Community Perceptions of and Vulnerability to Earthquake Disaster: Insights from the City of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract

This study is an attempt to empirically determine and analyse the factors that significantly influence the perceptions of and vulnerability to an earthquake disaster that struck a community located in the Hazaribagh area of Dhaka South City, Bangladesh. The empirical results reveal a significant relationship between a number of sociodemographic factors and the community’s perceptions of and level of vulnerability to an earthquake disaster. The critical factors we have determined as significantly influencing these community perceptions and sense of vulnerability to earthquake disaster include: “level of education”, “preserve the drinking water, “uncovered drainage system”, “unplanned commercial and business apartments”, “unplanned tannery”, “first aid equipment”, and “family size”. We argue that while an earthquake disaster is a natural phenomenon, people’s vulnerabilities to it are in most cases caused by their societies and the governments” actions and inactions when facing such a situation.