Community Participation in Disaster Recovery Programs: A Study of a Coastal Area in Bangladesh

This study explores disaster-affected local community participation in disaster recovery programs led by governmental organizations (GOs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Focusing on programming in response to the devastating cyclone Aila in the coastal areas in Bangladesh in 2009, the study employed a mixed-method approach using qualitative data (interviews and focus groups) and quantitative data (surveys). Quantitative findings reveal a moderate level of participation in all four stages (decision-making, implementation, benefit sharing, and evaluation) in GO and NGO recovery projects. Qualitative findings reveal that the decision-making process was controlled by project authorities, local elites, and power politics; community participation was limited to passive participation. Furthermore, findings suggest that GO-led programs as less effective in facilitating community participation, compared with NGO-led programs. Findings point to the need for policymakers and practitioners to view community participation not as a monolithic concept, but as a multi-dimensional, dynamic process that can be facilitated more effectively when disaster recovery programming and policies are targeted and intentional in aiming for partnerships and empowerment especially during decision-making phases of programming, rather than nominal forms of community participation. Further, findings call for comparative studies of GO-led and NGO-led programs to better understand organizational culture and institutional mechanisms and their differential impact on community participation during disaster recovery.