Bangladesh is one of the countries most threatened by climate change and floods. To help people survive, architect Marina Tabassum designed the “Khudi Bari” or “tiny house”. It is a two-storey home on bamboo stilts that can rise above the water and move to different locations. It is also cheap, eco-friendly, and beautiful. Tabassum said she wanted to give the flood-affected people dignity and hope.
Char Shildaha, Bangladesh (AFP) - Marina Tabassum, an award-winning architect in Bangladesh, has developed an ingenious two-floor housing solution to help people survive the floods that are worsened by climate change. Bangladesh is one of the nations most at risk from these extreme weather events.
This year, when the annual monsoon floodwaters swelled the country's mighty Brahmaputra river, 40-year-old farmer Abu Sayeed did not have to abandon his home for the first time in his life. He simply climbed up a ladder and waited out the waters.
The "Khudi Bari" or "tiny house" is a resilient home made on bamboo stilts that rises above the floodwaters. It is also easy to move to safer locations when needed. It offers hope to millions of people who live on Bangladesh's vast river floodplains, where the fertile soil is good for the maize and chilli crops they grow.
"Khudi Bari has saved us," Sayeed told AFP. "We did not leave. We slept on the upper floor. I hope we will never have to flee our homes thanks to this house."
A nation under water
According to the environmental rights organisation Germanwatch, Bangladesh is the seventh most vulnerable country to extreme weather caused by climate change and rising sea levels.
Much of Bangladesh is made up of deltas formed by the Himalayan rivers of the Ganges and Brahmaputra. They slowly wind through the low-lying country towards the sea.
With millions of people at risk, relocating them to higher ground is a near-impossible task.
"Fleeing your home during the floods is part of your life," said Sayeed, from the northern village of Shildaha, where 17 prototype Khudi Bari houses have been built by Tabassum.
"And often, when the floodwater recedes, you come back to see that your goods were all stolen."
'Climate preparedness'
Scientists warn of the growing impact of climate change. It increases the intensity of monsoon rains and causes the ice in the Himalayas to melt faster than ever before.
Floods in 2022 in Bangladesh's northeastern Sylhet region were some of the worst on record. They left millions stranded and around a hundred killed.
The government has built thousands of strong shelters for cyclones, which are the equivalent of hurricanes in the North Atlantic or typhoons in the Northwest Pacific. They can withstand the severe storms that are also increasing in regularity.
But while these shelters reduce fatalities, they are suitable only for hunkering down during the short span of a storm.
However, floods can swamp land for months.
Tabassum therefore worked to design a home for the "lowest cost possible for those in need". She used locally available materials, such as bamboo poles and metal sheeting.
She is the winner of the Aga Khan Award for architecture for her design of the Bait-ur-Rouf Mosque in Dhaka. She is also the designer of the country's Independence Monument. She developed prototype shelters to test them against flash flooding and storm winds.
A 'tiny' solution
The Khudi Bari houses are designed to be modular, lightweight and adaptable. They can be assembled and disassembled in a matter of hours. They can also be transported by boat or truck to different locations.
The lower floor is used for storage and cooking, while the upper floor is used for sleeping and living. The houses are equipped with solar panels, rainwater harvesting systems and composting toilets.
The houses are also aesthetically pleasing, with colourful patterns and motifs inspired by local culture and nature.
Tabassum said she wanted to create a "dignified" living space for the flood-affected people, who often lack basic amenities and security.
"I wanted to give them a sense of ownership and pride," she said. "I wanted to show them that they are not helpless, that they can be part of the solution."