III. INTEGRATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS INTO DECISION- MAKING
FOR FLOOD LOSS REDUCTION
[ III-A
| III-B
| III-C
| III-D
| III-E
| III-F
| III-G
]
F. Methodologies for integration of environmental considerations into economic
decision-making
[ F-1 | F-2 | F-3
]
3. Allocation of life-saving shelters and earthen mounds for ovine/bovine
protection
Tropical cyclones and storm surges of moderate to high intensity occasionally hit the coastal areas of Bangladesh leading to substantial loss of life and property. Shelters are constructed to provide refuge for people and earthen mounds are constructed as a means of sheltering livestock. Shelters stand on stilts so that flood water can pass through. The average cost of shelters is about Tk. 6,000 (US$150) per head and the cost per life-year saved in a 5-room school-cum-shelter is around Tk.21 (US$ 0.5) (Sener and Others, 1996).
A Master Plan for Multi-purpose Cyclone Shelters (BUET & BIDS, 1993) estimates that 2,500 new shelters for a population of 4.4 million in the high-risk area of approximately 9,000 km2 would be required to meet the projected needs in the year 2,002. The plan has analyzed the ecological, physio-chemical and human interest components of the environment in coastal areas of Bangladesh and the likely impacts of the multi-purpose shelters on them. The study suggests no major negative impact and in general most of the impacts are positive in nature. Hence, environmental issues concerning life-saving shelters at the planning stage are not major decision-making constraints.
An important decision problem is how to allocate shelters among different vulnerable areas since the construction will be spread over a considerable period of time due to funding constraints. The Cyclone Shelter Preparatory Study by Sener and Others (1996) has devised a risk-based approach to assist in the ranking of the Mouzas, Unions and Thanas for priority investment. A Mouza is a small land revenue unit within the Union. The approach utilizes a risk index which accounts for hazard magnitude and vulnerability of population as explained in Section II.C.5.
|
