. There are no bathrooms for disabled

women.”

An NGO employee named Asad informs that women fall victims of different types of

sexual harassment during disasters. During the 2017 flood, a disabled girl was raped by
miscreants in Kurigram’s Sadar Upozila’s Bhogdah Union’s 1 number ward. Similarly,

three women who were victims of sexual assault in Kurigran during the 2017 flood. The

NGOs who work with disabled people had filed a case but judgement has yet to be passed.

These kinds of occurrences happen when everyone is busy trying to save their belongings

during a disaster. Other than that, disabled pregnant women fall victims to their disability

throughout the course of the disaster. A vision impaired pregnant woman says,

“Not only that I cannot see, on top when I had a child inside me there was

a terrifying flood. Everyone is busy saving their own life but I didn’t have

anyone for help except for my husband. People could not tolerate me at

the shelter. The days were very difficult.”

Female UP members can become endeavoring and take the initiative to send the disabled

women disaster signals. Volunteer teams can be formed in the UP to rescue the disabled.

Apart from this, female UP members can establish networks with the NGOs to improve

early warnings.

To increase opportunity and for the security of disabled women it is important to establish

disabled women friendly shelters. Here disabled women friendly means to ensure their

security and at the same time make special infrastructural arrangement. If needed,

assistants need to be hired who can help the physically disabled

Specific Recommendations

So as to give disaster early warning signal to the disabled, a multi-dimensional

(various) signal framework should be presented. For those zones where electrical
hardware, (for example, zones without power, cell phones, handicapped individuals
without a TV) are not ready to be utilized appropriately, the NGO Network assumes a
compelling job. Along these lines, it is imperative to expand the scope of NGO Networks
for individuals with inabilities.

In view of the information got from the investigation, open declarations are best. The
territories where open declaration has been utilized as a type of early notice framework,
a more noteworthy number of individuals have gotten debacle admonitions/estimates.
So it is important to ensure that open declaration (utilizing open amplifier) can be
utilized to send early warning notice all over. In the event that important, amplifiers at
the mosques should be orchestrated to declare the disaster message.

To illuminate each incapacitated individual about the Disaster data a database should
be made with the handicapped individual's name, address and cell phone number. The
Union Parishad and the NGOs which work with the handicapped could mastermind to
send fiasco related data by means of this database. Regardless of whether an individual
from the handicapped family is educated, they thus can convey this data to the
incapacitated.

Female UP individuals can progress toward becoming attempting and step up and send
the handicapped ladies disaster signals. Volunteer groups can be shaped in the UP to
safeguard the crippled. Aside from this, female UP individuals can set up systems with
the NGOs to improve early alerts.

To expand opportunity and for the security of crippled ladies it is imperative to build up
handicapped women amicable safe houses. Here incapacitated ladies agreeable intends
to guarantee their security and simultaneously make exceptional infrastructural game
plan. If necessary, collaborators should be contracted who can support the physically
impaired.

The handicapped individuals emphatically request that they ought to be given

significance when the Government or NGOs lead any sort of task. In the event that
asylums are not inviting to the disaster events, individuals with inabilities experience
incredible hardship. Such horrendous encounters are all the more startling for ladies
with handicaps and their encounters are being portrayed in the following part.