THE BANGLADESH CYCLONE OF 1991 - WHY SO MANY PEOPLE DIED

Living with natural disasters has become a way of life in Bangladesh. On the night of 29 April 1991 a severe cyclonic storm, accompanied by tidal surges up to 30 feet high, battered the coastal areas of Banglad esh for 3 - 4 hours. Thousands of people were killed and property wort h billions of dollars was destroyed. After the cyclone, several studie s, using epidemiological and anthropological methods, looked at the im pact of the cyclone. It was estimated that over 67,000 people lost the ir lives. Women, children and the elderly were much more at risk and s o were those from the socio-economically disadvantaged section of the population. Cyclone shelters were few in relation to need but proved v ery helpful in saving lives. At least 20 per cent more deaths would ha ve occurred in the absence of these shelters. The article documents im pressive improvements in Bangladesh's ability to cope and makes recomm endations for the future.