Indigenous Knowledge and Practices for Cyclone Preparedness in Coastal Bangladesh

To cope with cyclones, the people in coastal areas of Bangladesh apply early warnings received from nature and undertake protection measures at the household and community levels. Indigenous knowledge reveals the hand-on-experience by people living in close contact with the nature which is transmitted from one generation to the next through oral and behavioral tradition. This knowledge, representing a rich source of generational practices for cyclone preparedness, is now becoming extinct due to inadequate documentation. They can be termed as a socio-cultural and economic resource, which has reduced property and lives damages from cyclones for years. This study was conducted using Participatory Risk Assessment tools, semi-structured questionnaire surveys, and visual survey. It explored indigenous understandings and practices for cyclone preparedness. It also evaluated the efficiency and effectiveness of both structural and non-structural preparedness mechanisms, especially warning and practices of housing construction.