Revisiting disaster preparedness in coastal communities since 1970s in Bangladesh with an emphasis on the case of tropical cyclone Amphan in May 2020

The geographical location and development of Bangladesh means that the country is vulnerable to tropical cyclones. Cyclones are becoming more frequent and severe due to the effects of climate change [1]. Since 2007, more than 5000 people have died, and damage runs into billions of dollars due to cyclones. This study aims to conduct an assessment of early preparation measures on cyclonic events since the 1970s with an emphasis on cyclone Amphan, May 2020 in Bangladesh. The study adopted a desk-based systematic survey of secondary literature. Technological advancement and better communication improve early warning significantly. However, the results show that the disaster preparedness to reduce the effect of cyclonic disaster has many limitations which need to be addressed, particularly by (i) involvement of mosques’ Imams (leaders) and school teachers in warning dissemination management since they are the most respected people in the society and, (ii) awareness of, and improved confidence in early warning and evacuation orders with (iii) gender issues addressed to facilitate equality in decision making. The quantity and quality of cyclone shelters need to be improved to ensure sufficient space. There appears to be a role for security forces in the emergency evacuation process as they have proven effective during Covid-19, where they were deployed to ensure that citizens did not leave home unnecessarily, which minimized the death toll. Continuous review and research on disaster risk reduction needs to be conducted, at all stages of cyclonic disaster management as increased severity and frequency of cyclones unavoidable for Bangladesh.