title: Evidence against disaster-induced migration: the 2004 tornado in north-central Bangladesh.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA. bkp@ksu.edu
authors.forename: Bimal Kanti
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Paul
mesh_terms: 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