Brief history of bangladesh

Brief History of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a low-lying deltaic country in South Asia formed by the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna rivers. It is a land of about 144 million people within its 147,570 sq. km territory. More than 310 rivers and tributaries have made this country a land of rivers. Diversified cultural heritage, archaeological sites and natural beauty of the country have made this land attractive.

The country has the world’s longest unbroken sandy beach of 120 km, sloping gently down to the blue water of the Bay of Bengal. Around 52% percent of the civilian labour force of the country is engaged in agriculture and 14% is engaged in industry. Per capita GDP for 2005-2006 was US $ 418.

Since independence in 1971, Bangladesh has achieved substantial improvements in some social indicators like decrease in infant and maternal mortality, and illiteracy, increase in life expectancy, access to safe water and sanitation.

However, approximately 40% of the population still continues to live below the poverty line (BBS, 2006). Economic performance of the country has been relatively strong since 1990, with an annual 5% average GDP growth rate. Although half of the GDP is generated through the service sector, nearly two thirds of Bangladeshis are employed in the agriculture sector with paddy as the single most important product.

The geographical location, land characteristics, multiplicity of rivers and the monsoon climate render Bangladesh highly vulnerable to natural hazards.

Hazards in Bangladesh Bangladesh is exposed to natural hazards such as- floods, river erosion, cyclones, droughts, tornadoes, cold waves, earthquakes, drainage congestion/water logging, arsenic contamination, salinity intrusion etc. But the nature of occurrence, season and extent of effect of the hazards are not the same in all places.

Flood Floods are annual phenomena with the most severe occurring during the months of July and August.

Regular river floods affect 20% of the country increasing up to 68% in extreme years. The floods of 1988, 1998 and 2004 were particularly catastrophic, resulting in large-scale destruction and loss of lives. Approximately 37%, 43%, 52% and 68% of the country is inundated with floods of return.

Types of flood: Four types of flooding occur in Bangladesh.

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Flash floods caused by overflowing of hilly rivers of eastern and northern Bangladesh (in April-May and September-November).

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Rain floods caused by drainage congestion and heavy rains.

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Monsoon floods caused by major rivers usually in the monsoon (during June-September).

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Coastal floods caused by storm surges.

The 1988 flood affected about two-third area of the country. The 1998 flood alone caused 1,100 deaths, rendered 30 million people homeless, damaged 500,000 homes and caused heavy loss to infrastructure. The 1998 flood lasted for 65 days from July 12 to September 14 and affected about

67% area of the country. This devastating flood had an enormous impact on the national economy, in addition to causing hardships for people, and disrupting livelihood systems in urban and rural areas.

In the year 2000, Bangladesh faced an unusual flood over its usually flood-free south western plain, which also caused loss of life and massive damage to property.

In 2004, floods inundated about 38% of the country. About 747 people lost their lives. About 2500 kilometres of embankment were damaged. About 74 primary school buildings were washed away.

This flood caused economic loss of about US$ 2200 Million. Floods continue to be major hazards in Bangladesh. To mitigate the impacts of floods, the government has been developing and implementing various measures to better equip the country to deal with floods. The Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) is leading the country on flood mitigation initiatives. Important initiatives include Flood Action Plan, Flood Hydrology Study, Flood Management Model Study, National Water Management Plan, National Water Policy, Flood Early Warning System Study, etc.

Cyclones and Storm Surges Tropical cyclones from the Bay of Bengal accompanied by storm surges are one of the major disasters in Bangladesh. The country is one of the worst sufferers of all cyclonic casualties in the world. The high number of casualties is due to the fact that cyclones are always associated with storm surges.

Storm surge height in excess of 9m is not uncommon in this region. For example, the 1876 cyclone had a surge height of 13.6 m and in 1970 the height was 9.11 m. In fact, the 1970 Cyclone is the deadliest Cyclone that has hit Bangladesh coastline. With a wind-speed of about 224 km per hour and associated storm surge of 6.1 to 9.11 Metre, it was responsible for death of about 300,000 people.

Tornado The two transitional periods between southwest and northeast monsoons over the Indian sub-continent are characterized by local severe storms. The transitional periods are usually referred to as premonsoon (March-May), and post-monsoon (October- November). It is the pre-monsoon period when most of the abnormal rainfall or drought conditions frequently occur in different parts of Bangladesh.

Also there are severe local seasonal storms, popularly known as nor’westers (kalbaishakhi). Severe nor’westers are generally associated with tornadoes. Tornadoes are embedded within a mother thunder cloud, and moves along the direction of the squall of the mother storm. The frequency of devastating nor’westers usually reaches the maximum in April, while a few occur in May, and the minimum in March. Nor’westers and tornadoes are more frequent in the afternoon. Table 2 shows some of the devastating nor’westers and tornadoes that hit Bangladesh. Nor’westers may occur in late February due to early withdrawal of winter from Bangladesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, and adjoining areas. The occasional occurrence of nor’westers in early June is due to delay in the onset of the southwest monsoon over the region.

Wind-speeds in nor’westers usually do not exceed 113-130 km/hr (70-80 miles/hr), though often their speeds exceed 162 km/hr (100 miles/hr). When the winds become whirling with funnel shaped clouds having a speed of several hundred kilometers or miles per hour, they are called tornados. Nor’westers bring the much needed pre-monsoon rain. They can also cause a lot of havoc and destruction.

Tornados are suddenly formed and are extremely localized in nature and of brief duration. Thus, it is very difficult to locate them or forecast their occurrence with the techniques available at present.

However, high-resolution satellite pictures, suitable radar, and a network of densely spaced meteorological observatories could be useful for the prediction or for issuing warnings of nor’westers and tornados.

River Bank Erosion Rivers in Bangladesh are morphologically highly dynamic. The main rivers are braided, and form islands or chars between the braiding channels. These chars, of which many are inhabited, "move with the flow" and are extremely sensitive to changes in the river conditions. Erosion processes are highly unpredictable, and not compensated by accretion. These processes also have dramatic consequences in the lives of people living in those areas.

A study concluded in 1991 reported that: out of the 462 administrative units in the country, 100 were subject to some form of riverbank erosion, of which 35 were serious, and affected about 1 million people on a yearly basis. Around 10,000 hectares land is eroded by river per year in Bangladesh.

Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogra, Sirajganj, Tangail, Pabna and Manikganj districts lie in the erosion prone area along Jamuna River. Erosion of total area and settlement is higher along the left bank than that of the right bank. Along Padma River, there are the districts of Rajbari, Faridpur, Manikganj, Dhaka, Munshiganj, Shariatpur and Chandpur. A recent study shows that bank erosion along Padma River during 1973 – 2004 was 29,390 hectares and along Jamuna River during 1973 – 2004, it was 87,790 hectares. As relevant to this study, loss of land, settlements, roads and embankments due to erosion in 2004 in Sirajganj and Faridpur districts.

Earthquake Bangladesh and the northeastern Indian states have long been one of the seismically active regions of the world, and have experienced numerous large earthquakes during the past 200 years. The catastrophic earthquakes of 1762 and 1782 are believed to have been partially responsible for the diversion of the main flow of the Old Brahmaputra River from the west to present Jamuna river and main flow of the Arial Khan river to the present Padma channel. Since 1860 over 20 shallow and intermediate earthquake epicenters have been recorded in Bangladesh and the surrounding areas. Lots of seismo-tectonic studies have been undertaken on the area comprising the Indo- Burman ranges and their western extension and in the northern India. A seismicity map of Bangladesh and its adjoining areas has also been prepared by BMD and GSB. Bangladesh has been classified into three seismic zones with zone-3 the most and zone-1 the least vulnerable to seismic risks.

Tsunami Before the Asia Tsunami 2004, a few Bangladeshis ever thought that Bangladesh was vulnerable to tsunami hazards. However, the 2004 Asia Tsunami raised the question why Bangladesh was not hit by the Tsunami. Bangladeshi scientists put together the following reasons: 1. Long distance from the Epicenter 2. Long Continental Shelf (about 200 km) at the front of Ganges- Brahmaputra active Delta System.

3. Thick sedimentation in Bengal fan 4. High density of sea-water in Bay of Bengal around / along the coast.

5. Anti-clockwise oceanic current at Bay of Bengal (winter time) considering the state of tsunami vulnerability and potential seismic sources, Geological Survey of Bangladesh has divided the Bangladesh coastal belt into three zones:

a. Tsunami Vulnerable Zone- I (Chittagong - Teknaf coastline) Most vulnerable: The intra-deltaic coastline is very close to the tectonic interface of Indian and Burmese plates. The active Andaman-Nicobar fault system is often capable of generating tsunami waves. b. Tsunami Vulnerable Zone- II (Sundarban - Barisal coastline)– Moderately vulnerable.

This old deltaic belt is extremely vulnerable to local tsunamis due to presence of Swatch of no Ground. c. Tsunami Vulnerable Zone- III (Barisal - Sandwip estuarine coastline)– Low vulnerability.

The estuarine coastal belt considered to be less vulnerable due to presence of numerous islets and shoals in the upper regime of the continental shelf. Bangladesh needs detailed study to scientifically assess the Tsunami vulnerability.

Bangladesh also needs to develop a Tsunami early warning system and mass awareness of Tsunami threat at the coastal areas.

Disaster Management Programs in Bangladesh Disaster Management Vision The Disaster Management Vision of the Government of Bangladesh is to reduce the risk of people, especially the poor and the disadvantaged, from the effects of natural, environmental and human induced hazards, to a manageable and acceptable humanitarian level, and to have in place an efficient emergency response system capable of handling large scale disasters.

Objectives of Disaster Management Policies and Programs The objectives of disaster management policies and programs are• Align the strategic direction of disaster management programs with national priorities and international commitments. • Articulate the vision and goals for disaster management • Outline the strategic direction and priorities to guide the design and implementation of disaster management policies and programs.

• Create a cohesive and well coordinated programming framework incorporating government, nongovernment and private sector.

• Ensure that disaster management has a comprehensive and all-hazards focus comprising disaster risk reduction and emergency response.

• Illustrate to other ministries, NGOs, civil society and the private sector how their work can contribute to the achievements of the strategic goals and government vision on disaster management.

Core Principles of Disaster Management Policies and Programs The core principles of this plan have been adopted from the PRSP. • Country Driven, promoting national ownership of strategies through broad based participation of government, NGOs and civil society.

• Result Oriented and focused on outcomes that will benefit vulnerable communities, especially women, the poor and socially disadvantaged.

• Comprehensive in recognizing the multidimensional nature of risk reduction.

• Partnership oriented, involving coordinated participation of development partners (government, domestic stakeholders, and external donors) • Based on a long-term perspective for risk reduction.

Current Conditions: Disaster Management Bangladesh is Highly Vulnerable to Disasters Bangladesh is frequently hit by disasters, particularly cyclones, floods, and drought. Its tropical monsoon climate is influenced by the Himalayan, the Assam, and the Burmese mountain ranges in the north and the northeast and the Bay of Bengal in the south. The strong monsoon rains, coupled with Bangladesh's location in the delta of the world's second largest river basin, make it extremely vulnerable to recurring floods. In addition, the country's approximately 600 kilometers of coastline leave huge tracts of land open to the destructive effects of cyclones and storm surges. Poor are Hit Hardest In a disaster situation, those living near the poverty line can easily slip below it. The landless and near landless may be forced to sell their limited assets for survival needs. Those who depend upon wage labor for subsistence are forced to compete with those entering the labor market. The labor market, in turn, becomes further depressed by the loss of harvests and alternative sources of employment.

DISASTER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN BANGLADESH The Ministry of Food and Disaster Management (MoFDM) of the Government of Bangladesh has the responsibility for coordinating national disaster management efforts across all agencies. In January 1997 the Ministry issued the Standing Orders on Disaster (SOD) to guide and monitor disaster management activities in Bangladesh. A series of inter-related institutions, at both national and sub-national levels have been created to ensure effective planning and coordination of disaster risk reduction and emergency response management.

At the national level i. National Disaster Management Council (NDMC) headed by the Hon'ble Prime Minister to formulate and review the disaster management policies and issue directives to all concerns. ii. Inter-Ministerial Disaster Management Co-ordination Committee (IMDMCC) headed by the Hon'ble Minister in charge of the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management (MoFDM) to implement disaster management policies and decisions of NDMC / Government. iii. National Disaster Management Advisory Committee (NDMAC) headed by an experienced person having been nominated by the Hon'ble Prime Minister. iv. Cyclone Preparedness Program Implementation Board (CPPIB) headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Food and Disaster Management to review the preparedness activities in the face of initial stage of an impending cyclone. v. Disaster Management Training and Public Awareness Building Task Force (DMTATF) headed by the Director General of Disaster Management Bureau (DMB) to co-ordinate the disaster related training and public awareness activities of the Government, NGOs and other organizations.

vi. Focal Point Operation Coordination Group of Disaster Management (FPOCG) headed by the Director General of DMB to review and co-ordinate the activities of various departments/agencies related to disaster management and also to review the Contingency Plan prepared by concerned departments. vii. NGO Coordination Committee on Disaster Management (NGOCC) headed by the Director General of DMB to review and co-ordinate the activities of concerned NGOs in the country. viii. Committee for Speedy Dissemination of Disaster Related Warning/ Signals (CSDDWS) headed by the Director General of DMB to examine, ensure and find out the ways and means for the speedy dissemination of warning/ signals among the people.

At sub-national levels i. District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) headed by the Deputy Commissioner (DC) to co-ordinate and reviews the disaster management activities at the district level. ii. Upazila Disaster Management Committee (UZDMC) headed by the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) to co-ordinate and review the disaster management activities at the Upazila level. iii. Union Disaster Management Committee (UDMC) headed by the Chairman of the Union Parishad to co-ordinate, review and implement the disaster management activities of the concerned union. iv. Pourashava Disaster Management Committee (PDMC) headed by Chairman of Pourashava (municipality) to co-ordinate, review and implement the disaster management activities within its area of jurisdiction. v. City Corporation Disaster Management Committee (CCDMC) headed by the Mayor of City Corporations to co-ordinate, review and implement the disaster management activities within its area of jurisdiction.

REGULATIVE FRAMEWORK OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT Bangladesh’s regulative framework for disaster management provides for the relevant legislative, policy and best practice framework under which the activity of Disaster Risk Reduction and Emergency Management in Bangladesh is managed and implemented.

The framework includes: Disaster Management Act A Disaster Management Act will be enacted with a view to create the legislative tool under which disaster risk and emergency management will be undertaken in

Bangladesh and the legal basis in which activities and actions will be managed. It will also create mandatory obligations and responsibilities on Ministries, committees and appointments. The objectives of the Act will be a) To help communities to mitigate the potential adverse effects of hazard events, prepare for managing the effects of a disaster event, effectively respond to and recover from a disaster or an emergency situation, and adapt to adverse effects of climate change; b) To provide for effective disaster management for Bangladesh; c) To establish an institutional framework for disaster management; and d) To establish risk reduction as a core element of disaster management.

CONCEPTUALIZING DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN BANGLADESH Disaster Management Model Bangladesh has created a simplistic model to guide disaster risk reduction and emergency response management efforts in Bangladesh. The model has three key elements and ensures that the move to a more comprehensive risk reduction culture remains central to all efforts.

Managing the Risk Environment • Achieving a good balance of risk reduction options • Moving from generic hazard to risk specific programmes • Sustaining service delivery through partnerships • Utilising technical and traditional analysis to strengthen preparedness and emergency response systems including early warning Responding to the Threat Environment • Activating systems and mobilizing resources • Utilising vulnerability and risk databases to anticipate potential impact • Maintaining effective communication and reporting • Documenting learnings Emergency Response Defining and Redefining the Risk Environment • Technical and traditional analysis • Climate change and climate variability impacts • Community risk assessment based on best practice model •Documentation of vulnerability and risk factors • All hazards; all risks; all sectors focus

Risk Reduction Defining and redefining the risk environment This element of the model promotes the use of scientific analysis (including climate change impacts) as the basis for accurately determining the future risk environment relative to all hazards, all sectors and all geographical areas.

To develop actions for managing risk (risk treatment options) the risk environment must first be defined. Defining the risk environment creates knowledge of the interaction of hazard and the elements at risk (community) and is conducted in a structured and analytical process. Defining the risk environment involves both the traditional and formal hazard analysis, and includes the following steps: •

Understanding the social, political and community environment (Establishing the context)

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Establishing what are the likely threats (Identifying hazards and risks)

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Understanding the likelihood and consequences (Analyse the risks)

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Rank risks in priority (Evaluate risks)

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What can be done to eliminate, reduce or manage risk (Identify risk treatment strategies).

Hazard Analysis Hazard Assessment is the process of identification of events that lead to harm or loss. It may be undertaken using traditional or formal methods, and should consider both primary hazards (e.g. cyclone) and secondary hazards (e.g. storm surge, wind, rain). Hazards may be represented using GIS and modern mapping methodologies, and must include details of the effects to communities of the hazard.

Vulnerability Assessment In order to understand the interaction of hazards on communities, it is important to conduct a vulnerability assessment. This should be completed in terms of elements within the community (e.g. women, children, and the poor), support elements to the community (e.g. lifelines (electricity) transportation links, community services) and livelihood factors within the community (e.g. food, accommodation, farm activity, industry) Risk Treatment Risk Treatment options involve ranking risk in priority, and addressing vulnerability by determining actions that reduce or eliminate risk or by determining mitigation programs for communities.

Managing the risk environment This element of the model promotes the design of risk reduction strategies (Community Based Adaptation Programmes) as an outcome of the risk assessment process. This ensures Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Recovery programmes are multi hazard focused and that the move from being hazard generic in nature to risk specific. This will enable communities to better understand their changing risk environment and thus become more resilient through proactive risk reduction efforts.

Managing the risk environment involves developing programs and strategies that eliminate, or reduce the level of risk. Traditionally mitigation programs were viewed as engineering solutions to eliminate risk, but it is now accepted that all activities undertaken to eliminate or reduce risk are “mitigation” strategies (e.g. community education and awareness, planning activities, development of warning systems). This includes activities previously described as the PPRR Model- Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Recovery. Activities in developing response or recovery systems are included as legitimate mitigation activities.

Responding to the threat environment This element of the model involves responding to an actual threat situation. It helps Bangladesh disaster management officials to clearly articulate the difference between risk reduction and emergency response and how accurately defining risk environments can influence and enhance emergency response systems and decisions. Not all hazards can be managed and not all risks can be eliminated or minimized. At times a response to an emerging threat or an event that has happened will be necessary. In this case, response and recovery systems that have been developed in managing the risk environment are activated as needed to respond to the threat. Such response may include: •

Warning Period (Alert and activation).

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Hazard Onset (Response), and.

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Post Hazard Period (Relief, early recovery and Rehabilitation).

The key attributes of the model are: • It provides a framework to guide the achievement of the Hyogo Framework for Action commitments.

• It clearly articulates the key elements of disaster management and their interactive relationships.

• It facilitates the transition from generic hazard based to specific risk based programmes through the inclusion of technical inputs.

• It provides guidance for the design of policy, planning and training.

• It provides a mechanism to achieve consistency in process and methodology.

• It ensures preparedness and response strategies are influenced by technical and traditional considerations.

Coastal Setting According to 2001 population census, Bangladesh has a population of about 13 crore living on 147,570 square kilometer of land. The Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna that constitute one of the largest river systems in the world drain through the Bangladesh into the Bay of Bengal. The country has a coastline of 710 km along the Bay of Bengal. The coast of Bangladesh is known as a zone of vulnerabilities as well as opportunities. It is prone to natural disasters like cyclone, storm surge and flood. The combination of natural and man-made hazards, such as erosion, high arsenic content in ground water, water logging, earthquake, water and soil salinity, various forms of pollution, risks from climate change, etc. have adversely affected lives and livelihoods in the coastal zone and slowed down the pace of social and economic developments in this region.

The coast has distinctive development opportunities that can be instrumental in reducing poverty and can contribute significantly to the development of Bangladesh as a whole. The zone has diversity of natural resources including coastal fisheries and shrimp, forest, salt and minerals. It has sites for Export Processing Zones, harbors, airports, land ports and tourism complexes and opportunity for other industries. This zone also has high potential for exploitation of both onshore and offshore natural gas. Some of these resources still remained untapped while there are opportunities for using many of them for their significant expansion potentials. The coast also contains several ecosystems that have important conservation values. Part of the Sundarban, the world’s largest stretch of mangrove ecosystem, has been declared a World Heritage Site, whereas coral ecosystems are found around St Martin’s Island. The coastal zone has not only biodiversity hot spots, but also provides the ecological foundation for an important common property resource; a large portion of these resources is various types of fisheries the Bay of Bengal. Increasing population, competition for limited resources, natural and man-made hazards, lack of economic opportunities, important ecological hot spots, etc. calls for distinctive coastal management. The Government of Bangladesh realizes this need, and special reference to coastal issues has been repeatedly made in government policies, strategies including the national strategy for poverty reduction and planning documents.

Area of Management Three indicators have been considered for determining the landward boundaries of the coastal zone of Bangladesh. These are: •

influence of tidal waters,

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salinity intrusion and

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Cyclones/storm surges.

19 districts of the country are being affected directly or indirectly by some of these phenomena. The districts are considered including all upazilas/thanas. A total of 48 upazilas/thanas are considered as ‘exposed’ directly to vulnerabilities from natural disasters. The exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is regarded as the seaward coastal zone. One-third of the country belongs to the coastal zone. According to 2001 population census, population of the coastal zone is 3 crore and 48 lakh.

The districts are •

Bagerhat,

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Barguna,

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Barisal,

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Bhola,

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Chandpur,

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Chittagong,

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Cox’s Bazar,

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Feni,

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Gopalganj,

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Jessore,

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Jhalkati,

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Khulna,

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Lakshmipur,

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Narail,

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Noakhali,

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Patuakhali,

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Pirojpur,

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Satkhira and

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Shariatpur.

Coastal Zone Policy in Bangladesh Existing Policies Different Ministries of the Government have announced, over the years, their respective policies for carrying out the mandates. The Ministries implement various programs directly and indirectly through their concerned agencies and the coastal issues are being adopted directly or indirectly with these policies.

Rationale The Government considers the following three reasons for initiating the coastal zone policy: a) the coastal zone is lagging behind in socio-economic developments on many aspects; b) Poor initiatives to cope with different disasters and gradual deterioration of the environment; c) the coastal zone has the potential to contribute much to national development.

Goal of coastal zone policy The coastal development process aims to meet, on an overall basis, National Goal for Economic Growth, Poverty Reduction & Social Development; Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, Code of Conduct for Responsible Mangrove Management and other international conventions and treaties including to achieve the targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The goal of integrated coastal zone management is: to create conditions, in which the reduction of poverty, development of sustainable livelihoods and the integration of the coastal zone into national processes can take place.

Policy Framework The Government has made the coastal zone policy statements in relation to development objectives.

These policies provide general guidance so that the coastal people can pursue their livelihoods under secured conditions in a sustainable manner without impairing the integrity of the natural environment.

Economic growth Effective measures will be taken to realize the objectives of poverty reduction through enhancing economic growth in the coastal zone. Policies in this context are: a. Efforts shall be made to enhance annual growth rate to a level required to achieve national goal for poverty reduction and economic growth; b. Available opportunities of the coastal zone will be used through sustainable management to enhance standard of living of coastal communities by investing in different sectors like marine fisheries, salt production, shrimp culture, crab culture, shell culture, pearl culture, livestock development, area-based agricultural development and agro-based industries, transport, ship building, ship-breaking, tourism, extraction of beach minerals, renewable and non-renewable energy, etc; c. A strategy shall be formulated covering all routes to development taking multidimensional nature of poverty. However, priority would be accorded to

(i) Labor-intensive and low technology investments should be given importance where the poor and the disadvantaged can find employment, as well as (ii) to promote those industries and activities that will reasonably use manmade coastal resources as basic raw material; d. Emphasis will be given on building efficient power, transportation and telecommunication links, particularly with islands; e. Special emphasis will be given to utilize gas-based power, manufacturing and processing industries; f. Settled isolated chars and islands will be brought under ‘special rural development programs’; g. Necessary measures will be taken to increase the flow of investments in the coastal zone including direct foreign investment (DFI), especially by setting up more export processing zones (EPZ); h. Cox’s Bazar, Nijhum Dwip, St. Martin Island and Kuakata sea beaches and Sundarban will be further developed to attract tourists and those areas and islands will be developed as ‘Special Zone for Tourism’. Private sector initiatives will be encouraged in this respect; i. Steps will be taken for medium and small private investments for coastal development.

Basic needs and opportunities for livelihoods The 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) adopted five areas for particular focus: water and sanitation, energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity. The coastal zone is lagging behind in some of these key areas. To meet basic needs of the coastal people and enhance livelihood opportunities, Government policy will be as follows: a. Alleviation of poverty through creation of job opportunities and finding options for diversified livelihoods would be the major principles of all economic activities. Economic opportunities based on local resources will be explored to enhance income of the people; b. The intensity of coverage of primary education, health care, sanitation and safe drinking water facilities will be increased; c. Food production will be continued at the self-sufficiency level and of higher production of diversified high-value export goods; d. Private sector and the non-governmental organizations (NGO) will be encouraged to implement activities for the poor people; e. Collateral-free credit under easy terms will be arranged as part of all livelihood enhancement programs and activities; f. No alteration or stoppage of an existing employment opportunity shall be made without creating opportunities for alternative employment; g. Special measures will be taken during the period of disaster; h. Khas land will be distributed among the landless and a more transparent process of land settlement will be ensured; i. An effective program for land reclamation will be developed;

Reduction of vulnerabilities The level of the well being of households has direct correlation with exogenous phenomena influencing them. Disasters like cyclone, drainage congestion, land erosion and drought that take toll on life and property and depletion of natural resource base that supports particularly the poor.

Majority households are vulnerable to climate change. In the coastal zone, agriculture continues to be a major source of employment, which is seasonal in nature. In this regard, Government policy is as follows: a. Reduction to vulnerability to natural disasters would be an integral aspect of the national strategies for poverty reduction; b. Integration will be made with ‘Comprehensive Disaster Management Plan’ on aspects concerning the coastal zone; c. Effective measures will be taken to enhance coping capacity of the poor during the period of disaster and to initiate insurance scheme for improving their social security; d. Effective measures will be taken for protection against erosion and for rehabilitation of the victims of erosion; e. Safety measures will be enhanced by combining cyclone shelters, multi-purpose embankments, killas, road system and disaster warning system. It should include special measures for children, women, the disabled and the old; f. Sea-dykes will be regularly maintained as first line of defense against storm surges and afforestation on it according to the existing policy; g. Earthquake management will be strengthened and capacity to cope with earthquakes will be enhanced; h. Adequate provision will be made for safety of livestock during disaster and post-disaster period; i. Programs shall be taken to encourage all for tree plantation in a planned manner in the coastal zone.

Emphasis will be given to social forestry and other forms of plantations, plant care and maintenance; j. The asset base of the poor, with special focus on women, shall be improved through ownership or access so that their coping capacity improves.

Sustainable management of natural resources Coastal zone is full of diverse natural resources: inland fisheries & shrimp, marine fisheries, mangrove and other forests, land, livestock, salt, minerals, sources of renewable energy like tide, wind and solar energy. Medium and long term Government policy to ensure sustainable management of both biotic and abiotic coastal resources will be as follows: a. Every possible step shall be taken to secure just share from all international rivers reaching the coastal zone and the Bay of Bengal;

b. Suitable measures will be taken for sustainable use of renewable resources and, to that end, limit harvesting, extraction or utilization to the corresponding cycles of their regeneration; c. Sustainable use of coastal resources shall be ensured. Combination of resource use, e.g. agriculture, forestry and fishing including aquaculture is often the major economic activity. Efforts will be given to make this sustainable; d. Optimum utilization of resources will be ensured by taking advantage of the complementarities and trade-offs between competing uses; e. Rigid enforcement of conservation regulations will affect the livelihoods of many people and such conservation efforts will be linked, as far as possible, with alternative opportunities of employment; f. Initiation of plan and its implementation will be ensured by participation of people of all sectors.

Land A. Planning will be done under land use policy to control unplanned and indiscriminate use of land resources. Strategies for new chars will be developed. Zoning regulations would be formulated and enforced in due course; b. Through its responsible agencies, the Government will proper plan and implement schemes for reclamation of balanced land from the sea and rivers.

Water a. Adequate upland flow shall be ensured in water channels to preserve the coastal estuary eco-system threatened by the intrusion of soil salinity from the sea; b. Small water reservoirs shall be built to capture tidal water in order to enhance minor irrigation in coastal areas. Appropriate water management system within the polder utilizing existing infrastructures will be established for freshwater storage and other water utilization; c. Rainwater harvesting and conservation shall be promoted; d. Ponds and tanks will be excavated for conservation of water and local technology for water treatment (such as, pond sand filtering - P.S.F.) will be used for the supply of safe water; e. Step will be taken to ensure sustainable use and management of ground water.

Capture fisheries a. Comprehensive policies, as dealt in the National Fish Policy, in relation to exploitation, conservation and management of marine fisheries resources will be followed; b. Fishers’ right will be established on open water bodies for sustainable fisheries management.

Aquaculture a. Environmentally adopted and socially responsive shrimp farming will be encouraged. In this regard, internationally accepted quality control measures will be introduced; b. All opportunities and potentials of aquaculture will be utilized in the coastal zone. Crab culture, pearl culture, sea grass will be encouraged.

Agriculture a. Programs for intensification of agriculture and crop diversification for improving the economic conditions of both male and female farmers and increasing food security at local and regional level shall be supported; b. Special development programs will be taken-up with a view to increasing the production of crops suitable for the coastal area with attention to maintenance of soil health; c. Use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides will be reduced, while organic manure and integrated pest management will be encouraged; d. Salt-tolerant crop varieties will be developed and extended along with possible measures to resist salinity; e. The scope of irrigation facilities will be explored and / or extended and a comprehensive water management for agriculture will be implemented.

Livestock a. Grazing land for livestock will be arranged. Facilities for livestock development will be enhanced; b. Facilities for rearing of poultry of different species including the local ones will be enhanced.

Afforestation a. Measures will be taken for afforestation in the coastal areas including newly accreted chars; b. Effective measures will be taken for conservation of forests; c. Social forestry will be encouraged and extended.

Energy a. Assessments shall be made on the prospect of tidal and wave power in coastal areas’ as potential energy source; b. An assessment of all types of energy resources (e.g., oil, gas, coal, nuclear minerals, hydropower, biomass fuels, solar, wind and tidal waves) will be undertaken on a regular/continuous basis by the appropriate authorities. Special measures will be undertaken for exploration and appraisal of petroleum resources in the offshore areas without undermining the nature; c. Potentials of area-based renewable sources of energy will be assessed; d. Remote and isolated areas including offshore islands, which are not likely to be brought under the networks of commercial fuels in a foreseeable future, are to be considered as potential sites for implementing renewable energy technologies, in spite of their high capital cost. Solar photovoltaic will be used for cyclone shelters; e. Special projects will be identified, for example power plants in the offshore islands. Plans for the generation of electricity in isolated and remote areas like offshore islands will be prepared separately.

Empowerment of communities Mainstreaming of the coastal people will be done by enhancing their safety and capacity. In this context, Government policy will be as follows: a) Equal participation of all stakeholders shall be ensured and establishing effective co-operation between the government agencies, local government institutions and non-governmental organizations; b) Co-management procedures shall be established that will bring decision-making power to the grass root levels; c) Specific vulnerabilities of the coastal communities shall be addressed: like farmers in the saline zone, marine fishers, salt producers, dry fish processors, people living on forestry resources, shipbreaking workers, vulnerable ethnic communities and so forth; d) Vesting on local government institutions, at the union, upazila and district levels, the power and responsibilities for design, formulation and implementation of local level development programs and projects; e) An awareness campaign shall be mounted about the long-term benefits of ICZM, recent initiatives in the coastal zone, and coastal development strategy among the NGOs, private sector, civil society and coastal communities; f) Initiatives will be taken to keep up the cultural heritage of different communities living in the coastal zone.

Women’s development and gender equity It is recognized that gender inequalities and gaps exist in the coastal zone, in particular in the fields of access to livelihoods assets and access to resources. Malnutrition in coastal zone is twice the national average as severe among girls. Poor access to sources of potable water for domestic purposes contributes to heavy workload on poor women. Other gender issue that affects women’s life and limits their participation is personal insecurity, more serious in remote coastal areas. Enabling cultural and institutional environment is necessary to remove hurdles to mobility of women.

The national strategy of the Government clearly states the importance of women’s development and reduction of gender gaps as a development objective. The Government has ratified major international conventions on the rights of women and children. Government policy will be as follows: a. A gender sensitive and participatory approach will be adopted that focuses at the reduction of gender inequalities and that takes into account differences in needs and interests between men and women; b. Efforts will be made to close the gender gap, giving priority to women’s education, training and employment and special support for broadening their coping capacity; c. Special attention will be paid towards employment generation for women, the promotion of women entrepreneurs as well as the removal of restrictions on women’s employment and economic opportunities;

d. During distribution of newly accreted khas lands, special attention will be paid to the allocation of land titles to women; e. Special projects will be implemented exclusively addressed to livelihoods enhancement and empowerment of disadvantaged women; f. Necessary institutional measures including mass awareness and motivation on violence against women will be taken.

Enabling Institutional Environment Measures will be taken to formulate an appropriate institutional framework and to enact necessary laws and regulations in order to harmonize and coordinate all development activities in the coastal zone.

Mainstreaming Coastal Zone Management There are three pre-requisites to be met before reaching a satisfactory level of mainstreaming integrated coastal zone management (ICZM): a. focus on coastal development in national strategy documents, multi-year and annual development plans (Example: PRSP); b. based on the above focus, a commonly agreed framework for coastal development; c. agreed division of responsibilities for implementation among different levels of administration. In order to set a national focus on coastal development and to formulate a broad based, well-debated and commonly agreed framework, coordination between work procedures and strategies of different institutions is a must. Working through the LGIs in the field level should be the strategy for mainstreaming ICZM. Through the adoption of this policy document, the Government reiterates its commitment to support the approach of ICZM for continued and enhanced development of the coastal zone. Policy with regard to mainstreaming will be as follows: a. Special focus shall be given on coastal development in all national strategy documents (like PRSP), multi-year and annual development plans; b. A Coastal Development Strategy (CDS) shall be developed and adopted in line with national strategy documents as a commonly agreed framework document; c. Coastal zone development shall be mainstreamed through existing Ministries/ Departments and organizations; d. Existing policies shall be harmonized and coastal issues shall be incorporated in all future policy and strategy documents; e. There shall be special mention of resource allocation for coastal development in the Annual Development Plan (ADP) of all Ministries. At the same time, efforts shall be made to increase that allocation gradually. Work through the local Government institutes as a first step towards mainstreaming adhering to the principles of decentralization. Co-management, understood as a range of management systems where responsibilities are shared between the government and the communities, will be the preferred mode of management at the local and regional levels.

Strategic Planning and Program Development A Coastal Development Strategy for poverty reduction, economic growth and social development will be formulated and implemented. This strategy will be a time and resource-bound specification of the priority actions in coastal development, but it will be about building a process to implement the policies, not preparing a classic master plan. Such a strategy makes critical choices, for example in relation to targeted regions, disadvantaged groups and issues. Focus is on implementation, including a set of indicators and corresponding monitoring arrangements to assess performance.

The strategy document will reflect the specific actions needed to achieve coastal development objectives. In particular, links will be made to the content and process of the National Strategy for Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction and the subsequent multi-year development plans and to other national policy and planning processes.

The strategy document is a component of the chain: policy .strategy .priority Implementation Implementation will be the responsibility of the respective Ministries and the agencies. With regard to implementation of the CDS, Government policy will be as follows: a. A ‘Priority Investment Program (PIP)’, as operational arm of the CDS, will be the basis for implementation of ICZM process; b. Implementation would be the responsibility of the concerned Ministries and the agencies within the existing regulations and framework of multi-sector program implementation. Linkage with LGIs will be established during implementation; c. A Program Co-ordination Unit (PCU), based within the lead agency (WARPO), will be established to discharge the coordination functions during the implementation stage. Monitoring and evaluation of projects in relation to ICZM indicator framework will be the main function; d. The agencies will take necessary steps to inform and orient their officials at regional and local levels about the CDS and the plan for its implementation; e. The community organizations will be based on existing social institutions and will be closely linked with the LGIs for their integration with higher levels of government.

Co-ordination ICZM being a multi-level and multi-sectoral activity, institutionalization of ICZM would require the development of mechanisms for coordination and interaction between and among the many parties involved at national, regional and local levels. One aim of the program is to develop, in course of time, the ICZM principles and practices as the standard mode of operation for all the agencies operating in the coastal zone. To co-ordinate these activities, a lead Ministry, MoWR and a lead agency, WARPO is designated. Inter-ministerial Technical Committees and Program Steering Committees, constituted at appropriate levels, will assist the lead agency and the lead Ministry, respectively in overall coordination. To ensure overall coordination, the following institutional arrangements will be made:

a. The National Council of the lead Ministry will act as higher level coordinating and decisionmaking body for ICZM programs and activities, especially implementation of the Coastal Development Strategy and to support overall ICZM process; b. An Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee (SC) will be set up to provide policy guidelines on issues related to the coastal zone. This high level committee will be chaired by the Minister of the lead Ministry and will include representatives (at the Secretary level) of concerned Ministries and agencies. The lead Ministry will act as the Secretariat for this Committee; c. An Inter-Ministerial Technical Committees (TC) will be set up, headed by the Secretary of the lead Ministry and participated by the representatives of all the concerned agencies, for removing planning and implementation bottlenecks and resolving inter-organizational conflicts. The TC also comprises of representatives from universities, NGOs, private sector and the civil society.

The lead agency will act as the Secretariat for this Committee; d. A Program Co-ordination Unit (PCU) will be established to provide technical support to the lead agency in the discharge of their coordination functions. The terms of reference of the PCU would include, among others, the mandate to liaison with the service Ministries like the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Planning and the Ministry of Establishment and the development partners; e. Focal Points will be established in all relevant agencies and will act as operational contact points in relation to ICZM activities and maintain contact with the lead agency; f. Existing Local Government structure (district, upazila, union) will ensure people’s participation in planning and implementation. Participatory and integrated planning process at the local level will be promoted with linkages to PCU and sector agencies at the national level; g. During the preparatory phase, Program Development Office (PDO), which has been established for a limited period, will be responsible for delivery of defined project output as well as to foster and initiate ICZM as a process.

Supporting Activities In order to strengthen enabling institutional environment, the following supporting activities have been identified: Coastal Resources Survey This is primarily concerned with the biophysical characteristics of the coastal area and their impact on the coastal communities. Biophysical information will include: biological resources, major habitats and ecosystems, reproduction sites (nurseries, and species) and the presence of species and areas (rare, threatened, and endangered). Among other resources are river, soil, forest, sea, water, wind, minerals, etc.

Modeling Tools: Mathematical modeling, remote sensing and geographic information system to be continued to support ICZM planning and implementation; Information Dissemination: In order to create awareness among the general public about the ICZM program, coastal zone policy, CDS and other initiatives, an exhaustive information dissemination mechanism has to be evolved; Capacity Building: In order to strengthen meaningful participation of relevant agencies, especially LGIs, in planning and implementation of ICZM framework, a supporting capacity building program is important.

In the medium and long term, Government policy in this regard will be as follows: a. A baseline ‘Profile of the Coastal Zone’ will be prepared which will be updated periodically through inputs from partner organizations. Similarly ‘profile of the districts’ will be prepared with available information; b. Support the establishment of the ICRD with linkage to other databases and facilitate the formulation of agreed guidelines that will enunciate the principles of common standard, protocols, and data sharing; c. Ensure free flow of data among all users by reviewing the existing regulations. If necessary, new legislation will be considered to ease dissemination protocols and rationalize the mandates of the data collecting agencies; d. Continue its support for further strengthening of institutions dedicated to modeling, satellite imagery and geographic information system; e. Support updating of available coastal zone hydrodynamic modeling tool in ICZM framework. To get a clear understanding of the coastal dynamics, small-scale physical modeling will be done for some appropriate areas; f. Encourage building up a strong survey and research component in the CDS and other plans of relevant sector institutions. Identify, in consultation with the concerned agencies of the government and stakeholders, priority areas for research; g. Necessary steps will be taken by the concerned agencies to create awareness among all the participants about the ICZM, benefits of the CDS and to develop their skills in planning and executing activities under such a program. Tailor made training programs will be developed and delivered to meet those ends.

Legislative Framework Setting the appropriate legislative framework is fundamental to effective implementation of the coastal zone policy. A number of laws are in operation since long authorizing surveillance and patrolling of the coastal and marine waters for the preservation of the natural environment and sustainable use of coastal resources. All the laws of Bangladesh are applicable to coastal zone.

The enforcement of existing legal coverage is a key issue in sustainable coastal management. This policy will be given effect, if needed, through revision, modification of existing laws, rules and regulations specifying provisions of the coastal zone policy to facilitate its implementation.

Government policy with regard to establishing a viable and transparent legal framework for coastal management will be: a. In this respect, a “Compendium on the Laws Relating to and/or having bearing on Coastal Areas� will be prepared. The purpose of such a compilation would be to: (i) identifying areas of conflict and contradiction among and within the laws; (ii) to find out the solutions of conflicts (iii) to prepare a list of rules/laws which are conflicting with existing policies along with suggesting necessary amendments to harmonize them; and (iv) to review the necessity of an umbrella legislation for the coastal zone. b. Enforcement of existing legal coverage will be facilitated with adequate logistics and support, to relevant agencies.

Mainstreaming Risk Reduction – The Strategies Mainstreaming risk reduction efforts within government, NGOs and private sector is viewed as being the key to achieving sustainable all hazards risk reduction interventions across the whole country. In Bangladesh mainstreaming is seen in much the same light as poverty reduction in that it is the outcome of many top down and bottom up interventions. These are summarized below and articulated briefly within .

Advocacy: Awareness raising among Political, Senior Policy and Government Department Officials, Media and Academic Institutions is a priority strategy for building knowledge and understanding on the benefits of risk reduction and the roles these organizations play in implementing risk reduction programmes.

Policy and Planning Reform: A significant review of disaster management and development planning policy is being undertaken to ensure that they facilitate mainstreaming and promote a comprehensive risk reduction culture.

Capacity Building: This strategy has targeted a complete review of the roles and responsibilities of disaster management committees (DMCs) at all levels to ensure they reflect risk reduction as well as emergency response functions. A national training curriculum is being developed to ensure that committees receive capacity building training to ensure they understand and can fulfill their functions effectively.

Planning Frameworks: Disaster management planning at all levels is being significantly overhauled to ensure that DMC plans accommodate risk reduction mainstreaming at all levels.

Uniform CRA Guidelines: Uniform CRA processes are being established to ensure consistency in the conduct of community risk identification and compatibility with the risk reduction planning processes of the respective DMCs. The guidelines also have steps to ensure strong linkages with scientific analysis information.

Tropical Cyclone SIDR Introduction: On November 15, Tropical Cyclone Sidr made landfall in southern Bangladesh with winds of 155 miles per hour. The cyclone has resulted in approximately 3,500 deaths, according to media reports.

The Government of Bangladesh’s (GOB) Disaster Management Information Center reported 2,625 officially confirmed deaths. The GOB evacuated approximately 3.2 million people from along the coastlines of 15 districts before the cyclone made landfall.

According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the cyclone affected 25 districts. According to the IFRC the most affected districts include •

Bagerhat,

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Patuakhali,

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Barguna,

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Pirojpur,

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Barisal,

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Jhalkhati,

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Bhola,

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Khulna, and

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Satkhira,

Numbers at a Glance Total Affected Population

2,997 dead, 1,724 missing,

Houses Damaged or Destroyed USAID Assistance to Bangladesh FFP Assistance to Bangladesh Total USAID Humanitarian Assistance to Bangladesh

6,770,456 affected 1,178,974 houses $3,302,635 $740,000 $4,042,635

OCHA reported that the cyclone caused extensive damage to crops and damaged many roads. The cyclone caused a severe reduction in power production, resulting in a near countrywide blackout for more than 36 hours, and disrupting telecommunications and water supplies. OCHA noted that reports indicate that the cyclone affected as many as 27 million people.

Relief program to the affected people by Cyclone Sidr • The GOB’s Ministry of Food and Disaster Management has allocated 4,000 metric tons (MT) of rice, 5,000 tents, and 17,000 blankets and provided approximately $440,000 in relief grants to affected areas. Air Force conducted 17 helicopter missions, each of which delivered 2.4 MT of emergency relief supplies to affected areas. Air Force has also delivered 5 MT of U.N. World Food Program fortified biscuits to affected populations. Six GOB Navy ships are continuing to conduct rescue, evacuation, relief, and reconnaissance operations.

• According to the USAID assessment team, immediate needs include shelter, livelihoods, protection, and water, sanitation, and hygiene support.

• IFRC has launched a preliminary emergency appeal for $3.5 million to assist 235,000 beneficiaries for a period of nine months, in collaboration with the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society. The appeal includes food assistance, emergency shelter, basic health care, safe drinking water, and the provision of basic relief items.

On November 16, U.S. Chargé d’ Affaires Geeta Pasi declared a disaster in response to the damage caused by Tropical Cyclone Sidr. In response, USAID is providing more than $2.3 million in assistance. The assistance includes $2.1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, CARE, Save the Children (US), and other humanitarian organizations for emergency relief activities, as well as emergency relief supplies valued at $252,215, including transport.

USAID is airlifting the emergency relief supplies from the USAID warehouse in Dubai, including 300 rolls of plastic sheeting, 5000 blankets, 2500 hygiene kits, and 2500 water containers.

• In response to the November 16 disaster declaration by U.S. Chargé d’ Affaires Geeta Pasi, USAID provided an initial $100,000 through USAID (Bangladesh) to NGOs for emergency relief activities.

• USAID has also allocated an additional $2 million in emergency funds to assist relief efforts to date.

The assistance includes $1 million through American Red Cross in response to the IFRC appeal, and $1 million to be awarded to humanitarian organizations currently working in affected areas.

• A five-person USAID assessment team is working in Bangladesh. The assessment team includes the team leader, a shelter and livelihoods specialist, a military liaison officer, an information officer, and water, sanitation, and hygiene specialist.

• USAID Office of Food for Peace (USAID) partners US and CARE have warehoused nonemergency Title II food resources in Bangladesh, including wheat, vegetable oil, and pulses.

• DOD is also assisting with relief efforts in Bangladesh. An 18-person DOD medical team from U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) was in Bangladesh prior to the cyclone, and is now assisting with relief efforts. PACOM also deployed a 23-member Humanitarian Assistance Survey Team that will identify key areas, scope, and duration of support. The U.S. Navy ships U.S.S. Kearsarge and U.S.S. Essex are en route to Bangladesh to assist as well.

On November 17 and 18, a five-person USAID assessment team arrived in Bangladesh. The assessment team has worked closely with USAID (Bangladesh), the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), non-governmental organizations, and the GOB to assess the extent of the damage, identify additional assistance requirements, and coordinate USG assistance efforts.

Preparedness and Mitigation Programs USAID has a longstanding commitment of investing in preparedness and mitigation programs in Bangladesh. In close coordination with the GOB, these programs have minimized the loss of life and damage inflicted by the recent cyclone and countless other disasters in this densely populated, floodprone country. USAID programs include the construction and maintenance of multi-purpose flood and cyclone shelters as well as wave protection walls and earthen embankments to reduce flood damage.

In addition to building nearly 4,000 physical mitigation structures since 2005, USAID worked to train local disaster management committees to oversee emergency response activities and provided cyclone preparedness training programs for coastal areas.

• Over the past decade, two USAID programs have worked to reduce the effects of flooding in Bangladesh. The Emergency Working Group of Cooperative Sponsors has promoted coordination between communities and local authorities and supported the operation of mobile water purification plants and a mobile health unit. In addition, USAID has supported community flood monitoring and forecasting to mitigate damage for communities living in flood plains.

• USAID-funded disaster preparedness mechanisms already in-country before the storm include 16 zodiac boats, 6 water treatment systems, and 10 water ambulances used for emergency operations.

USAID partners CARE and US pre-positioned 30,000 emergency survival packages, as well as food stockpiles, to facilitate distribution after the storm passed.

• Through regional preparedness programs, USAID has contributed to strengthened emergency response capacity in Bangladesh. The Program for Enhancement of Emergency Response (PEER) has developed national and regional cadres of professional emergency response instructors. The Asia Flood Network (AFN) has strengthened the capacity of regional and national hydrometeorological institutions in climate, weather, and hydrological forecasting while directly involving communities at risk in reducing vulnerability to hydrometeorological hazards. The Program for Hydrometeorological Risk Mitigation in Asian Cities (PROMISE) has carried out hazard mapping and vulnerability assessments and established community-based early warning mechanisms in highly vulnerable urban centers, including Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Implementing Partner Activity committed Amount of Assistance USAID (Bangladesh) Emergency Relief Activities Affected Areas $1,000,000 US Emergency Relief Activities Affected Areas $30,000 CARE Emergency Relief Activities Affected Areas $70,000 IFRC Shelter, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Affected Areas $1,000,000 USAID/Bangladesh Emergency Relief Supplies Affected Areas $252,215 Total USAID $2,352,215 Public Donation Information • The most effective way people can assist relief efforts is by making cash contributions to humanitarian organizations that are conducting relief operations. Information on organizations responding to the humanitarian situation in Bangladesh.

• USAID encourages cash donations because they allow aid professionals to procure the exact items needed (often in the affected region); reduce the burden on scarce resources (such as transportation routes, staff time, warehouse space, etc.); can be transferred very quickly and without transportation costs; support the economy of the disaster-stricken region; and ensure culturally, dietary, and environmentally appropriate assistance.

Different Initiatives to raised Funds for the hurricane SIDR victims HSBC organized a SIDR charity concert in Chittagong The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) Ltd in Bangladesh organized a charity concert in Chittagong on 11 January 2008. Funds raised from the concert will go towards the aid of the hurricane SIDR victims.

The concert featured three of the country's eminent artists, Runa Laila, Sabina Yasmeen and Shahnaz Rahmatullah. This was the first time that these three respected and beloved artists of the country performed in the same stage. The band Miles also performed at the show. More than 3000 people gathered together to watch these artists perform live on the stage at Chittagong Club. so that the people of Chittagong could witness these 3 singers as well as the band together for the first time and also be a part of the Bank's SIDR initiatives.

HSBC has taken a three phased approach with a commitment of TK 1.1 crore to aid the distressed people of SIDR. In this regard, HBSC and its staff have already distributed immediate food, medicine and clothing relief to over 8000 people in remote villages of Barguna, Pirojpur, Potuakhali and Bagerhaat with the aid of local NGOs, UNOs and joint forces. In the intermediate phase, HSBC is planning to build approximately 200 houses as "HSBC villages" in those affected areas. The Bank has already received a list of over 450 families from the local NGO and will be sending out a monitoring team to assess the situation in the coming weeks.

Strategic Goals of the Plan The strategic goals of the plan are drawn from the SAARC Disaster Management Framework 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 Disaster Management Program National Disaster Management Policy A National Disaster Management Policy will be formulated to define the national perspective on disaster risk reduction and emergency management, and to describe the strategic framework, and national principles of disaster management in Bangladesh. It will be of strategic in nature and will describe the broad national objectives, and strategies in disaster management.

Disaster Management Plans The Bangladesh National Plan for Disaster Management is a strategic document to be effective for a certain period of time. This is an umbrella plan which provides the overall guideline for the relevant sectors and the disaster management committees at all levels to prepare and implement their area of roles specific plans. The Ministry of Food and Disaster Management (MoFDM) being the focal ministry for disaster risk reduction and emergency management will take the lead role in disaster risk reduction and emergency management planning. Additionally, there will be a few hazard specific management plans, such as Flood Management Plan, Cyclone and Storm Surge and Tsunami Management Plan, Earthquake Management Plan, Drought Management Plan, River Erosion Management Plan, etc. Moreover, there will be a detailed Disaster Management Plan for each District, Upazila, Union and Paurashava and City Corporation of the country. A District Disaster Management Plan will be the compilation of the Upa-zila Disaster Management Plans of the district. Similarly a

Upa-zila Disaster Management Plan will be the compilation of the union disaster management plans of that Upazila prepared by the Union DMCs. So DMCs at Union and Paurashava levels will be mainly responsible for conducting the risk assessments and prepare the ground level plans. Once developed those will be sent to the DMCs at one level higher – Upazila DMCs, whose role will be to verify and compile the union plans and identify the resource requirements for the Upazila.

Standing Orders on Disaster The Standing Orders on Disaster describes the detailed roles and responsibilities of committees, Ministries and other organizations in disaster risk reduction and emergency management, and establishes the necessary actions required in implementing Bangladesh’s Disaster Management Model Guidelines for Government at all Levels (Best Practice Models) Guidelines for Government at all levels are developed as best practice models, and are used to assist Ministries, NGOs, disaster management committees and civil society in implementing disaster risk management. Guidelines will include, among others: •

Disaster Impact and Risk Assessment Guideline

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Local Disaster Risk Reduction Fund Management Guidelines

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Emergency Fund Management Guidelines

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Indigenous Coping Mechanism Guidebook

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Community Risk Assessment Guidelines

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Damage and Needs Assessment Methodology

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Hazard Specific Risk Assessment Guidelines

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Emergency Response and Information Management Guideline

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Contingency Planning Template

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Sectoral Disaster Risk Reduction Planning Template

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Local Level Planning Template

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National Risk Reduction Fund Management Guideline

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National Disaster Reduction and Emergency Fund Management Guideline

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Local Disaster Management Fund Guideline

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Guideline for road and water safety

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Guideline for industrial safety

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Guideline for Disaster Shelter Management

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Monitoring and Evaluation Guideline for the Implementation of the Plan

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Guideline for international Assistance in disaster emergency

District Disaster Management Plan (DDMP) There is a District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) at the District level. The DDMC consists of the Deputy Commissioner of the District as the chairperson and members comprising all

District level department heads, NGO leaders and civil society members. District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) acts as member secretary of the committee. Members of Parliament act as advisors of the committees. The committee is required to meet bi-monthly during normal period and as and when necessary during emergency situation.

There will be a plan for each District titled “District Disaster Management Plan� comprising both disaster risk reduction and emergency response to be prepared by the District Disaster Management Committee. This is a plan to be prepared by compilation of the Upa-zila and Paurashava Disaster Management Plans of the district being received from the respective Upazila and Paurashava/City Corporation DMCs. The DDMP should highlight and articulate, among others, the following: a. The areas in the district vulnerable to different forms of hazards and risks, b. Total resource requirements and the planned action for the district i. to take measures for prevention and mitigation of disasters by government agencies, NGOs, CBOs and the private sector within the district, ii. Capacity building and preparedness measures to be taken by government agencies, NGOs, CBOs and the private sector iii. Strengthening emergency response management system plans and procedures in the event of a disaster, providing for. c. The response plans and procedures in the event of a disaster, providing for – i. Allocation of responsibilities to the departments of the government at district level and other DMC members; ii. Procedure for mobilization of resources, iii. Prompt response to disaster and relief thereof; iv. Procurement of emergency supplies; v. Operation of disaster shelters, vi. Rrestoration of emergency services, such as water supply, gas supply, power, telecommunication, road links, vii. Provision of emergency medical services, viii. Burial of dead bodies, ix. Trauma counselling, and x. The dissemination of information. d. Recovery plans and procedures delineating damage assessment procedure, restoration of damaged public infrastructure, resumption of educational institutions, restoration of livelihood, rehabilitation of affected people, especially the disabled, and elderly women and children. e. The DDMP shall be reviewed and updated annually. f. The copies of the DDMP shall be made available to all district level stakeholders, Divisional Commissioners, etc.

g. A copy of the DDMP will be sent to the Disaster Management Bureau and all relevant ministries and divisions. h. The DMB/ BIDMTR will provide technical advice and capacity building services to all DMCs. Upa-Zila Disaster Management Plan (UZDMP) Upazila is an important and vital administrative unit of Bangladesh. There is a Upa-Zila Disaster Management Committee (UZDMC) at the Upa-Zila level. The UZDMC consists of the Upa-Zila Nirbahi Officer as the chairperson and members comprising all Upa-Zila level department heads, NGO leaders and civil society members. The PIO acts as the member secretary of the committee.

Members of Parliament act as advisors of the committees. The committee is required to meet bimonthly during normal period and as and when necessary during emergency situation. There will be a plan for each Upa-Zila titled “Upa-Zila Disaster Management Plan� comprising both disaster risk reduction and emergency response to be prepared by the Upa-Zila Disaster Management Committee by compiling all the Union Disaster Management Plans of the Upa-zila being received from the respective Union DMCs of the Upazila The UZDMP should highlight and articulate, among others, the following: a) The areas in the upazila vulnerable to different forms of hazards and risks b) Total resource requirements and the planned action for the district i. to take measures for prevention and mitigation of disasters by government agencies, NGOs, CBOs and the private sector within the district, ii. Capacity building and preparedness measures to be taken by government agencies, NGOs, CBOs and the private sector iii. Strengthening emergency response management system plans and procedures in the event of a disaster, providing for. c) The response plans and procedures in the event of a disaster, providing for i. Allocation of responsibilities to the departments of the government at district level and other DMC members; ii. Procedure for mobilization of resources, iii. Prompt response to disaster and relief thereof; iv. Procurement of emergency supplies; v. Operation of disaster shelters, vi. Restoration of emergency services, such as water supply, gas supply, power, telecommunication, road links, vii. Provision of emergency medical services, viii. Burial of dead bodies, ix. Trauma counseling, and x. The dissemination of information.

d) Recovery plans and procedures delineating damage assessment procedure, restoration of damaged public infrastructure, resumption of educational institutions, restoration of livelihood, rehabilitation of affected people, especially the disabled, and elderly women and children. e) The UZDMP shall be reviewed and updated annually. f) The copies of the UZDMP shall be made available to all Upazila level stakeholders and members of DDMCs. g) A copy of the UZDMP will be sent to the District Disaster Management Committee and DMB. h) The DMB/ BIDMTR will provide technical advice and capacity building services to all DMCs. Union Disaster Management Plan (UDMP) Union Parishad is the lowest administrative unit of Bangladesh. There is a Disaster Management Committee at the Union level. The UDMC is Chaired by the elected Chairman of the respective Union Parishad. The Union Disaster Management Committee consists of the Union Parishad Chairman as the Chairperson and members comprising all the Government department head at Union level, members of Union Parishad, NGO leaders working in respective union and civil society members. Secretary of the respective Union Parishad acts as the member secretary of the committee.

The committee is required to meet bimonthly during normal period and as and when necessary during emergency situation. There will be a plan for each Union titled “Union Disaster Management Plan” comprising both disaster risk reduction and emergency response to be prepared by the Union Disaster Management Committee following a proper community risk assessment procedure to be provided by MoFDM with the participation of vulnerable groups and the communities. The UDMP should highlight and articulate, among others, the following: a) Defining and redefining community risks to hazards utilizing both traditional and scientific knowledge, b) Total resource requirements and the planned action for the district i. to take measures for prevention and mitigation of disasters by government agencies, NGOs, CBOs and the private sector within the district, ii. capacity building and preparedness measures to be taken by government agencies, NGOs, CBOs and the private sector iii. strengthening emergency response management system plans and procedures in the event of a disaster, providing for – c) The response plans and procedures in the event of a disaster, providing for – i. Allocation of responsibilities to the departments of the government at district level and other DMC members; ii. Procedure for mobilization of resources, iii. Prompt response to disaster and relief thereof; iv. Procurement of emergency supplies; v. Operation of disaster shelters,

vi. Restoration of emergency services, such as water supply, gas supply, power, telecommunication, road links, vii. Provision of emergency medical services, viii. Burial of dead bodies, ix. Trauma counseling, and x. The dissemination of information. d) Recovery plans and procedures delineating damage assessment procedure, restoration of damaged public infrastructure, resumption of educational institutions, restoration of livelihood, rehabilitation of affected people, especially the disabled, and elderly women and children. e) The UDMP shall be reviewed and updated annually. f) The copies of the UDMP shall be made available to all Union level stakeholders, UNOs and DCs. g) A copy of the UDMP will be sent to the Upazila Disaster Management Committee. h) The DMB/ BIDMTR will provide technical advice and capacity building services to all DMCs. Paurashava /City Corporation Disaster Management Plan Paurashava is at the bottom of the urban administrative tier of Bangladesh. There is a Disaster Management Committee at the City Corporation/Paurashava level. The Paurashava Chairman is the head of the committee. The members of the Committee are all Paurashava commissioners, representatives from all the Government departments, NGOs and CBOs. Chief Executive Officer of the Pourashava is the member secretary of the committee. The committee is required to meet monthly during normal period and as and when necessary during emergency situation. Besides, metropolitan cities in Bangladesh have City Corporation Disaster Management Committees with the Mayor as the Chairman and comprising members as it is in case of Pauroshavas. There will be a plan for each Paurashava/City Corporation titled “Paurashava/City Corporation Disaster Management Plan” to be prepared by the “Paurashava/City Corporation Disaster Management Committee having linkages with the National Plan for Disaster Management. The PDMP/ CCDMP should highlight and articulate, among others, the following: a) The areas in the Paurashava/city corporation vulnerable to different forms of hazards and risks, b) Total resource requirements and the planned action for the district i. to take measures for prevention and mitigation of disasters by government agencies, NGOs, CBOs and the private sector within the district, ii. Capacity building and preparedness measures to be taken by government agencies, NGOs, CBOs and the private sector iii. Strengthening emergency response management system plans and procedures in the event of a disaster, providing for – c) The response plans and procedures in the event of a disaster, providing for – i. Allocation of responsibilities to the departments of the government at district level and other DMC members;

ii. Procedure for mobilization of resources, iii. Prompt response to disaster and relief thereof; iv. Procurement of emergency supplies; v. Operation of disaster shelters, vi. Restoration of emergency services, such as water supply, gas supply, power, telecommunication and road links, vii. Provision of emergency medical services, viii. Burial of dead bodies, ix. Trauma counseling, and x. The dissemination of information. d) Recovery plans and procedures delineating damage assessment procedure, restoration of damaged public infrastructure, resumption of educational institutions, restoration of livelihood, rehabilitation of affected people, especially the disabled, and elderly women and children. e) The PDMP shall be reviewed and updated annually. f) The copies of the PDMP shall be made available to all Paurashava/city corporation level stakeholders, UNOs and DCs. g) A copy of the PDMP will be sent to the District Disaster Management Committee and Disaster Management Bureau. h) The DMB/ BIDMTR will provide technical advice and capacity building services to all DMCs. Sectoral Development Plans incorporating Disaster Risk Reduction Every Ministry/Division of the Government of Bangladesh prepares their own Sectoral Development Plans. MoFDM with the participation of sectoral experts will prepare a general guideline to incorporate disaster risk reduction agenda for the sectors. MoFDM will also be responsible for overall monitoring and follow-up of the process to ensure that disaster risk reduction agenda are mainstreamed within the sectoral policies, plans and programmes. The development plans should address, among others, the following: a) Defining and redefining risk environment through hazard analysis, vulnerability assessment, risk evaluation, risk treatment options, and risk treatments.

B) Managing the risk environment by developing programs and strategies that eliminate, or reduce the level of risk. Traditionally mitigation programs were viewed as engineering solutions to eliminate risk, but it is now accepted that all activities undertaken to eliminate or reduce risk are “mitigation� strategies (e.g. community education and awareness, planning activities, development of warning systems). This includes activities previously described as the PPRR Model- Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Recovery. c) Regularly review and update the plan; and d) Submit a copy of the plan, and of any amendment thereto, to appropriate authority including the MoFDM.

d) Submit a copy of its disaster management plan, and of any amendment thereto, the concerned authority.

Hazard Specific Multi-sectoral Disaster Management Plans In addition to area specific disaster management plans and sector specific disaster risk reduction plans, it is envisaged that there will be a few hazard-specific management. plans, such as earthquake management plan. This type of plans will be multi-sectoral and will be divided into two components: risk reduction and emergency response. This type of plans will address specific necessities to deal with a particular hazard.

Monitoring and Evaluation The National Plan is a dynamic document and will be reviewed and evaluated annually to ensure consistency with national initiatives and Government priorities. Key performance indicators will be monitored and reported annually to assess the progress of the implementation of the Framework. The key indicators will: • Measure the expected outcomes of the Plan.

• Set benchmarks.

• Measure the effectiveness of policies, strategies and programs and inform policy development.

•Identify agency accountability and responsibility for each performance indicator.

• Identify opportunities for improvement that lead to enhancement of the Disaster Management System. The IMDMCC will be responsible for monitoring progress of implementation of this plan at the national level. The MoFDM through Disaster Management Bureau will be responsible for monitoring at the local level.

Financing of the Plan National Disaster Response and Recovery Fund The Government will constitute a fund called the “National Disaster Response and Recovery Fund” from its own resources and donations from home and abroad. The fund shall be used for response, relief and recovery. The allocation and utilization of the fund shall be governed as per rules and guidelines laid down by the Government. Ministry of Food and Disaster Management, in consultation with Ministry of Finance, will take initiative to establish the fund by consolidating the existing relief funds.

Risk Reduction Fund The Government will constitute a fund called the “National Risk Reduction Fund” for projects which are designed for the purpose of prevention, mitigation and preparedness. The allocation and utilization of the fund shall be governed as per rules and guidelines laid down by the Government. Ministry of Food and Disaster Management, in consultation with Ministry of Finance, will take initiative to establish the fund by consolidating the existing risk reduction funds.

Financing Sectoral Plans Relevant Ministries/ Divisions/ Directorates and departments will make provisions in its annual budget to fund the activities and programmes set out in the Disaster Risk Reduction component of its Sectoral Development Plans.

District/Upazila/Union/Paurashava/City Corporation Disaster Management Fund Disaster Management Committees at the district, upazila, union, city corporation and paurashava levels will constitute its Disaster Management Fund to implement programmes and activities as set out in Disaster Management Plans. This fund will make up of the following: a) Contribution from the government, b) Contribution from local government and c) Local donation.

The government will formulate guideline for operating the fund.

Reporting The authority/authorities responsible for the utilization of funds shall submit specific report(s) to the Governments regarding executions of, and expenditures of funds along with an audit certification. The period of time not for such reports shall be as prescribed by the rules and guidelines for the use of funds.

Conclusion The Cyclone “Sidr� hit the south and south-western parts of Bangladesh on November 15th 2007. The storm arrived as a Category-4 Super Cyclone during the evening with peak winds of 250 km/h. A seven foot high tidal surge crossed through the country's southern Barisal - Khulna belt from the Bay of Bengal, killing about 4,000 people, flattening houses, uprooting trees, snapping telephone and power lines. Villages were torn apart, and more than a million coastal villagers were forced to flee to government shelters. The tropical storm Sidr was the deadliest storm to hit the country in a decade.

Recently Bangladesh Government has taken a holistic approach for disaster management in the coastal areas of Bangladesh where emphasis has been given to work together with all the stakeholders and build strategic, scientific and implementation partnerships with all the relevant government departments and agencies, other key non-government players including NGOs, academic and technical institutions, the private sector and the donors. The Government to ensure that risk reduction and comprehensive disaster management has taken national policy and programmes in a large scale.

The National Plan for Disaster Management is indicates the relevant regional and sectoral plans for risk reduction, capacity building, climate change adaptation, livelihood security, gender mainstreaming, community empowerment and response and recovery management.

Bibliography •

Coastal Zone Policy 2005

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National Plan for Disaster Management 2007 – 2015

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www.hsbc.com.bd

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www.coastbangladesh.com

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The daily Prothom Alo

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The daily Star

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Focus Bangla