Assignment Name: Scoping Assessment of Multipurpose Disaster Shelter Support (MPDS) Project within the COVID-19 Context

Country: Bangladesh

Client Name: Care Bangladesh

The Multipurpose Disaster Shelter Support (MPDS) Project, funded by USAID, aims to reduce the risk of natural disasters and increase community resilience in Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban districts in Bangladesh. The project was jointly implemented by CARE, Save the Children, and local partner Gram Unnayon Sangathon (GRAUS). It focused on the construction of multipurpose shelters that will serve as safe spaces during disasters while also providing infrastructure for community cohesion and education. The project was implemented in four Upazilas in Cox’s Bazar district (Moheshkhali, Kutubdia, Chakaria, and Pekua) and three Upazilas in Bandarban district (Bandarban Sadar, Lama, and Naikhongchori), targeting approximately 200,000 people over a 3.5-year period.

The project’s overarching goal was to mitigate the impacts of natural disasters through the construction of multipurpose disaster shelters and resilient community infrastructure, while simultaneously increasing access to safe learning spaces and fostering cohesive communities. This integrated approach was supported by three key objectives: (1) mitigating the impacts of natural disasters, (2) increasing access to conducive learning spaces, and (3) strengthening disaster preparedness.

The MPDS Project was fully aligned with national and international frameworks, including the Government of Bangladesh’s 7th Five-Year Plan, the Standing Orders on Disaster (2019), the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), and USAID Bangladesh’s 2020-2025 Country Development Cooperation Strategy. It emphasized gender, diversity, and disability inclusion, ensuring that disaster management structures and mechanisms were accessible and resilient.

The MPDS project targeted the construction of 25 multipurpose shelters following a “para center” approach, distributed across seven upazilas in both coastal and hilly regions. These shelters will function as community centers during non-disaster periods, providing spaces for learning and social cohesion. The project aimed to increase disaster preparedness, strengthen community resilience, and improve disaster risk management (DRM) strategies within these highly vulnerable communities. The shelters were built following GoB’s National Building Code, Cyclone Shelter Construction Guidelines, and climate resilience standards. The design also aligned with the Fourth Primary Education Development Program (PEDP4) guidelines, focusing on school infrastructure, WASH, disaster resilience, renewable energy, and security. The project also included environmental and gender-sensitive considerations to ensure it meets the needs of both women and marginalized groups.

The scoping assessment was an essential step in refining and adapting the MPDS program, identifying the most suitable locations for the shelters, assessing land availability, and evaluating community needs in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The 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. Scoping was the process of identifying the significant issues relating to the proposed action and of determining the scope of the issues to be addressed in the Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement. The originator of an action within the classes of actions described in USAID’s 22 CFR 216 & 216.2(d) shall commence this scoping process as soon as practicable. Key areas envisioned included:

• To know the location wise expectations of the community on new multi-purpose shelters facilities, design, utilities, management and maintenance of the infrastructure.
• To know the most appropriate locations for construction of new shelters and determine land availability by community and government buy-in and considering overlap with ongoing and planned shelter activities, any possible environmental impacts of construction and restrictions and limitations posed by COVID-19;
• To carry out inception-stage site-specific environmental scoping by visiting each potential site/project area together with the design team, and in consultation with local communities to identify key social and environmental features, issues and risks in the project area relevant to the project, to get to know the alternatives under consideration from the site perspective, and to determine the level, extent and type of environmental investigation needed,
• To prepare an Environmental Scoping Statement as per USAID’s 22 CFR 216 Agency Environmental Procedures, 216.3 Procedures, (a) (4), page 14; and IEE Asia 19-010, page 2, paragraph 5;
• If the Scoping Statement identifies potentially significant adverse environmental and social impact for any site, the document would contain a refined SOW for a full Environmental Assessment of that site, (subsequently, the environment assessment will result in an environmental assessment report with an environmental mitigation and monitoring plan (EMMP). If the Scoping Statement identifies no potentially significant adverse environmental and social impacts for a site, the report submitted to USAID would contain a request to withdraw Positive Threshold Decision for that site, and reverse it back to Negative Determination with Conditions. In this case the Scoping Statement would contain a framework EMMP and a reporting plan with site-specific environmental social and technical screening, selection and eligibility criteria.
• To identify the barriers women and girls face, and the negative norms and practices in their communities, and how the project can adjust its programming to ensure it is gender sensitive in disaster situations as well as at normal times.
• To collect and define baseline values as per the project’s Monitoring and Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Plan’s indicators, both structural and non-structural aspects of community resilience, so as to measure and assess the progress of the project and foster learning;
• To decide on Upazila wise hazard specific emergency response triggering criteria and guideline on operation management to respond to both anticipated and unanticipated crisis during the project period.

To finalize site selection for construction of shelters which will include the sites of compound with existing or without schools, new land if needed, access road, water, sanitation and latrine facilities for the proposed shelter

DM WATCH team provided comprehensive support for the Scoping Assessment of the Multipurpose Disaster Shelter Support (MPDS) Project across seven upazilas. The following services were provided throughout various phases of the assignment:

Planning Phase:

• Consultations and Stakeholder Engagement: Engaged with CARE, USAID, and other stakeholders to clarify the scope of the assessment, objectives, and expected outcomes. Conducted initial meetings with local government bodies, community leaders, and NGO partners to align on the project’s goals, methodologies, and timelines.
• Defining Assessment Criteria: Worked with stakeholders to define site selection criteria that would include accessibility, community needs, environmental considerations, and disaster risk. Developed the assessment framework and key performance indicators (KPIs) for site evaluation.

Design Phase:

• Site Evaluation Design: Developed the methodology for the site evaluation, ensuring that it included both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. Designed the survey instruments, including structured questionnaires for household surveys and site evaluation checklists for assessing infrastructure, land suitability, and environmental impacts.
• Data Collection Tools: Designed data collection tools to assess community needs, climate risk, land availability, and socio-economic factors. These tools were used to guide focus group discussions (FGDs), interviews, and site inspections.

Data Collection Phase:

• Site Visits and Surveys: Conducted field visits to assess 50 potential shelter sites in the targeted districts. Collected both quantitative and qualitative data through 384 household surveys and community-based interviews, which focused on vulnerabilities, disaster preparedness, and the socio-economic impact of the proposed shelters.
• Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): Facilitated FGDs with community members, local government officials, and NGO partners to understand local perceptions of shelter needs and acceptance of proposed sites.
• Site Ranking: Used data from the surveys and FGDs to create a site ranking system that evaluated each location based on key criteria such as accessibility, land tenure, community support, and environmental resilience. The site ranking was delivered as an Excel sheet for transparent and actionable decision-making.

Geospatial Data and GIS:

• Prepared GIS-based shapefiles and base maps for each upazila, outlining shelter locations, land use, and existing infrastructure such as roads, water sources, and electricity.
• Provided site-specific mapping that was used for community consultations and further site planning.

Quantitative Data Set:

• Collected and analyzed quantitative data from 384 household surveys across the targeted regions to assess community resilience, disaster preparedness, and gender-specific needs.
• Developed a detailed quantitative dataset to inform the project’s monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan, contributing to future program adaptations.

Data Management and Analysis Phase:

• GIS Mapping: Collected geospatial data for each site and developed shapefiles that visualized key information such as site locations, existing infrastructure, and disaster risk factors. Used GIS tools to create site-specific maps that showed the relationship between land use, community needs, and disaster resilience.
• Data Processing and Analysis: Processed quantitative data from surveys and site evaluations using statistical software. Analyzed data on disaster risk, climate impacts, community vulnerabilities, and economic resilience. Synthesized qualitative insights from interviews and FGDs to complement quantitative findings.
• Reporting of Findings: Produced the final scoping statement, including the site rankings and detailed analysis of each shelter site’s suitability. The statement summarized key findings, recommendations, and a justification for selecting the most suitable sites.

Environmental and Social Impact Assessments:

• Conducted Initial Environmental Examinations (IEEs) for 50 sites, ensuring that the proposed shelters complied with USAID’s environmental procedures.
• Completed site-specific assessments to evaluate the potential environmental impacts, including site accessibility, community effects, and climate risks.

Reporting and Deliverables Phase:

• Site Profiles and IEE Reports: Delivered profiles for 25 alternative sites, providing detailed descriptions, including land ownership, socio-economic conditions, and climate vulnerability. Also provided 50 Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) reports to assess the environmental impacts of proposed sites and identify mitigation measures.
• Final Scoping Report: Compiled a comprehensive final scoping report which integrated site profiles, ranking data, environmental impact assessments, and community engagement results. This report served as a decision-making tool for USAID, CARE, and local government authorities.
• Additional Reports: Produced four summary reports for the scalable components of the project, detailing site suitability, socio-economic factors, environmental considerations, and disaster risks for each district.
• Slide Deck and Presentation: Prepared high-quality presentation slides using InDesign, summarizing the assessment findings and recommendations. These were presented during online workshops to district-level stakeholders, including District Commissioners and local authorities, conducted via Zoom to comply with COVID-19 restrictions.

Dissemination and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Online Workshops: Facilitated 7 Upazila-level and 3 district-level virtual workshops via Zoom with relevant stakeholders. These sessions allowed for interactive discussions and feedback, ensuring that community needs and government priorities were integrated into the decision-making process.
• Conducted 24 consultation workshops in selected 24 vulnerable Union Parishads and Paurashavas.
• Final Deliverables Submission: Delivered the final scoping report, including the site rankings, shapefiles, IEE reports, site profiles, quantitative dataset, and photographs from the field. These documents were made available to all stakeholders for further analysis and action.

Through these services, DM WATCH team ensured that the MPDS Project has a robust foundation of site-specific data and community insights to inform the selection of multipurpose shelter locations. The data-driven approach, combined with stakeholder engagement, provided actionable recommendations for improving disaster resilience and community safety in the selected districts.