Does forecast-based financing (FbF) lower women's vulnerability to flooding?

Forecast-based financing (FbF) is gaining traction globally in the humanitarian sector as a critical tool for reducing disaster risk. Global and national literature on FbF mainly shed light on the effectiveness in reducing household-level vulnerability without a particular focus on women's spec...

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Main Authors: Fabiha Rahman, Shampa, Sonia Binte Murshed, Mashfiqus Salehin, Faisal Mahmud Sakib, Erin Coughlan de Perez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-12-01
Series:Progress in Disaster Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590061724000796
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author Fabiha Rahman
Shampa
Sonia Binte Murshed
Mashfiqus Salehin
Faisal Mahmud Sakib
Erin Coughlan de Perez
author_facet Fabiha Rahman
Shampa
Sonia Binte Murshed
Mashfiqus Salehin
Faisal Mahmud Sakib
Erin Coughlan de Perez
author_sort Fabiha Rahman
collection DOAJ
description Forecast-based financing (FbF) is gaining traction globally in the humanitarian sector as a critical tool for reducing disaster risk. Global and national literature on FbF mainly shed light on the effectiveness in reducing household-level vulnerability without a particular focus on women's specific vulnerability. This study uses qualitative methods to analyze rural Bangladeshi women's riverine flood challenges and whether the FbF has reduced their vulnerability to flooding. The study was conducted in two distinct geographical settings in northern Bangladesh: Charland (river island) and Mainland, without flood embankment protection. The findings reveal that FbF cash assistance primarily aided rural women in reducing the financial vulnerability of their households. Spending the cash assistance on buying food and boat evacuation directly benefits women and men alike and reduces the need for taking loans. However, no spending was made on women's personal utility and safety needs before, during, and after the flood. Charland and Mainland females faced barriers to basic utility and hygiene services, with Charland women faring slightly better. Our findings suggest that existing rural socio-cultural norms, cash disbursement timing, and other factors influenced women's cash aid anticipatory action choices, and the humanitarian actors and recipients should coordinate to improve the situation.
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issn 2590-0617
language English
publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Elsevier
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series Progress in Disaster Science
spelling doaj-art-68fdab6f6c31446ca510bd39edb080aa2025-08-20T02:49:06ZengElsevierProgress in Disaster Science2590-06172024-12-012410038910.1016/j.pdisas.2024.100389Does forecast-based financing (FbF) lower women's vulnerability to flooding?Fabiha Rahman0 Shampa1Sonia Binte Murshed2Mashfiqus Salehin3Faisal Mahmud Sakib4Erin Coughlan de Perez5Institute of Water and Flood Management, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka 1000, BangladeshInstitute of Water and Flood Management, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka 1000, Bangladesh; Corresponding author.Institute of Water and Flood Management, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka 1000, BangladeshInstitute of Water and Flood Management, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka 1000, BangladeshInstitute of Water and Flood Management, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Dhaka 1000, BangladeshFriedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, United States of AmericaForecast-based financing (FbF) is gaining traction globally in the humanitarian sector as a critical tool for reducing disaster risk. Global and national literature on FbF mainly shed light on the effectiveness in reducing household-level vulnerability without a particular focus on women's specific vulnerability. This study uses qualitative methods to analyze rural Bangladeshi women's riverine flood challenges and whether the FbF has reduced their vulnerability to flooding. The study was conducted in two distinct geographical settings in northern Bangladesh: Charland (river island) and Mainland, without flood embankment protection. The findings reveal that FbF cash assistance primarily aided rural women in reducing the financial vulnerability of their households. Spending the cash assistance on buying food and boat evacuation directly benefits women and men alike and reduces the need for taking loans. However, no spending was made on women's personal utility and safety needs before, during, and after the flood. Charland and Mainland females faced barriers to basic utility and hygiene services, with Charland women faring slightly better. Our findings suggest that existing rural socio-cultural norms, cash disbursement timing, and other factors influenced women's cash aid anticipatory action choices, and the humanitarian actors and recipients should coordinate to improve the situation.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590061724000796FloodVulnerabilityGenderAnticipatory actionForecast-based financing
spellingShingle Fabiha Rahman
Shampa
Sonia Binte Murshed
Mashfiqus Salehin
Faisal Mahmud Sakib
Erin Coughlan de Perez
Does forecast-based financing (FbF) lower women's vulnerability to flooding?
Progress in Disaster Science
Flood
Vulnerability
Gender
Anticipatory action
Forecast-based financing
title Does forecast-based financing (FbF) lower women's vulnerability to flooding?
title_full Does forecast-based financing (FbF) lower women's vulnerability to flooding?
title_fullStr Does forecast-based financing (FbF) lower women's vulnerability to flooding?
title_full_unstemmed Does forecast-based financing (FbF) lower women's vulnerability to flooding?
title_short Does forecast-based financing (FbF) lower women's vulnerability to flooding?
title_sort does forecast based financing fbf lower women s vulnerability to flooding
topic Flood
Vulnerability
Gender
Anticipatory action
Forecast-based financing
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590061724000796
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