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COASTAL COMMUNITIES COULD SURVIVE IN CYCLONE: A CASE

STUDY ON WATER GYPSY (BEDE)

Irteja Hasan*1, Ibrahim Khalil

2, S. Hossain

3 and Ali Adnan

4

*1,2,4Faculty of Disaster Management, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Dumki,

Patuakhali-8602, Bangladesh, 3 Institute of Water Modelling, House # 496, Road # 32, New DOHS, Mohakhali, Dhaka-1206, Bangladesh,

1 Corresponding author Email: irteja07@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Water gypsy usually known as Bede or Bedey is a nomadic racial community of Bangladesh

ancestrally lives, travels and earns their livings on the river. Generally they live on a flat platform

alongside of river. But residing in the boat is their inherited tradition. Majority of the Bedes rely on

snake related trading, lucky heathers and also sell herbal medicines for their livelihoods support.

Neglecting hundreds of hostilities of nature they come out in search of their livings. As they mainly

resided in the boat and embankment of the river and also waterways is the main communication

system therefore they get easily affected by devastating cyclone. The coastal bedes’ perception,

prediction and survival strategies against cyclone are area of interest in this paper. The aims of the

study are to find out the perception and prediction indicators used by the Bede people during

cyclones; examine their survival strategies at the face and pace of cyclones; assess the problems they

frequently face for being a marginalized group of the society; and highlight important findings that

can be used by the disaster management programmers/ planners of NGOs and GO line agencies. The

study mostly relied upon qualitative data and information with the close accordance of objectives.

Relevant information on the concerned issue has been collected through in-depth, key informant

interviews and group discussions with the Bede people were also carried out. Primary data and

information collected through questionnaire have been summarized and analysed for the purpose of

the study. The key finding of the study includes survival strategies and relies upon cumulative

experience of the earlier generations are the structural adjustment to reduce cyclone damage, specific

forms of housing; and the prediction of cyclones using the state and level of the river-water, wind

direction, weather, behaviour of some living organisms; the problems they mainly face are poor house

structure, nonexistence of proper education, don’t get informed cyclone warning signals just in time,

even don’t know the exact location of cyclone shelter, absence of pure drinking water, don’t have the

right to vote, lack of support from GO’s and NGO’s and they don’t get space in policy making

decisions. The interrelationships of all the problems related to cyclone disaster mitigation are so

complex that needs an integrated approach. One of the objectives of this paper is to make suggestions

to increase the effectiveness of the counter measures in the future, incorporating the indigenous

knowledge of cyclone prediction and disaster management.

Keywords: Bangladesh, Cyclone, Coastal Area, Water Gypsy

INTRODUCTION

Dashmina, coastal belt of Bangladesh is prone to natural Disasters including cyclone, Flood

due to storm surge, Salinity intrusion, and River bank erosion. Severe cyclones and storm

surges are quite common in the study area (Wisner et al. 2004; Ali 1999; Paul 2009a). On

average, annually 2/3 cyclone strikes Bangladesh each year (Mooley 1980; Haque 1997;

Paul2009a, b). The coastal water gypsy people have made use of several powerful practices

2nd

International Conference on Advances in Civil Engineering 2014 (ICACE-2014)

26 –28 December, 2014

CUET, Chittagong, Bangladesh

ID: SME 023

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to lessen the negative impacts of cyclones. Apart from modern cyclone forecasting, Bede

people can understand forthcoming danger by looking at natural signs (Gregg et al. 2006).

Coastal water gypsy of Dashmina, Patuakhali can predict impending cyclones by using age-

old indigenous knowledge gained from nature and their families through their experiences of

frequent cyclones. Such knowledge varies significantly from person to person and to survive

from the cyclone, they face some common problem. (Ali A)

This technical paper provides of best practices and available tools for surviving cyclone and

also highlights the best practices and available tools for identifies gaps in, as well as

recommends possible actions to enhance the appropriate application of disaster risk reduction

for cyclone. The objectives of the study as follows

To find out the perception and prediction indicators used by the Bede people during

cyclones;

To examine their survival strategies at the face and pace of cyclones;

To assess the problems they frequently face for being a marginalized group of the

society

LITERATURE REVIEW

Problem of BEDEYS are frequently face for surviving cyclone and other natural disasters

are:

Poor house structure: The semi tubular shaped tents, covered in black oilcloth or plastic,

seldom remain in one place for more than a couple of months, except, perhaps in the winter

season. As they live temporally they don’t put emphasis on the structure of house (tent) or its

strength to cope up such storm or cyclone.

Nonexistence of proper education: Although there is no caste-system in Bangladesh,

bedeys are on the bottom rung of society and almost all are illiterate and desperately poor.

Many find it difficult to integrate because they lack education and skills. About 98 percent of

Bedes live below the poverty line, and about 95% of Bede children cannot attend school.

Don’t get informed cyclone warning signals just in time: As Bedyes are the negligible

community in the society, respectable organizations for disaster forecasting and warning,

even CPP would not inform them immediately in the times of cyclone warning phase. (Ali A)

Don’t know the exact location of cyclone shelter: As the cyclonic storms are unpredictable

and they are frequently roaming from here to there, so in the time of emergency they become

helpless. (Paul BK) They don’t even know the exact location of cyclone shelter to make a

safe room for them in the time of disasters.

Absence of pure drinking water: Many rivers, canals and streams are drying up because of

human extraction of water, large-scale dumping of industrial waste and unplanned building of

hundreds of dams. All these factors lead to a problem of access of pure drinking water.

Don’t have the right to vote: Existence information denotes that in 2007 when the Caretaker

Government was in power, they took the initiatives to bring the Bede people under the right

to vote. But unfortunately the coastal Bede people were completely deprived from this

program which acts as a curse to them and they frequently run down from their basic rights.

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Lack of support from GO’s and NGO’s: According to Grambangla Unnayan Committee, a

Dhaka-based charity, Bangladesh’s bedey community could disappear within a few decades

as they abandon their annual migration between land and water. Finding jobs on the mainland

is tough. Most of the Bedes are not skilled at anything but being bedeys. Of course they want

a better life than on the water, but they are always deprived from the support of Government

as well as Non-Government organizations. (Ali A)

Don’t get space in policy making decisions: As Bedes are not eligible for voting, political

leaders have no headache for them. Consequently their thoughts, views and interests never

get any space in the society. Illiteracy and living under poverty line simultaneously destitute

them from the representation in the decision making level. ( Haque CE)

MATHODOLOGY

Selection of the Study Area:For the selection of the study area authors considered three

main priorities: (a) Indigenous marginalized communities (b) coastal region; and (c) survival

capacity in terms of cyclone. Keeping these in context, on the basis of secondary information,

Water Gypsy of Dasshmina upazilla under the Patuakhali district was selected for intensive

in-depth investigation. Besides this selected coastal area was having the experience of

cyclones repeatedly for long time. Almost every cyclone that passes Bangladesh damages the

selected area. Among the indigenous marginalized communities of Bangladesh Water Gypsy

live in the coastal region with a considerable number and are also dependent on the sea for

their living, and this made them more experienced in reading sea behavior before and during

cyclones. (Paul BK)

Method of data collection: The study mostly carried out based on qualitative data and

information. Data have been collected from both primary and secondary sources, in order to

accomplish the objectives of the study. Primary data have been collected through field visits

which are customarily qualitative. Secondary data are obtained from reports, journals,

research papers, and book. Material on pertinent concerns is collected from websites

available on the internet. Relevant statistics on the concerned issue has been collected

through in-depth, key informant interviews and group discussions with the local people were

also carried out. Primary data and information collected through questionnaire have been

summarized and analysed for the fruitful completion of the study. (Haque CE)

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Perception and Prediction Indicators of Cyclone:Cyclone is very common and frequent

natural disaster among all disaster. They also cause maximum damage than any other ones.

So, the people in this area are more conscious about cyclone and they adopt some techniques

by using natural indicators to predict cyclone. Those indicators are given in Table-1

Table-1: Cyclone Prediction by using Indigenous Indicators in the study area

Predicting Indicators Responde

nts (N)

%

Increase of water in the river, while cyclone move towards

the coast

26 20

Drizzling and gloomy sky and abnormal wind circulation 20 15.39

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Pre Disaster strategies

Tied social bondage

Hiding valuable items

under earth

using various predicting

indicators to assess the

situation

Dry food preservation

Collecting firewood for

emergency situation

During Disaster

Strategies

Food sharing system

Strong group

cohesiveness

Herbal medicine help

them to come back

quickly from vector

borne disease

Post Disaster

Strategies

Adjusting to the

new type of

cultural identity

Informal loan

system among

them

Use of traditional

materials during

boat construction

Both men and

women are self-

dependent

Strong wind circulation from south or south-east 18 13.85

Huge roar of the sea/ river 23 17.70

Restless and continuous barking of house pets like dogs, cats 10 7.70

Birds fly without destination 8 6.16

Ants climb towards the roof of house 8 6.16

Sea birds, pigeons move towards the inland 6 4.62

Abnormal behavior (jumping) of fish in the river 7 5.32

Gigantic waves of water in the sea 4 3.09

Total N=130 100

Source: Field survey and author’s calculation, 2014

CYCLONE SURVIVING STRATEGIES

The research revealed that, generally, the water gypsi of Dashmina have a variety of

Indigenous Knowledge, beliefs and practices and they use these for the purpose of surviving

cyclone. Those indigenous knowledge and beliefs of water gypsi in Dashmina is proved as an

important basis for facing the even greater challenges of natural disasters like cyclone. Those

surviving strategies are given in Figure-1

Fig 1: water gypsies surviving cyclone strategies

RECOMMENDATIONS

On the basis of the findings of this research the following recommendations for taking

structural and non-structural measures are made, which can be utilized to reduce cyclone

damages:

Surviving Cyclone Strategies

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Bangladesh Meteorological Department

Local govt.

office

Mass media

Police

Special Cyclone Forecasting and Warning Model: One of the most effective

countermeasures for the reduction of cyclone is the establishment of special cyclone early

warning model. The cyclone warning system, which is prevailing in Bangladesh, based on

signal numbers up to 10. This system is cumbersome. People had no clear idea of the

meaning of the signals. The warning system on the basis of forecast should be disseminated

in a language that can be easily understood by the Bede people. (Haque CE)

Adequate Cyclone Shelters: After the cyclone of 1971 a number of cyclone shelters were

constructed in the coastal areas.These are not sufficient in number and are not properly

designed and located (although nowadays situation is improving). But many people could not

use these shelters because the access roads were flooded. But the Bede people face problems

in these too.

Provision of pure Drinking Water and proper Sanitation: Similar to other infrastructures

the cyclone normally causes serious contamination of the water supply and damages to the

sanitation system. The Water Gypsy’s of the study area traditionally use pond and river water

for drinking and household activities. Therefore, after the cyclone there is a serious crisis of

drinking water and an outbreak of waterborne diseases is very common.

Proposed model for disseminating effective early warning signal during cyclone:

Fig 2: Proposed model for disseminating effective early warning signal in Cyclone ( A model

for coastal water Gypsy)

CPP (Head office)

FS & CD Loud speaker

van

Mobile Commu

nity

RADIO

Televi

sion

Upazila

committee

Water Gypsy

Leader

Union committee

Unit

Water Gypsy Community

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CONCLUSION

As the natural disasters make people vulnerable, every society perceives the natural

disastrous events with its capacity to cope and peoples’ interaction with their surroundings is

important for their living in a particular area. Water Gypsy in the coastal region is no longer

an exception here. Their social system responses in the crisis situation and the temporary

adaptive processes play an important role to stand still at the pace and face of any cyclonic

storms. Having close contact with the nature, Bede community of the study area have

developed an indigenous perception and prediction strategy for cyclones and, there by

possess effective survival strategies. Water gypsy community of the selected study area take

all aspects of their communal, racial and conservational environments into account as well as

a chain of risk-related dynamics in responding to cyclones. And their perceptions have

terrestrial, social, fiscal, traditional and factors such as the extent of the consequences of the

hazardous event, the degree of the perceived control over the consequences, the degree of

personal exposure and other social costs and benefits. So, for effective disaster management

planning and programming input at both local and national level, it is essential to explore the

rationale of their actions.

REFERENCES

Journal Article

Ali A (1999) Climate change impacts and adaptation assessment in Bangladesh. Climate Res

12:109–116

Paul BK (2009a) Why relatively fewer people died? The case of Bangladesh’s cyclone sidr.

Nat Hazards 50(2):289–304

Paul BK (2009b) Human injuries caused by Bangladesh’s cyclone Sidr: An empirical study.

Nat Hazards 54(2):483–495

Wisner B, Blaikie P, Cannon T, Davis I (2004) at risk, 2nd edn. Routledge, London

Gregg CE et al (2006) Natural warning signs of Tsunamis: human sensory experience and

response in Thailand. Earthq Spectra 22(3):671–691

Electronic Online Articles

Mooley DA (1980) Severe cyclonic storms in the Bay of Bengal 1877–1977. Mon Weather

Rev 108:1647–165

Thesis

S.K Paul An Analysis of the Causes of Non-Responses to Cyclone Warnings and the Use of

Indigenous Knowledge for Cyclone Forecasting in Bangladesh.

Haque CE (1997) Hazards in a fickle environment: Bangladesh. Kluwer Academic Publisher,

the Netherlands.