The World Bank has approved a $500 million credit to help Bangladesh reinforce its disaster management capacity against inland flooding in 14 flood-prone districts. Reportedly, the Resilient Infrastructure for Adaptation and Vulnerability Reduction (RIVER) project will help Bangladesh reduce vulnerability to riverine and flash floods by constructing over 500 multipurpose flood shelters, access roads, and climate-resilient community infrastructure. It is envisaged that the scheme will help strengthen the capacity of communities and government agencies to prepare and respond to floods
Bangladesh has advanced quite a lot in disaster management. Over the years, the country has earned a good reputation as well as international recognition for efficient management of disasters. The country has become a role model for others in managing disaster situations of varied nature. Despite its limited capabilities, the country has taken many initiatives to address climate change and spent a lot of money from its own funds. However, still we need to do a lot more to take our disaster preparedness to a higher level.
Disaster management system of the
country needs further development
Disaster management system of the country needs further development. It requires more focused initiatives for increasing the capacity of the authorities concerned, including both public and private agencies. Our country is currently lacking resources to stand against natural disasters but with proper implementation of new technologies, we can save lives and reduce the negative impact of disasters. Moreover, a higher number of education and training programmes in disaster-prone areas should be carried out in order to develop professionalism in disaster management system.
It is not always possible to predict a disaster but if we take adequate preparation we can certainly minimise loss and damage caused by a disaster. We need to invest more in creating awareness among general people about disaster preparedness. We should effectively utilise local knowledge about disaster management and disseminate it to a wider audience. It is time to develop our disaster management capacity to cope with the changing nature of disasters. As disaster management is a holistic process, we all must put forth our concerned efforts to tackle catastrophes.
