Waterproof Bunkers

ENTRY DATE: 27.04.2015 | LAST UPDATE: 27.04.2015

CATEGORIES:

  • Disaster Prevention
  • Construction of infrastructure

TECHNOLOGIES MATURITY:

Applicable immediately

Technology Owners:

  • Community
  • NGOs – e.g. Action Aid in Bangladesh

Needs Address

Measures against erosion, storm surges, flooding, and inundation

Adaptation effects

Enhanced adaptation capacity

Overview and Features

Waterproof bunkers are constructed underneath the houses or community buildings to enable quick and safe storage of assets during cyclones and flash floods. 

Cost

Costs for materials, construction, and repairs

Energy source

construction

Ease of maintenance

Low level of maintenance required, though bunkers should be checked for damage after extreme events and repaired if necessary

Technology performance

The technology has protected assets from impacts in coastal Bangladesh, reducing fatality, injury and economic losses

Considerations

  • Bunkers must be located in accessible places close to  people’s homes to enable easy transportation of material assets
  • If community owned, bunkers must be well managed, with a trusted team being responsible for recording stored items
  • Technical knowledge needed to design the bunker and advise on suitable loading quantities and weights – communities can work with designers to ensure it is designed according to their needs

Co-benefit, suitability for developing countries

  • Can be constructed from locally available materials and therefore easily implemented and maintained by the community
  • Can be financially subsidised by governments 

Information Resources

Adapt Cap, 2012. Cyclone Resistant Causeway over the Buckingham Canal and Fishing Equipment Shed at Ramudupalli Palem and Sri Ramapuram, Nellore District, Andhara Pradesh. Available at: http://www.adaptcap.in/projects/ramudupalli-palem-and-sri-ramapuram-adaptation-project/ [23 March 2015]

Raihan, M.S., Huq, M.J., Alsted, N.G., and Andreasen, M.H. 2010. Understanding climate change from below, addressing barriers from above: Practical experience and learning from a community-based adaptation project in Bangladesh. Action Aid Bangladesh. Available at: http://www.actionaid.org/bangladesh/publications/moving-towards-transformed-resilience-assessing-community-based-adaptation [21 January 2015] [

Faulkner ,L., Ali,I., 2012. Moving Towards Transformed Resilience: Assessing community-based adaptation in Bangladesh.  Action Aid Bangladesh.  Available at: http://www.actionaid.org/sites/files/actionaid/pages_1-33.pdf [20 March 2015]