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Rephrasing Existence: Enacting disaster resilient features in the traditional

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Journal of Civil Engineering and Environmental Technology
p-ISSN: 2349-8404; e-ISSN: 2349-879X; Volume 4, Issue 3; April-June, 2017, pp. 239-247
© Krishi Sanskriti Publications
http://www.krishisanskriti.org/Publication.html

Rephrasing Existence: Enacting Disaster

Resilient Features in the Traditional Houses of
Coastal areas of Satkhira, Bangladesh
Z.H.M. Monjur Murshed1 Nadia Monzur2
1,2
Department of Architecture Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology
E-mail: 1turjo.bogra@hotmail.com, 2nadiamonzur@live.com

Abstract—The coastal areas of Bangladesh experienced two of the Kelman: 2016). About 33% of Bangladeshi people live on the
most devastating cyclones of the last decade, consequently in coastal zones of Bay of Bengal covering 19 districts. Because
2007(Sidr) and in 2009(Aila) that concluded in a devastating of illiteracy and lack of ideas on sustainable low-cost
aftermath of at least 3786 deaths. More than 2.5 million people were technology, these coastal people built their houses by
left homeless and the total damage was counted to be of more than
650 million. The massive loss of life is due to the high density of
assistance of locally available wood craft and artesian for
population in the coastal areas, people living in poverty within living somewhat only. Hence, they live with the risk of losing
poorly constructed houses and the extremely low-lying land of the their houses every year due to natural disaster especially
coastal zone. In the name of disaster preparedness, the major cyclone, wind storm, Sidr, Aila etc.
response to frequent cyclonic storms has been the establishment of
cyclone shelters, which considering the depth of damage forced upon
by such calamities, have failed to ensure minimum loss of lives and
assets. The reason behind that is, while the cyclone shelters have
been proved to be useful they are more of a disaster management
solution and thus is useful particularly in the event of a cyclone. But
in the case of developing countries like Bangladesh where the coastal
areas are highly vulnerable to such cyclonic effects, actions on
identifying the point of intervention at micro level becomes
paramount. Acknowledging this scenario, it becomes necessary to
walk through a more suited approach that will enhance building
sustainability during and after cyclones and will minimize the
damages in the event of a disaster. An extensive survey was
conducted in Satkhira, one of the most disaster prone coastal areas of
Bangladesh, to document the architectural, structural and traditional
features of the construction of these houses. This paper summarizes
the challenges and their probable responses with the aim of making
the traditional structures more compatible to cyclonic storms by
proposing some vital guidelines for traditional house building in
coastal areas of Bangladesh.

Keywords: Cyclones, Disaster, Resilient, Bay of Bengal, Adaptation,

Traditional house, Local materials, Micro-level housing etc.
Source: Major Cyclones of Bangladesh; (Rethinking
Introduction Innovations for Affordable Housing in Disaster Prone Areas
Bangladesh, the largest delta on earth is ranked as the world’s of Bangladesh; Dr. Khandaker Shabbir Ahmed, Professor,
fifth most disaster prone country. Its topographic and geo- BUET)
physical location has made it vulnerable to various natural
hazards, particularly to extreme climate-induced disasters In 1991, these people in coastal area faced a deadly
(UNU–EHS; 2016). A catastrophic tropical cyclone is likely to cyclone of wind speed of up to 250km/hr which caused
hit the coastal region of Bangladesh almost every three years. 138,000 deaths and rendered 10 million people homeless in
The tropical cyclones cause casualties and damages and addition to the loss of billions of money and severe sufferings.
sometimes are responsible for cascading disasters (Ahmed; Then category-1 cyclone ‘Sidr’ devastated the coastal region
240 Z.H.M. Monjur Murshed Nadia Monzur

of Bangladesh on 15th November 2007. The cyclone battered incessant. To minimize the loss of houses and economy in
vast areas of Khulna, Barisal, and Chittagong divisions with a coastal zone of this delta, the aim is to investigate the present
wind speed of almost 250 km per hour with giant waves up to housing condition in southern part of Bangladesh to develop
30ft high (MoFDM, 2008). Again ‘Aila’, category 1 cyclone, and establish a sustainable, cost effective, comprehensive, safe
hit South-Western coastal region of Bangladesh on 25th of and economical design concept by scrutinizing some highly
May 2009. The cyclone took shape on 23rd May and vulnerable cyclone-affected villages located in the southwest
dissipated on 25th May, 2009. Sustained wind speed of the coastal districts of Bangladesh so that people under poverty
Cyclone Aila was about 65-75 mph and thus it is defined as can build structurally robust houses to resist high speed wind
the category-1 cyclone (74 mph is the lowest threshold for within their affordable limit.
Cat-1 hurricane). The tidal surge height of about 10-13m
dropped on the region washing away a huge number of
Selection of the Study Area
households, lives, livestock, crops and all other resources of
A comprehensive study was undertaken in some villages of
the affected region. The whole incident occurred within a very
Shyamnagar, Satkhira coastal belt to see resources
short time, and people became homeless leaving their assets in
dependencies on the mangrove forest of Sundarbans in order
the households. Even though Aila was a weak category
to frame out a system for sustainable resource management
cyclone by the definition, its economic devastation outweighs
and to identify the available and affordable resources that
the impacts of Super cyclone ‘Sidr’ and brought in long-term
could be spent while building sustainable climate resistant
sufferings for the south-western people of Bangladesh.
houses by using indigenous knowledge shaped by modern
technology and in line with urban design principles.
There were three main predefined priorities: (a) Indigenous
communities (b) Coastal region; and (c) Impact of the “Sidr”
and “Aila”. Keeping these in context, on the basis of
secondary information Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira district
was selected for intensive in-depth investigation.

Methods and Approaches

The study mostly relied upon qualitative data and information.
In order to achieve the objectives of the study, data have been
collected from both primary and secondary sources. Primary
data have been collected through field visits which are mostly
qualitative. Secondary data are obtained from reports,
journals, research papers, and book. Information on relevant
issues is collected from websites available on the internet.
Relevant information on the concerned issue has been
collected through in-depth, key informant interviews and
group discussions with the local people were also carried out.
Primary data and information collected through questionnaire
have been summarized and analyzed for the purpose of the
study.
This article contributes to an understanding of the social
dynamics following cyclone disasters in coastal area of
Bangladesh by addressing the following three research
questions:
a) How did the communities perceive indigenous
technology of house design on pre-event cyclonic
Source: GoB Upazila-wise ‘Aila’ Damage Assessment Form disasters?
b) What were the activities (post-event) undertaken by
Indigenous communities while living in the coastal areas the affected communities at homestead level to
for centuries having close contact with nature, it is assumed recover from the cyclone disasters?
that they have developed an indigenous perception and c) What changes took place at individual build form
prediction strategy for cyclones and, there by possess effective level?
survival strategies (Hassan, 2000; Hossain, 2001). It covers the indigenous methods adopted by the people in
Unfortunately, it’s true that Bangladesh National Building the coastal community to recover from the losses, and the
Code-93 (BNBC-93) doesn’t provide any provision for wind changes on the overall transformations in house design as well
resistant design for above mentioned non-engineered housing. as livelihood pattern and lifestyle at the community level.
Hence the phenomenon of losing house in disaster is

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Rephrasing Existence: Enacting Disaster Resilient Features in the Traditional Houses of Coastal areas of Satkhira, Bangladesh 241

General Development Perspective

It is realized that most of the houses damaged or collapsed
either due to poor construction practices or inability of the
victim to construct a relatively safe structure. The GoB has to
detail out a comprehensive rehabilitation strategy, on which
shelter construction and livelihood restoration are major
challenges. Some guidelines were worked out that were
specifically framed for the reconstruction of houses
considering multi hazard perspective for the coastal
communities which were affected by cyclones in coastal
districts of Sundarbans. These guidelines will also be helpful
for the construction of houses in other districts apart from the Particulars Materials
coastal districts, which are prone to cyclones. The entire Bamboo, woods
coastline being vulnerable to multi hazard destruction, the Roof Construction Golpata / Tally
initiatives to be implemented needs to be replicated at national Corrugated iron (CI) sheet
and international level through medium of experience sharing Bamboo, woods, Goran sita
forums, best practices and learning techniques. Golpata
Wall Construction
CI sheet
Now the greatest challenges and opportunities identified are: Mud/ Brick/ concrete
• To ensure incorporation of disaster resistant features in all Mud
Floor Construction
the shelters. Brick/ Concrete
• Skill up-gradation of construction workers.
• Sourcing indigenous building materials, technology and
design.
• Bridging the gap in technology know-how, transfer of
technology, dissemination, setting and maintaining of
quality control system.
• Bringing together key stakeholders for building better
habitat.
• Mainstreaming disaster resistant features and cost
optimization through appropriate technology promotion in
all state sponsored housing scheme and private and public
buildings.

Existing Housing Condition

Rephrasing a Micro-Climatic House

Tree plantation and orchard in the backyard:

A well thought out plan of plantation helps to reduce the
impact of both cyclone and tidal surge. Tree plantation should
be undertaken by involving participation of local people in
order to select species of trees such as Accacia (Shishu) and
location of plants. In this area 48% of the houses are south
facing and the 39% face towards the east, giving a total sum of
87% housing units that are oriented to south and east
directions because of nor-western storm and cyclone
(Nahiduzzaman, Kh; 2007). Most of the orchards/gardens are
located in the rear side of housing units which offer primary
protection from any intensity of storms. Such indigenous
technique of house construction has been established because

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242 Z.H.M. Monjur Murshed Nadia Monzur

of the fact that it takes advantages from nature by, on one

hand, setting up the facades of the houses into opposite
direction of cyclone and, on the other, planting trees on the
rear side of house. Tree planting programs on Killas and
embankments should be extended to settlements throughout
the risk prone areas and planting materials should be made
available for this purpose. (Lewis & Krisholm; 1995)

Spatial Setting
Orchard, water body and agricultural land are parts of housing
and it is interesting to observe how they are being spatially
distributed to protect households from natural calamities. A
typical pattern is shown in the figure to give an idea of
indigenous knowledge on house units in relation to their
surroundings. Most of the residential units are oriented Fig: The area behind a mound or a hillock or casuarinas
towards south and east direction and most of the orchards are plantation should be preferred to provide natural shielding
located behind the housing unit. This spatial setting is due the (Santhakumar, 2005).
fact that the villagers are frequently affected by the Nor-
western storms (as come from north-western side), which
occurs 2-5 times in a year, especially in the Bengali months of In regions close to the coast, a site above the likely inundation
Baishakh-Jaistha (April-May). level should be chosen. In case of non-availability of high
level natural ground, construction should be done on stilts
with no masonry or cross bracings up to maximum surge level.
Or they should be constructed on raised earthen mounds to
avoid flooding/inundation but knee bracing may be used.
(Agarwal, DRMP-UNDP; 20117)

Form Orientation
The best shape for planning is a square or a rectangle for wind
resistance. The traditional houses in these areas are mostly
rectangular with length and width ratio within 2:1. It may be
Figure: A typical pattern of house units in relation to their mentioned here that length to width ratio up to 3:1 is
surroundings. (Huq, 1995). recommended for cyclone resistant houses (Huq; 1995). The
rectangle is better than the L-shaped plan.
Lay-out and orientation of traditional houses, in most cases,
locate the house in a manner so that the shorter face of the
house is towards the windward direction of the cyclone. A
very important feature of these recommendations is that they
are based on people’s perception & their identification of
problem & possible solutions.
In case of this study area, it is recommended that the houses
near to the coastal areas should be built at least 4 m above the
mean sea level. The generalized assumption is that the This is not to say that all buildings must be square. But it
dwellings located in higher grounds are less likely to be is to say that one must be aware of the implications of design
affected by storm surges (Dasgupta, Laplante; 2009) After decisions and take appropriate action to counter negative
analyzing the DEM, it was found that the average elevation of features. The best shape to resist high winds is a square. If
the dwellings is only 3.5 m (Mallick, Vogt; 2015). This makes other shapes are desired, efforts should be made to strengthen
the houses highly vulnerable to cyclones and storm surges. In the corners. If longer shapes are used, they must be designed
the study area it was observed that, before the occurrence of to withstand the forces of the wind. Most houses are
the cyclone event, most of the houses were already in a rectangular and the best layout is when the length is not more
(physically) vulnerable situation. than three (3) times the width.

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Rephrasing Existence: Enacting Disaster Resilient Features in the Traditional Houses of Coastal areas of Satkhira, Bangladesh 243

Fig: In case of construction of group of buildings, a Improved plinth construction measures include better
cluster arrangement can be followed in preference to row type integration of the frame post and should be surrounded by
(Agarwal, DRMP-UNDP; 20117) brick masonry work (if possible). Improvement should be
done to the flood resistance of plinths in areas of sandy soils.
Plan Layout
Frame
The typical house plan consists of a “ghar’’ and “pashchati/
This is usually done using Talla species of bamboo or wooden
veranda”. In many houses the pashchati runs on all four sides
posts (sundari/ goran), possibly with jute poles or goran-sita
of the “ghar’’. There are houses with “pashchati” on 2 or 3
for lighter members. Frame elements are commonly lashed
sides of the “ghar’’. Whether the “pashchati” is on 2 or 3 sides
together with jute rope.
of the “ghar”, it is invariably facing the windward direction.
Proposed improvements are:
Cyclonic storms and high winds are the most obvious factors
 Treatment of bamboo against insect attack;
shaping the development of the form of these houses. In order
to reduce the high pressure on the internal surfaces of the wall  Treatment of poles against rot in the ground;
these houses are built with only one opening on the  Better anchoring of poles into the ground;
“pashchati”. The pashchati wall works as a barrier and reduces  Inclusion of cross bracing:
water penetration into the ghar during high wind accompanied
by rain.

Source: Guidelines for better building with bamboo (SAFE

Bangladesh)

Figure: Proposed Single-family House  Sustituting nylone rope or galvanised wire binding for
jute rope.

Wall and Openings

Walls are typically made with panels of split and woven
bamboo, goran-sita, woven golpata or similar materials or CGI
sheets. Sometimes wall panels are covered with mud paste.
These panels commence within the mud plinth.
Proposed improvements are:
 Place the door in the center of the wall;
 Wall panels should be modular and easily removable if
Figure: Proposed Multi-family House needed for easy transferibility in disaster times;
 Add a small window in the rear wall;
Plinth  To limit the areas of window openings in relation to
Extreme care and attention is usually given to construction of walls.
the raised floor or plinth which is often the only remaining
trace of a build-form after cyclone or flood. This can be
constructed in excess of a meter in height and thus protect the
rest of the structure in cyclone prone areas.

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244 Z.H.M. Monjur Murshed Nadia Monzur

 More frequent, improved fixing for cgi sheets;

 Methods for the parmanent or temporary tying down of
entire roofs (eg. On receipt of cyclone warnings)
 Fixing of purlins to rafters should be strengthened with
metal straps or bolts with washer at ridges and eaves.
 Purlins and slats should be well seasoned and pressure
treated with preservative.
 Openings should be framed by vertical posts and
appropriate horizontal sections.
 Shutters should be hung along the top frame of window
openings.
 Factory finished metal sections of appropriate
specifications may be used.
 Glazing in windows should be avoided unless the sections
are small.
 Louvre shutters should be designed with special hardware
to block the wind inside during cyclone.

Roofing Figure: Tying down the bamboo rafter with earth (author).
The traditional houses have hip roof over the ‘ghar’ and a very
low roof over the ‘pashchati’ which is separated from the hip  Roof can be strengthened by tying down the bamboo
roof. Magnitude of the wind load on the structure influences rafter with earth.
the shape of the roof experiment and case studies have shown
that houses with hip roofs have the best resistance capacity. Structural Footing & Details
Wood, bamboo and pre-cast concrete posts are used for
support of the houses in the areas of our survey and study. The
weakest point identified in our survey in the traditional
construction methods and techniques is anchorage of vertical
supports to foundation system. This weakness is the main
reason for strong winds to lift up the entire houses or blow it
down. The typical foundation method used in the traditional
houses is the direct burial of posts into the soil.

Fig: Use of Hip roof over ‘Ghar’ and low roof over
‘Pashchati’.
(Bashirul Huq; Battling the Strom: 1999).

The roof is usually either thatched or laid with burnt mud tally
or CGI sheet. During a cyclone, a large pressure builds up
under the overhang, and the pressure added to the suction on
the upper roof may pry the roof away from walls and vertical
support. These problems have been solved by traditional
builders by keeping a minimum roof overhang in most houses,
and by having a separation between roof over the ‘pashchati’
and the main roof of the ‘ghar’. (Bashirul Huq; Battling the
Recommendations and Guidelines
Strom: 1999).
o Bamboo should be selected on the basis of appearance
Other proposed improvements are:
and strength having an average diameter of 125 mm.
 Incresing the pitches of roofs to 30 to 40 degrees; Bamboo should be treated with appropriate preservative.
 Encouraging the use of hipped roofs; o Recommended section of sawn lumber- 120x120m.
 Tying down the thatch strongly; o Recommended average diameter of log- 150mm.

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Rephrasing Existence: Enacting Disaster Resilient Features in the Traditional Houses of Coastal areas of Satkhira, Bangladesh 245

o Lumber should be well seasoned and treated with o Promulgation by Government or NGOs would be through
preservative. community groups and community development
o Foundation in accordance with the details in Pre-cast activities;
concrete posts should be fabricated with quality control of o Additional public information programs should be
materials and proper shuttering, fastener, ties, etc. mounted to spread information through newspaper, local
o Should be embedded in the post at the time of fabrication. news sheets and social medias;
Keep provisions for ledges in the pre-cast concrete post. o Demonstration projects with technical assistance in the
The illustrated details are typical and not for constructing a field.
particular house.
These activities would require guidelines, leaflets and
notices in Bangla with graphic illustrations for distribution as
public information programs in advance of each cyclonic
seasons.
A series of participatory demonstration projects should be
mounted to show the importance of house siting, juxtaposition
and form along with how various materials should be selected,
treated, joined and maintained.

Proposed Moduler Prototype

We have analyzed the economic feasibility of the inhabitants

of study areas and proposed some new module with respect to
the cost of existing house typologies and income of different
group of people and the resistibility of the built-form.
Figure: Bamboo/timber and Concrete footing detail (Bashirul
Huq, 1999)

Figure: Bamboo/ wood jointing detail (Bashirul Huq; 1999)

Promulgating Improved Construction

Traditional construction is undertaken by self-builders,

possibly with help from neighbours and friends. This artisanal
buildings is an aspect of local knowledge and is not in the Fig: Proposed Build form (Module-1)
pureview of construction professionals. Therefore, ways must
be found to reach self-builders using methods more
appropriate for the target population than conventional sources
of information on construction technology. (Lewis &
Krisholm; 1995)

Methods for technical improvement should be considered in

their cultural, social, economic and practical contexts,
including, for example:
o Traing programs for NGOs engaged for housing
construction, repair and loan programs so that their
activities could be accompanied by the promulgation of
improved traditional construction techniques;

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246 Z.H.M. Monjur Murshed Nadia Monzur

 Careful consideration of the recommendations outlined in

construction techniques, structural components and
details.
 Use of tie and bracing can be applied for construction of
non-engineered houses in coastal zone of Bangladesh.
 Improved techniques for the fixing of corrugated
galvanized iron roof sheets are required urgently.

In short, the cyclone resistant house is feasible with the

simultaneous implementation of a community approved plan
of tree plantation, preservative treatment of all components of
building materials and following recommendations for
technology input in construction techniques and structural
components and details.
Fig: Proposed Build form (Module-2)
Points for Further Study

o The relationship between dwelling maintenance and

cyclone damage needs to be addressed through training
and information programs;
o Roof construction must take into account as well as its
significance as shelter in times of flooding;
o Post-cyclone field surveys of the modes of structural
failure of ‘kutcha’ construction is required;
o Long-term programs are needed for effective
promulgation, demonstration and absorption.

It may be emphasized that good quality of design and

construction is the single factor ensuring safety as well as
durability in the cyclone hazard prone areas.
References
[1] Bashirul Huq; Battling the Storm: Study on Cyclone Resistant
Housing; german red cross: 1999.
[2] Haq, S.U; Architecture within the folk tradition of Bangladesh;
The Independent, Dhaka, march 1995.
[3] United Nations University–Institute for Environment and
Human Security (UNU–EHS). World Risk Report 2016.
[4] Ahmed, B.; Kelman, I.; Fehr, H.K.; Saha, M. Community
Fig: Proposed Duplex type Build form (Module-3) Resilience to Cyclone Disasters in Coastal Bangladesh.
Sustainability 2016.
Conclusion [5] Santhakumar A.R; Sustainable Reconstruction and
It is important to note that traditional houses can only be Rehabilitation Of Tsunami Affected Areas of India; International
cyclone resistant with a comprehensive approach for the Symposium Disaster Reduction on Coasts Scientific-
implementation of all the recommendations in the guidelines Sustainable-Holistic-Accessible: 2005.
for cyclone-resistant houses. The critical aspects of the [6] Mallick, B.; Vogt, J. Societal Dealings with Cyclone in
recommendations are: Bangladesh—A Proposal of Vulnerability Atlas for Sustainable
Disaster Risk Reduction. J. Coast. Zone Manag. 2015, 18, 409.
 solving the social, cultural, economic and environmental
problems of domestic housing. Such programs should be: [7] Ankush Agarwal; Cyclone resistant building Architecture,
UNDP, Disaster Risk Management Program March, 2007
a) inclusive of both kutcha and pucca materials and
methods, [8] Kh Md Nahiduzzaman, Micro Climatic House Design; Field
survey, 2007.
b) repeated annually or designed to be continuous.
[9] Prof. Dr Khandaker Shabbir Ahmed, Ar. Minhaz Bin Gaffar and
 Technology input for improving and enhancing the Ms Amreen Shahjahan; Rethinking 'Innovations' for Affordable
durability of building material such as bamboo, goran- Housing in Disaster Prone Areas of Bangladesh.
sita, wood golpata, mud etc.

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Rephrasing Existence: Enacting Disaster Resilient Features in the Traditional Houses of Coastal areas of Satkhira, Bangladesh 247

[10] Lewis.J and Chisholm, M.P; Cyclone-resistant Domestic

Construction in Bangladesh; Implementing Hazard-resistant
housing, December 1996.
[11] Mayo, A; Cyclone-resistant houses for developing countries,
Building Research Establishment, HMSO: 1988.
[12] Hassan, S. ‘Indigenous Disaster Management Culture: A
Comparative Study between Cyclone Affected People of
Bangladesh’, Journal of Human Sciences, Vol.26. No. 3. 2000:
251-263
[13] Rumana Rashid; Traditional House of Bangladesh: Typology of
house according to materials and location: 2007.

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