DISASTER MANAGEMENT

DRIVERS IN BANGLADESH

Netai Dey Sarker

Master of Disaster Mitigation (GRIPS, Japan), M.Sc. (DU)
PGD in Tsunami Disaster Mitigation (IISEE, Japan)
PGC in DRM & EA in Spatial Planning (ITC, Netherlands)
Department of Disaster Management
netai@mail.com
 Country Profile: Bangladesh
• Total Geographic Area : 144,000 km2
• Total population : 160 million
• Population density: 1174/km2
• Total Urban Population : 42 million
• Population in Dhaka (mega city): 15 million
• Floodplains: 80% of total areas
• Located at fragile deltaic flood-plain
• Around 300 rivers (57 Trans boundary rivers)
• High-risk to recurrent natural disasters

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Major Hazards in Bangladesh
 Flood and Flash Flood
 Cyclone and Storm Surge
 River Bank Erosion
 Tornado
 Landslide
 Drought
 Earthquake
BD Hazard Profile
DROUGHT
Affects 8.3 million ha land
In 2006, reduced food grains by 1 million tons
Loss of grazing fields, dried ponds, water
shortage
FLASH FLOOD
Damages standing crops
Damages infrastructures and facilities
Unpredictable, uncertain
FLOOD
Inundates more areas, increases river erosion
Breaches embankments, damages
infrastructures
Loss of crops, fisheries, livestock, biodiversity
SALINITY INTRUSION
Sea level rise, damage to Sundarbans watersheds
Damages crop lands
Spreading intrusion from 1.5 to 2.5 Mha (2007)
Lack drinking water, burden to women &
children Projected displacement: 6-8 m by 2050
CYCLONE
Remain to be the deadliest and most destructive
hazardRecurring event Lingering aftermath,
complex recovery Improved preparedness (CPP,
shelters, embankments)
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Vulnerability Profile
Hazards Flood Flash Drought Cyclone
Flood salinity
Vulnerable land area (%) 61.09 23.09 45.89 31.99
Vulnerable population (%) 71.47 26.75 45.73 26.71

One of the most densely populated countries:

• Total land area = 147,570 km2
• Total Population = 142,319 thousand
(Population and Housing census 2011 Preliminary Results, July 2011 )

Persistent rural poverty

Fast urbanisation with growing urban poor
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 Key Factors of Vulnerability

 Global Warming and Climate Change

 Geographical location
 Dominance of floodplains
 Low elevation from the sea
 High population density
 High level of poverty
 Rapid and unplanned urbanization
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 Major Disasters in Bangladesh
Year Disaster Death
1970 Cyclone 300,000
1988 Flood 2373
1988 Cyclone 5707
1991 Cyclone (Gorky) 138,868
1996 Tornado 545
1997 Cyclone 550
1998 Flood 1050
2004 Flood 747
2007 Flood 1071
2007 Cyclone (Sidr) 3406
2009 Cyclone (Aila) 190
 Major Earthquakes Affecting Bangladesh
Date Name of Magnitude Intensity Epicentral
Earthquake (Richter) at Dhaka Distance from
(EMS) Dhaka (km)

10 January, Cachar 7.5 V 250

1869 Earthquake
14 July, Bengal 7.0 VII 170
1885 Earthquake
12 June, Great Indian 8.7* VIII+ 230
1897 Earthquake
8 July, 1918 Srimongal 7.6 VI 150
Earthquake
2 July, 1930 Dhubri 7.1 V+ 250
Earthquake
15 January, Bihar-Nepal 8.3 IV 510
1934 Earthquake
15 August, Assam 8.5 IV 780
1950 Earthquake
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GoB Vision for Disaster Management:
 To reduce the vulnerability of the poor to the
effects of natural, environmental and human
induced hazards to a manageable and acceptable
humanitarian level

MoFDM Mission:
 To bring a paradigm shift in disaster management
from conventional response and relief to a more
comprehensive risk reduction culture
Overall Objective:
 To strengthen the capacity of the Bangladesh
Disaster Management System to reduce
unacceptable risk and improve response and
recovery management at all levels
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 GoB Capacity
in Urban Disaster Management
 Specialized Ministry for Disaster Management and Relief
 Creation of Department of Disaster Management Bureau (DDM):
shifting focus from relief to disaster management specially to risk
reduction culture.
 Developing Urban Volunteer: building a network of 62,000 trained
volunteers for major cities
 Revision of SOD (Standing Order on Disaster): establishing
mechanisms and procedures for effective response at all levels during
disaster emergency including urban areas
 Established Disaster Management Information Centre (DMIC) down to
Upazilla level to support info management & Coordination
 Initiate formulation of ‘Comprehensive Disaster Management
Framework’ involving all disaster stakeholders including donor
community
 The presence of vibrant NGO communities, disaster vulnerable
people demonstrates strong coping capacity to face the disaster
challenges
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 Disaster Management Drivers

National Drivers
o Standing Orders on Disaster (SoD)

o National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) 2010-2015

o Disaster Management Act 2012

o Seventh Five Year Plan (SFYP)

International Drivers
o Sendai Framework for Action (SFA) 2016-2030

o Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

o United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change (UNFCCC)
o SAARC Framework for Action (SFA) 2006-2015

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REVISED STANDING ORDERS ON
DISASTER (SOD)
What’s new?
 Change in focus from conventional
relief and response to disaster risk
reduction culture
 More Focused on Disaster Risk
Reduction (DRR)
 Earthquake, Tsunami, Landslide
and Fire are included
 Regulative Framework are in placed

 National Mechanism for Policy

Guidance and Coordination is
elaborated
 Gender, Children, Disable and
Elderly people issues are well taken
 Multi-agency Disaster Incident
Management System is outlined
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National Plan For Disaster Management
(NPDM) 2010-2015
Objectives
• Articulate the vision and goals
for disaster management
• Outline the strategic direction
and priorities to guide the
design and implementation of
DM policies and programs with
national and international
commitments
• Illustrate to other ministries,
NGOs, civil society and the
private sector how their work
can contribute to the
achievements of the strategic
goals and GoB vision on DM

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 STRATEGIC GOALS OF THE PLAN

Goal 1: Professionalising the Disaster Management

System
Goal 2: Mainstreaming Risk Reduction
Goal3: Strengthening Institutional Mechanisms
Goal 4: Empowering at Risk Communities
Goal 5: Expanding Risk Reduction Programming
Goal 6: Strengthening Emergency Response
Systems
Goal 7: Developing and Strengthening Networks

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 Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA)
2005 – 2015
“Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters”

• Adopted by 168 countries as a ‘Framework for

Action’ at 2005 World Conference on Disaster
Reduction (WCDR), Kobe - Japan

• It emphasises on substantial reduction of disaster

losses, in lives and in the social, economic, and
environmental assets of communities and
countries

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 HFA: Strategic Goals

• The integration of disaster risk reduction

into sustainable development policies and
planning

• The development and strengthening of

institutions, mechanisms and capacities to
build resilience to hazards

• The systematic incorporation of risk

reduction approaches into the
implementation of emergency preparedness,
response and recovery programmes
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 HFA: Five Priorities
1. Governance Ensure that disaster risk reduction is a
national and local priority with strong
institutional basis for implementation
2. Risk identification Identify, assess and monitor disaster risks
and enhance early warning
3. Knowledge Use knowledge, innovation and education
to build a culture of safety and resilience at
all levels
4. Reducing the Mainstreaming in various sectors
underlying risk (environment, agriculture, health, social
factors support, Insurance, industry, livelihoods
and risk transfer, critical infrastructure and
construction, etc.)
5. Preparedness for Strengthen disaster preparedness for
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response effective response at all levels
 Disaster Management Coordination
National Disaster Management Council
(NDMC)

Policy
Formulating & Inter Ministerial National Earthquake National Disaster
Coordinating Disaster Management Coordination Preparedness & Awaren. Management Advisory
Committees at Committee (IMDMCC) Committee (NEPAC) Committee (NDMAC)
National Level

Specific Committees Headed

by DG, DDM for Policy
Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief
Formulation and Coordination
Disaster Management
Department of Disaster Training & Awareness
Implementing & Coordinating Management (DDM) Taskforce (DMTATF)
Committees at Field Level
Focal Point Operational
District Disaster Co-ordination Group
Management Committee (FPOCG)
Management Committee

City Corporation
Municipal Disaster

Disaster Management NGO Co-ordination

Committee Committee (NGOCC)

Upazila Disaster Management Committee Speedy Dissemination

and Determination of
Strategy of Special
Union Disaster Management Committee Weather Bulletin
(CSDDWS)
 “Invest Today
for
Safer Tomorrow”

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