Mapping ‘human experience' is an important tool for managing disaster recovery

As natural disasters get worse around the world, it's become very clear how important it is to map human experience to handle disasters. Because of climate change, more people living in cities, and damage to the environment, disasters are happening more often and with more force. Bangladesh, which is prone to floods, cyclones, and other natural disasters, is a sharp reminder of the need for a more people-centered approach to disaster prevention. The recent terrible floods in northern Bangladesh have shown how important it is to include human experience mapping in crisis management plans to save lives, ease suffering, and make communities stronger.

How can past experiences help prevent disasters?

When talking about disasters, "Human Experience" includes what people remember, how they feel, what they do, and how they react before, during, and after a disaster. In the past, disaster management was mostly about building up infrastructure, using technology to help, and making sure that everything ran smoothly. Even though these are important parts, they don't consider the complex human factors that can have a big effect on how well crisis response and recovery efforts work. To map the human experience, we need to know how people think about risks, how they get ready for and react to disasters, and how they deal with what happens afterward. It also means being aware of the psychological, cultural, and economic factors that affect these events. With this knowledge, we can make disaster relief plans that are more targeted, efficient, and humane.

The 2024 floods in northern Bangladesh are a good example.

Northern Bangladesh was hit hard by floods in July 2024. These events show how important it is to include people's experiences in crisis management. The heavy monsoon rains caused the floods, which flooded large areas of land, forced hundreds of thousands of people to leave their homes, damaged infrastructure, and destroyed ways of making a living. One of the worst floods in recent years hit the areas that were hit, especially the districts of Kurigram, Gaibandha, and Jamalpur.

Even though the Bangladesh Meteorological Department sent out warnings, many people either didn't know how bad the rains were going to be or weren't able to leave in time. Many people become lazy because they have been through storms that weren't as bad in the past. Others didn't want to leave their homes and things behind because they were afraid of losing their animals, which are very important to their way of life. Furthermore, it was very hard for some disadvantaged groups, like the old, the disabled, and the poor, to get early warning information and evacuation services.

What happened after the rains brought about more problems. Even though help arrived quickly, it was often hard to help because there wasn't enough accurate information about the people who were most at risk. There were times when aid didn't get to the people who needed it the most, which made many victims angry that it wasn't being distributed properly. It was also important that the disaster's psychological effects, especially on children and the elderly, were not properly handled.

These gaps show the flaws in conventional disaster management methods that focus on the practical and physical parts without considering how people will be affected.

Why is it Important to Map Human Experience?

It is very important to include mapping of human experience in disaster mitigation methods if you want to handle disasters well. This method can lead to several important benefits, including:

Improvements to Early Warning Systems: Early warning systems can be made more useful by learning how different communities see and react to danger. For example, using local languages, traditional ways of communicating, and messages that are important to the culture can make it much easier for people to get and understand warnings.

Targeted evacuation plans: Mapping the human experience can help figure out the needs of elderly, disabled, and children, making sure that evacuation plans are effective and include everyone. It can also help people who don't want to evacuate because they're afraid of things like theft or losing their jobs by giving them safe ways to keep their things safe.

Culturally Sensitive Relief Efforts: It is easier to get help from people who need it when we know how their social and cultural lives work. This means considering things like gender roles, dietary tastes, and religious practices that might affect how well and how quickly relief materials are accepted.

Support for the mind: Recovery from a disaster must take care of more than just physical health needs. By making a map of the emotional and mental experiences of disaster victims, support programs can be made that meet their needs and help them heal faster and in a more complete way.

Building community resilience: Getting people in a community involved in mapping their experiences makes them feel like they own their experiences and gives them power. These changes can help create resilience plans that are driven by local needs and will work better and last longer.

Advice on How to Include Human Experience Mapping in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is prone to natural disasters, especially floods. To make sure that human experience mapping is part of disaster mitigation methods, the following suggestions are very important:

Localised Risk Perception Studies: Do study in our community to find out how different groups see and react to disaster risks. This information can help make early warning tools and risk communication plans work better.

Make sure escape plans are inclusive: when we make our plans, we should think about the needs of vulnerable groups. This includes making sure that people with disabilities can get around, giving animals safe places to stay, and providing transportation for people who don't have their own cars.

Train Local Volunteers: Give local volunteers the tools they need to make maps and write down what people in the community are doing before, during, and after tragedies. These volunteers can help connect the community with emergency management officials and make sure that the community's needs and points of view are heard.

Add psychological first aid to disaster response: Teach emergency response teams how to help victims' mental health first, especially kids and the elderly, who are more likely to be traumatised. Set up long-term services to help people with their mental health in the affected places.

Encourage Community Participation in Disaster Planning: Get groups involved in planning how to prepare for and respond to disasters. This method that involves everyone makes sure that strategies are based on what's happening in the area and are more likely to be accepted and used effectively.

Since Bangladesh and other sensitive areas are still at high risk from natural disasters, human experience mapping is no longer a nice-to-have, it is a must-have for disaster mitigation plans. The recent floods in northern Bangladesh are a strong reminder of how standard ways of handling disasters don't work and how we need a more people-centered approach. By recognising and including the lived experiences of those affected, we can make crisis mitigation plans that are more effective, fair, and caring. These plans will not only save lives, but they will also protect the dignity and well-being of those who are most at risk.

Dr Sajal Chowdhury is an architect, educator at the Department of Architecture, CUET and researcher focusing on Environmental Experience Design, Architectural Science and Well-being.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.