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. 2022 Sep;30(3):327-338.
doi: 10.1111/1468-5973.12405. Epub 2022 Mar 27.

Building community resilience during COVID-19: Learning from rural Bangladesh

Farooq Ahmad  1 , Rashedur Chowdhury  1 , Benjamin Siedler  2 , Wilson Odek  1
Affiliations

Building community resilience during COVID-19: Learning from rural Bangladesh

Farooq Ahmad et al. J Conting Crisis Manag. 2022 Sep.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought overwhelming challenges to developing countries which are already resource-constrained and lack adequate social safety nets. Specifically, lockdown has adversely impacted marginalized communities (e.g., labourer, fish wholesaler and small business owner) and informal sector employees who rely on meager daily wages for their survival. Set in the contested climate of the emergency response to the COVID-19 outbreak in Phulbari, Dinajpur, Bangladesh, we examine the early response of the community to the pandemic. Drawing on 24 in-depth interviews with members of this community, we find that the existing central and regional government structure has failed to deal with the crisis. Yet, we show how collective effort at the local community level, led by volunteers and community leaders, is crucial in the fight against hardship during lockdown.

Keywords: Covid‐19; community resilience; crisis; lockdown; marginalized community.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Map of Phulbari Upazila and surrounding areas. Source: Bangladesh National Portal (2021)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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