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Disability inclusiveness of early warning system: a study on flood-prone areas of Bangladesh

Musabber Ali Chisty (Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh)
Ashrafuzzaman Nazim (Disaster Studies-Sociology, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, Texas, USA)
Md. Mostafizur Rahman (Disaster and Human Security Management, Bangladesh University of Professionals, Dhaka, Bangladesh)
Syeda Erena Alam Dola (Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh)
Nesar Ahmed Khan (Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh)

Disaster Prevention and Management

ISSN: 0965-3562

Article publication date: 6 October 2021

Issue publication date: 25 October 2021

441

Abstract

Purpose

Persons with disabilities face the impacts of disasters differently. Early warning systems can be one of the powerful tools to reduce the vulnerabilities of persons with disabilities and mitigate the impacts of disasters. The main objective of this study was to assess the disability inclusiveness of the current early warning system (EWS) in flood-prone areas of Bangladesh.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative method was focused on getting in-depth information. Persons with disabilities participated in focus group discussions (FGDs) and shared the inclusiveness and gaps of the current EWS. Through extensive literature review, a checklist was developed to conduct the FGDs. QDA Miner 6.0.6 software was used for coding and analyzing the data.

Findings

Results indicated that, though persons with disabilities have proper risk knowledge, the current monitoring and warning service, dissemination and communication, and response capability are not fully inclusive. A significant gap in the EWS was found in response capability. Even if somehow persons with disabilities manage to receive a warning about a flood, they lack the capacity to respond to the warning.

Research limitations/implications

The study proposed that to make an EWS inclusive and effective, the concerned authorities should focus on all four parts of the EWS.

Originality/value

Studies related to disability and disaster management are not very common. Conducting a qualitative study provided the persons with disabilities the opportunity to share their perspectives. Future studies can focus on vulnerability and capacity assessment of persons with disabilities to identify areas requiring interventions to enhance resilience.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The study acknowledges the contribution of all data enumerators, volunteers, FGD participants, field support staffs and proofreader.

Citation

Chisty, M.A., Nazim, A., Rahman, M.M., Dola, S.E.A. and Khan, N.A. (2021), "Disability inclusiveness of early warning system: a study on flood-prone areas of Bangladesh", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 30 No. 4/5, pp. 494-509. https://doi.org/10.1108/DPM-05-2021-0177

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited

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