Evidence against disaster-induced migration: the 2004 tornado in north-central Bangladesh.
Migration is generally considered to be one of the primary responses to a natural disaster. The existing literature widely acknowledges the fact that disaster victims migrate from affected areas. This paper, though, provides empirical evidence of the non-occurrence of out-migration in the aftermath of the 14 April 2004 tornado in Bangladesh. Data collected from 291 respondents from eight tornado-affected villages suggest that no one from these locations migrated to other areas. The constant flow of disaster aid and its proper distribution by the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) were the main reasons why victims did not leave. This study contributes to the disaster literature by providing three important findings: disasters do not always create out-migration; emergency aid can compensate in monetary terms for damage caused by disasters; and some of the arguments made in the literature against the provision of emergency relief for disaster victims are not always valid for all countries.
Paul
Bimal Kanti
BK
Department of Geography, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA. bkp@ksu.edu
D000328:Adult; D001459:Bangladesh; D004190:Disasters; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012066:Relief Work / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires