A comparative study on disaster vulnerability and resilience in the coastal area of the Bay of Bengal

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K13282
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Area studies
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
• Principal Investigator: Kusakabe Naonori 東京外国語大学, 世界言語社会教育センター, 講師 (60636976)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 防災 / サイクロン / ベンガル湾 / バングラデシュ / 国際協力

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This is a demonstrative study based on my fieldwork, which aims to discuss from multifaceted points of view some of the causal factors that increase disaster vulnerability in the coastal area of the Bay of Bengal. This area has been enormously damaged by cyclones over time. The study points out that poverty, gender, the ageing society and other social issues can lower residents’ ability to respond to disasters and reduce the functional capacity of disaster prevention policies using existing buildings. In addition to the single-authored publication Disaster Vulnerability and Poverty: Cyclone Damage and Resilience in Bangladesh in the last fiscal year of the project, the research has resulted in two monographs, three edited books and three research papers, among other achievements.

Free Research Field

南アジア地域研究

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究においては、サイクロン被害が甚大なベンガル湾沿岸地域の被災状況と復興過程を微視的視座から検討することにより、被害拡大要因としての災害脆弱性と、縮小要因としてのレジリエンスを構成する社会的要素を明らかにした。本研究は、官（ODA）・民（NGO）ともに途上国の防災支援に積極的な日本にとって、ソフトとハードの両面からより効果的な防災支援・災害復興支援のための政策立案に寄与しうるものであり、今後の途上国の被害削減に資するものである。