Project Description:

DM WATCH conducted this scoping assessment from March to July 2021. The main purpose of this scoping assessment was to provide the program with sufficient contextual understanding and knowledge that can be used to inform and refine programming. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methodological approaches was employed to fulfil the assessment objectives. The assessment was conducted in selected 7 Upazilas of Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban District. The assessment was guided by a participatory approach where multiple stakeholders ranging from the local level government officials, elected representatives to the local community people were consulted. Upazila level consultation workshops were done to identify vulnerable Unions, Union Level consultation workshops were done to identify disaster-prone vulnerable areas, wards, communities, and villages in need of multipurpose disaster shelters. Against each proposed no. of shelter to be built, feasible sites were visited and each site-specific physical observation, community consultation and initial environmental examinations (following USAID’s 22 CRF 216) were conducted to find out best location of the MPDS. Seven focus group discussion sessions and two child-friendly discussion sessions were also conducted at the community level. The need of communities and aspirations regarding multipurpose shelters were recorded as well as 384 household surveys were conducted. Among findings, 56% of the respondents are resilient to the effect of climate change and vulnerability, 61% female respondents can take decision to go to shelters, 5% (18/374) of people received cash or in-kind support, 49% respondents were satisfied with their existing facilities of shelter, 13% ethnic minority people participated in community level DRR and 54.95 % households have preparedness to mitigate disaster risk. Finally, 50 sites (25 primary and 25 alternate) were finalized upon GIS-based suitability analysis, against the 25 proposed no. of shelters, and also endorsed from District, Upazila, and Union level authorities.