**4. Root causes and earthquake disaster**

The findings revealed that socio-economic factors along with dynamic challenges and unsafe conditions interact to pose challenges to successfully facing the potential earthquake hazards in the area. Followed by the modified PAR model, the present research categorized the causes of the progression of vulnerability to disasters into three themes: root causes, dynamic factors, and unsafe conditions. The factors have been clearly explained by Wisner et al. [10] in their research model called the Pressure and Release model (PAR).

The economically marginal people in the environmentally vulnerable areas are isolated, and disaster-prone urban locations [10]. This leads to the three often mutually reinforcing sources of vulnerability. First, Low access to resources triggers

### *Analysis of Social Vulnerability to Earthquake Hazards in Dhaka South City, Bangladesh Using… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108714*

an insecure and unrewarded livelihood for the people. The vulnerability produced by their activities. Secondly, these people get less priority to reduce hazard intensity from government interventions. Finally, People lost confidence and trust for selfprotection who are economically and politically marginal. This area is commonly known as a dirty and polluted ('*pocha o nongra*' in Bengali term) area due to the absence of proper waste management in these industries. Low-income poor people live here as the house rent, and education expenses (tuition fees) of a child are comparatively cheaper than that of other places of the city. In this connection, an in-depth interviewee stated that.

*My parents have been suffering from many chronic diseases like heart disease, hearing problems, etc. for the last couple of years. They need to be treated properly but we do not have the required amount of money to do so. I can never think of getting treatment from a private clinic as this is quite expensive. Hence, how can I expect to avail of medical services for me and my family? Considering my poor socio-economic conditions, I am not even able to preserve a small amount of food for my children for the next day. So, how can I stock dry foods thinking of hitting potential earthquake hazards? (A 38-year-old female, own translation).*

One FGD informant stated that the Health system is critical in this area. If they become ill, they must go to the Dhaka Medical College which is not near to them. However, there are a lot of private clinics which are so expensive. Finding no other alternatives, they must take treatment from non-governmental hospitals. As they are not so rich people, they must pay higher for health services that are not good for them. Getting proper health treatment from public hospital people requires strong political affiliation. It is well-documented that poor people in the study area have a lack of good connection with political parties which deprive them of health services [12].

Differently able people do not receive any funds from the Government of Bangladesh (GoB), and they become vulnerable seriously during their emergencies concerning health concerns. By highlighting a few socio-demographic conditions, like, single income generated family, gender, and disabled family members, an informant remarked that.

*"When the earthquake struck in late at night on January 4, 2019, almost everyone was asleep and thrown out of their beds. I ran out with my four children onto the street, and I found the area had a blackout. Unfortunately, I forgot to help my elderly parents come out of the room and since they are disabled; they were unable to come out of their room without my help. Thanks to Allah that he saved us from any major damage caused by the earthquake. Now, I go to bed every night thinking of the earthquake and feel helpless, thinking of how I will evacuate my family in the event of an earthquake. (A 33-year-old female, own translation).*

Ethnic identity played a vital role to maintain affiliation with mainstream society. The ethnic background obstructs people to receive minimum help and assistance during the time of their need. If they need money for emergencies, ethnic people can hardly get it from colleagues and neighbors. They create a lack of faith among people from different socio-cultural backgrounds in their place. Besides, the people get in trouble for speaking due to a lack of their native (Bengali proficiency) languages. Although they can speak minimal *Bengali*, unfortunately, they do not know the ethnic language that well. In this connection, a santal (an ethnic people) stated being a member of an ethnic

community faced arrange of discrimination to get their basic needs tackling potential earthquake disasters. In this regard, a male informant said that.

*"If I need money for an emergency, I can hardly get it from my colleagues and neighbors. I get in trouble due to my lack of Bengali proficiency. I think due to cultural differences (food habits, beliefs, religion, ethnicity, etc.), I cannot interact with them well. I feel uncomfortable about sharing my perceptions, regarding the precautions to take during an earthquake. (A 42-year-old Male, own translation).*

The people living in this area have been neglected by the GoB officials from receiving any information regarding earthquake hazards. The people do not get any awareness message for avoiding the disastrous situation of the hazards to have occurred in the future. They do not get proper attention from either GoB personnel or NGO people. In this connection, a participant from an in-depth interviewee stated that,

*"I strongly believe that people do not have any evacuation plan during an earthquake. Just a few days ago, a 5.9 earthquake struck Dhaka city. I just heard that people are screaming and that is all about! No initiatives by the government and NGOs have been taken after that! This indicates that people living in this area huge negligence from the respective authorities". (A 40-year-old male, own translation).*

The lower-income people lack the required knowledge for tackling potential earthquake disasters. They do not find time for learning lessons and preparing tools for successfully coping with probable earthquake hazards. In this connection, a rickshaw puller voiced out the following statement from an in-depth interview.

*"Just a few days ago, I found some people were reading leaflets and discussing what should be done during an earthquake, whether they are inside or outside. I felt hopeless because I could neither buy helmets nor provide necessary instructions to my family, due to my illiteracy. (A 48-year-old Male, own translation).*

One of our FGD participants stated that they can assert their minimum knowledge of reserving dry food, and safe water and should keep their cattle safe from the disaster. They learned it from watching television and getting information from social media. In terms of maintaining interpersonal good relations among the neighbors in the local area are vital [13]. Neighbors help people in trouble during earthquake hazards. A college teacher stated the following statement in an in-depth interview,

*We need to make our relationship much stronger than before by helping each other in the event of an earthquake. If an earthquake occurs, there will be a need for cooperation and assistance from each other, to evacuate safely; provide food and shelter. (Female, 48 years).*

Given the consequences, one focus group (Male guardians) pointed out that they have to work for their family members when they are in danger. Again, they live together in a building as a community. So, they have great social networking influences. All members of this building help each other at their utmost need. Social networking and kinship can work here perfectly to help each other in the face of earthquake hazards. Each of them understands to be more tolerant at the time of making buildings and during a disaster. One FGD participant opined that they have

*Analysis of Social Vulnerability to Earthquake Hazards in Dhaka South City, Bangladesh Using… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108714*

#### **Figure 2.**

*Root causes of vulnerability (Source: Authors' framework, 2022).*

great social networking, family bondage, and kinship ties that influence them to mitigate the earthquake disaster. They think that they have to help and work for their family members, living in the same building, neighbors, and community members when they are in danger and in their utmost need.

The following diagram has been developed based on the informants' thoughts and statements regarding their perceptions of the root causes of earthquake hazards (**Figure 2**).

### **5. Dynamic pressures and earthquake disaster**

The dynamic pressures include rapid urbanization, foreign debt, and certain structural adjustment programs [10]. Dynamic pressures channel the root causes into forms of unsafe conditions that then must be considered concerning the different types of hazards facing people.

The dynamic factors are the appropriate skills and knowledge such as "dos and don'ts" while staying at home (e.g. under chair or table, corner to the wall, narrow space, besides hard and tall wardrobe, close the window, behind the door, on the balcony, on the bed, jump off the building), [5], while staying outside the home (i.e.- besides the building, the center of the road, beside the tree, run here and there), elderly people at home, unplanned tannery industries, unplanned commercial institutions, lack of govt. and non-govt. emergency center, and the rapid growth of unplanned residences [10].

The role of government or nongovernment organizations to make conscious people about dos and don'ts is far beyond their thinking [14]. People observe that no organizations have trained local people on how to find out escaping routes during earthquake hazards. Ironically, many unplanned high-rise masonry buildings have been built very close to the narrow roads; therefore, people have much doubt about how and where they can find out any escaping routes. In this connection, one informant stated that:

*"Neither any governmental or nongovernmental organizations have made us conscious of this nor are training far beyond our thinking. I have much doubt about how and where we can find out any escaping routes. I heard that Dhaka city is* 

*very vulnerable to earthquake hazards; thus, I would like to call attention to the government that they should take the responsibility to arrange training for the local people and build some emergency centers throughout the city as early as they can. (A 50-year-old female, own translation).*

During the construction, many people neither followed the proper building code of RAJUK nor left enough space for road and transportation. In the last 12 to 15 years, hundreds of multi-storied apartments have been built without following the building code and they have also left no gap in between the buildings. It is hardly possible to see the daylight from any room in these apartments. As the low-income people mostly live in this area, the house owners build the apartments only thinking of their accommodation. *An interview with a house owner describing the alternative escape routes due to the occurrence of a potential earthquake.* A household owner stated the following statement from the in-depth interview that.

*I observed that in the last 15 years, hundreds of buildings have been built only for profit and not taken into consideration, what would happen if an earthquake struck. These compact apartments have been illegally built by bribing the authorities; otherwise, these buildings would not have been there. I think if a strong earthquake hits the area, it will damage the buildings and endanger thousands of lives. (A 68-year-old Male, own translation).*

One of our informants from FGD told us that all the buildings are adjacent to one another. Besides, they think the tannery industry buildings were not built according to the rules and regulations of RAJUK and City Corporation. All building owners tried their best to capture all their room and space to make the best use of their expenditure. All the participants of the 3rd FGD think that all building owners of this area had the intention to make a profit from their building. All the buildings are too near to all others. Sometimes it is difficult to see the sky as they are so adjacent to one another. So, they have the potential to cause great damage or destruction if an earthquake happens.

Female guardians in the 4th FGD discussion echoed the present critical situation. She demonstrated that "road networks are not well constructed. The high density of the population creates a traffic jam in the area. At the time of the school closing,

#### **Figure 3.**

*Dynamic pressures of vulnerability (Source: Authors' framework, 2022).*

*Analysis of Social Vulnerability to Earthquake Hazards in Dhaka South City, Bangladesh Using… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.108714*

the road faces severe traffic jams. Government has little or no control over it". She added that roads are full of rubbish, and they face a lot of problems even while walking in the road. The following diagram associated with dynamic pressures and earthquake disaster perceptions has been made based on the participants' thoughts and comments on earthquake hazards (**Figure 3**).
