Cyclone Amphan: Building back with resilient infrastructure and community engagement

By Yezdani Rahman

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Cyclone Amphan, which caused massive destruction in West Bengal and adjacent areas, intensified rapidly on May 17, 2020 to become a ‘super cyclonic storm’ of category 5. It, however, weakened to category 3 before making a landfall on May 20.

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Transitional shelter, being an incremental process rather than a multi-phased approach, needs acceptance. Such rapid, post-disaster shelters are made from materials that can be upgraded or re-used in more permanent structures, or can be relocated from temporary sites to permanent locations.

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Delivering shelter-recovery programmes is complex and often subject to significant competing interests and obstacles. The needs of women, girls, men and boys and that of different households can vary significantly.

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Any future climate adaptation strategy needs to account for material needs of the most vulnerable communities, prioritising the building of a social safety net that will enable them to resume their livelihoods and continue to live with dignity.

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