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Waterlogging induced loss and damage assessment of urban households in the monsoon period: a case study of Dhaka, Bangladesh

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Abstract

Every monsoon period, the households in Dhaka face extensive waterlogging in their localities. This recrudescing event leads to tangible and intangible losses in the lives of these residents. In general, loss and damage assessments for floods focus on insured losses at the meso or macro scale. However, in developing countries such as Bangladesh, household properties are uninsured. Consequently, the losses induced by the waterlogging that occurs in every monsoon period remain unassessed. The current study attempted to capture those losses for the monsoon period of 2017 (May–October) by addressing tangible and intangible losses. Tangible loss and damage were estimated in monetary terms, whereas intangible loss and damage were identified to depict a complete picture of their suffering. This paper conducted household surveys in slums and ground floor residences to include all income groups. Data were elicited from a detailed questionnaire by disaggregating losses into repair and damage costs of household assets, income loss, increases in transport cost, and coping costs associated with disrupted water supply and sanitation. The study findings show that the average losses of high- and middle-income households were higher than those of low-income households for the monsoon period of 2017. Alternatively, poor households shared the highest annual income percentage (approximately 8%) compared to the middle- and high-income households (approximately 5%). Turning to intangible losses, households suffered from health issues and psychological stresses, and all these consequences led to a loss of trust in authorities. As these losses remain undocumented, these study findings manifest significant policy implications regarding understanding urban communities' vulnerability to monsoonal waterlogging events in developing countries.

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Notes

  1. Katcha/Tin house: This is a typical height structure that has a roof and walls made of bamboo, jute sticks, goalpata or straw, etc. The floor is made of mud/soil.

  2. Chai: This is a half-bow-shaped small structure that is open in the front and rear. It has a shallow height so that inhabitants enter it by crawling and can hardly sit upright inside it.

  3. Tin shed: A tin shed is a structure of normal height, and its roof is made of corrugated or plain tin sheets; however, it does not have walls made of bricks.

  4. Semi-Pucca: This is a structure of average height that has walls made of bricks. The roof is made of any material other than cement/concrete.

  5. Pucca: This is a structure that has a roof and walls made of bricks and mortar.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Arna Nishita Nithila, Paromita Shome & Ishrat Islam

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  1. Arna Nishita Nithila
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  2. Paromita Shome
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  3. Ishrat Islam
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study’s conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Arna Nishita Nithila and Paromita Shome. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Arna Nishita Nithila and Paromita Shome. Review and Editing Arna Nishita Nithila, Paromita Shome, Israt Islam. Supervision Ishrat Islam.

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Correspondence to Arna Nishita Nithila.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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In Bangladesh, approval from the ethics committee is not well established except for health-related studies. Therefore, the statement on ethical approval has not been provided in the manuscript.

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In the research questionnaire, it was mentioned that the participants' information would be used only for academic purposes, and the responses of them will remain confidential. After getting consent from all participants, the data were collected. At the beginning of the questionnaire, the following statement was provided for taking their consent: “We are conducting a research on ‘Waterlogging Induced Loss and Damage Assessment of Urban Households in the Monsoon Period: A Case Study of Dhaka, Bangladesh’. To fulfill our research objectives, we need to know about the impact of waterlogging in terms of monetary losses and health issues. This research is designed solely for academic purposes, and all your responses will remain confidential. We would be extremely grateful if you agree to co-operate with us and give your valuable time to answer few questions. We thank you for your kind co-operation”.

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Nithila, A.N., Shome, P. & Islam, I. Waterlogging induced loss and damage assessment of urban households in the monsoon period: a case study of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Nat Hazards 110, 1565–1597 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-021-05003-1

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