Resilience and Adaptive Capacity - 1.4 | 3. Coping Strategies of Urban Poor in Dhaka | Disaster Preparedness & Planning - Vol 4
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Interactive Audio Lesson

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Understanding Urban Resilience

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Teacher
Teacher

Resilience refers to the ability of a community to withstand and recover from environmental shocks. In the context of urban areas like Dhaka, resilience is crucial due to the high vulnerability of the urban poor. Can anyone tell me what are some challenges faced by these communities?

Student 1
Student 1

They face challenges like flooding and lack of basic services.

Student 2
Student 2

Yes, and poverty makes it even harder for them to adapt.

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! Poverty is a significant factor. Mnemonic device to remember these challenges: 'FLAP' for Flooding, Lack of services, Adaptation issues, and Poverty. Now, can someone explain how these communities adapt?

Student 3
Student 3

They make physical modifications to their homes and participate in community initiatives.

Teacher
Teacher

Correct! Modifications like raising homes and cleaning drains help reduce flooding effects. Let's take a moment to summarize: urban resilience includes overcoming challenges linked to poverty and climate threats through collective action and adaptations.

Coping Strategies in Dhaka

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Teacher
Teacher

One effective strategy is increasing the plinth height of buildings. Who can explain why this practice is essential?

Student 4
Student 4

It helps prevent floodwater from entering homes.

Teacher
Teacher

Right! And what about storing furniture at higher levels?

Student 1
Student 1

It protects their belongings during floods!

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! Community efforts are also crucial. They clean drainage to prevent blockages. Can anyone think of a situation where collective action might help?

Student 2
Student 2

During heavy rains, many people can work together to clear drains effectively.

Teacher
Teacher

Well done! Remember, these adaptations are vital for enhancing the resilience of urban communities.

The Role of Social Networks

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Teacher
Teacher

Social networks play a significant role in supporting urban communities during disasters. Can anyone discuss how?

Student 3
Student 3

They provide support and resources during tough times.

Student 2
Student 2

People share information and strategies for coping.

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! Mnemonic: 'SURE' for Support, Understanding, Resources, and Education. How do you think having multiple income sources helps a household?

Student 4
Student 4

It provides a safety net if one source fails due to a disaster.

Teacher
Teacher

That’s correct! Collectively, these approaches build a safety net that enhances resilience. Summarizing, social networks and diversified incomes create a robust support system.

Introduction & Overview

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Quick Overview

This section explores how urban communities, particularly the poor in Dhaka, adapt to climate change through innovative strategies.

Standard

The section discusses the adaptive strategies employed by urban poor communities in Dhaka amidst climate challenges, emphasizing the importance of social networks, financial systems, and physical modifications to enhance resilience. It highlights the need for creative and inclusive approaches in city planning.

Detailed

Resilience and Adaptive Capacity

In urban areas like Dhaka, which is home to more than 12 million people, local communities have adopted various strategies to cope with climate change and its impacts, particularly flooding. This section delves into how poverty exacerbates vulnerability to climate disasters and the innovative mechanisms employed by the urban poor to enhance their resilience.

Significant research highlights traditional coping strategies and modifications within the built environment. For example, residents have increased their housing plinth height, built barriers, and engaged in community initiatives to maintain drainage systems. These adaptations not only mitigate flooding impacts but also improve living conditions.

Additionally, the section emphasizes the role of diversified income sources and social networks, which aid households during disasters. The discussion extends to comparing the adaptive strategies in Dhaka with those in other regions affected by climate change, showcasing diverse methodologies and the necessity for comprehensive adaptation planning in urban contexts. Finally, it concludes by recognizing the accumulated resilience within vulnerable populations and the importance of reinforcing this through future planning initiatives to foster sustainable living environments.

Audio Book

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Introduction to Dhaka's Context

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Dhaka, the city of more than 12 million people is encompassing both rapidly globalizing economy and infrastructurally poor neighbourhoods. Every day people are migrating to the city looking for a better life and livelihood for various climatic reasons. Among the 5.4 million urban poor living in cities more than 63% live in Dhaka alone, high density of population with limited or no access to services make living conditions challenging.

Detailed Explanation

Dhaka is a bustling metropolis and a key example of urbanization in developing countries. With over 12 million people, it presents a mix of riches and significant poverty. Many people move to Dhaka seeking better opportunities due to climate change effects in their home areas. However, the high population density leads to insufficient services and poor living conditions, making the city a challenging environment for the poor.

Examples & Analogies

Imagine a small town where everyone wants to move to a big city for work. As many people arrive, the city struggles to provide enough housing, schools, and hospitals. This overwhelms the infrastructure, similar to how Dhaka struggles with its growing population.

Impact of Climate Change on Dhaka

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The future climate change pattern may impact Dhaka from flooding and creating heat island where temperature may become a few degrees higher than the surrounding areas.

Detailed Explanation

Climate change is expected to worsen conditions in Dhaka. This includes increased flooding due to heavy rains and rising waters, as well as the urban heat island effect, where city temperatures rise because of buildings and limited vegetation. Such changes can endanger lives and livelihoods, particularly for the urban poor.

Examples & Analogies

Think of a sponge in water – as you pour water over it, it can become soaked and start to drip everywhere. Similarly, when heavy rains hit Dhaka, the city can be overwhelmed, leading to flooding in poor neighborhoods that are least equipped to handle it.

Urban Poor’s Coping Strategies

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The research identified several coping strategies, such as making physical modifications within built environment and improvements at the neighbourhood level. To reduce the impacts of waterlogging, they increased plinth height, made barriers at doorfront, arranged higher storage facilities, etc.

Detailed Explanation

In response to flooding and other climate-related issues, the urban poor in Dhaka employ various strategies to cope with and adapt to these challenges. They modify their homes by elevating floors (plinths), building barriers to prevent water from entering, and creating communal efforts to maintain clean drainage systems. These strategies showcase resilience and innovation.

Examples & Analogies

It's similar to how you would protect your belongings during a flood by putting everything on high shelves or using sandbags at your door. The families in Dhaka are instinctively applying similar strategies to safeguard their lives and properties.

Social Networks and Resilience

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Social networks helped people to get assistance during disasters and improved living conditions and livelihood opportunities. Assets accumulated over time increased resilience.

Detailed Explanation

Having strong social networks is crucial for resilience in the face of challenges. In Dhaka, relationships with neighbors and community members enable the urban poor to receive help during crises, improving their chances of survival and recovery. Over time, accumulating assets such as savings and resources enhances their ability to withstand and recover from disasters.

Examples & Analogies

Think of a community or neighborhood potluck where everyone brings a dish to share. When times are tough, people rely on each other for food, support, and assistance, just as the urban poor in Dhaka rely on their networks to help them through difficult times.

Future Challenges and Solutions

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The future challenges of adaptation planning in city level needs to be creative, understanding and establishing connections between diversity and complexity..

Detailed Explanation

Adaptation planning for cities like Dhaka must address the unique challenges posed by climate change and urbanization. This requires innovative solutions that recognize the varying experiences of different communities. Effective strategies will not only address current vulnerabilities but also promote sustainable development and resilience for future generations.

Examples & Analogies

Imagine a teacher who must create different lesson plans for various students, recognizing that each learner has unique needs. Similarly, city planners must craft diverse strategies that cater to the distinct challenges faced by different communities within Dhaka.

Definitions & Key Concepts

Learn essential terms and foundational ideas that form the basis of the topic.

Key Concepts

  • Urban Vulnerability: The susceptibility of urban populations to climate impacts and disasters.

  • Innovative Adaptation: Adopting new strategies to cope with climate challenges and enhance resilience.

  • Community Involvement: Importance of communal action and interaction for effective adaptation.

Examples & Real-Life Applications

See how the concepts apply in real-world scenarios to understand their practical implications.

Examples

  • In Dhaka, residents have constructed barriers at the entrance of their homes to prevent water from flooding in during heavy rains.

  • Social gatherings are organized to clear drainage systems collectively, showcasing the importance of community action.

Memory Aids

Use mnemonics, acronyms, or visual cues to help remember key information more easily.

🎵 Rhymes Time

  • In Dhaka's rain, if floods you fear, raise your home high, keep belongings near.

📖 Fascinating Stories

  • Once in Dhaka, a family raised their house and led community efforts to clean the drains, saving them from floods.

🧠 Other Memory Gems

  • SURE: Support, Understanding, Resources, Education for resilient communities.

🎯 Super Acronyms

FLAP

  • Flooding
  • Lack of services
  • Adaptation issues
  • Poverty.

Flash Cards

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Glossary of Terms

Review the Definitions for terms.

  • Term: Urban Resilience

    Definition:

    The ability of urban communities to adapt and recover from environmental changes and disasters.

  • Term: Coping Strategies

    Definition:

    Various methods employed by communities to manage and mitigate the effects of climate-related challenges.

  • Term: Social Networks

    Definition:

    The web of relationships between individuals within a community that provides support and resources.

  • Term: Plinth Height

    Definition:

    The height of a building’s foundation above ground level, increased to prevent flooding.