Who comes back for you?

In the river delta of Bangladesh, floods return every year. Cyclones, heavy rainfall and rising salinity repeatedly force communities to leave their homes.

When the water rises, there are often only a few hours to evacuate. Families gather what they can while roads and footpaths gradually disappear beneath the water.

 

But not everyone can leave at the same moment. What happens when your safety depends on someone else coming back for you?

For some people, evacuation begins with waiting. Waiting for a neighbour to return. For a family member to finish securing the house. For someone who can push a wheelchair through the mud or carry a person across flooded terrain.

 

Millions of people with disabilities live in areas of Bangladesh that are increasingly exposed to floods and cyclones. Many already face barriers to healthcare, education, employment and mobility. During a disaster, those inequalities become more dangerous. Warning systems may not reach everyone, evacuation routes become inaccessible and shelters are often not designed for people who need physical assistance or continued care.

 

Research by the Liliane Foundation found that around 80% of children and young people with disabilities felt more severely affected by climate-related disasters than others. A similar proportion reported receiving no direct support during evacuation.

 

Yet in some villages, another way of preparing for rising water is beginning to emerge. Communities are identifying in advance who may need assistance, who will alert them and who will accompany or carry them to safety. Evacuations are practised before the emergency begins. Accessibility is no longer treated as an afterthought, but as a shared responsibility.

 

In a landscape where floods return each year and are becoming more extreme, the project asks a simple but urgent question: What does it take to make sure no one is left behind?