Bangladesh regularly suffers from floods due to its position in the flat delta of three rivers, the  Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna, damaging houses, which need repair and maintenance on a regular basis.  Aiming to improve this situation, the Intermediate Technology Development Group conducted a participatory rural appraisal (PRA) to study the local building techniques and materials available in the Faridpur district to develop feasible and cost effective flood resistant housing options for the poor.  The PRA identified who is doing what, in order to ensure participation and capacity buildi

The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) began efforts in 1965 to establish an early warning system for the residents of the coastal belt to cope with cyclonic winds and storm surges.  In the mid-1980’s a complementary disaster preparedness program was initiated to promote community participation in the construction and maintenance of cyclone shelters.  The official mandate of the BDRCS as stated in the Standing Orders for Cyclones, Floods and Famine is to complement the government’s efforts in case of emergency relief situations, emphasizing the development of disaster preparedness r

The Intermediate Technology Development Group-Bangladesh’s needs-assessment in three villages in the Faridpur district looked at fisheries to identify opportunities for interventions that will not only reduce their vulnerability to floods but will improve the food security situation of households at the time of disaster.  In the past, villagers incurred losses when fish floated away as floodwater poured into fish ponds. To minimize the knowledge gap, ITDG-B developed and disseminated appropriate flood-friendly fisheries technologies.

Communities in Bangladesh recover from floods by mending houses and boats (neighbours help each other); draining  floodwater from agriculture land; choosing appropriate rice varieties (late transplanting cultivars) or bringing seedlings from other places; choosing a quick-growing low-cost non-rice minor crop; and skipping, if deemed appropriate, the entire cropping season.

The Argentine Government’s installation of renewable energy in scattered rural communities too remote to be  connected to the grid is providing many benefits associated with adaptation to climate change. These communities were especially vulnerable to climate change due to the low technological level of their agricultural production, the difficulty of investing in irrigation, the problem of water collection, their isolation from markets, and their low capacity for developing alternative crops.

This is a disaster risk communication project by TearFund targeting local communities. Disaster risk reduction messages are integrated into the story lines of the very successful BBC educational radio program “New Home, New Life”. Objectives of the project are: (1) to raise community awareness of hazards and disaster risks; (2) to promote understanding of hazards and communities’ vulnerabilities; and (3) to help communities enhance their capacities to address vulnerabilities.