1. Organizational and Policy Context
of Disaster Management in the
perspective of Bangladesh
Rezwanul Haque
Lecturer
Department of Development Studies
North Western University
Khulna

2. National Initiatives on Disaster
Management and Climate Change

3. Climate Change and Bangladesh
Bangladesh is widely recognized to be one of the most climate vulnerable
countries in the world considering all the scientific assessment. In the
Global Climate Risk Index, German watch gives prominence to
Bangladesh as the most Vulnerable countries to disaster during 1991 to
2010 (Harmeling, 2011).
Maplecroft prepared an index in 2011 on climate vulnerability of 107
countries based on future risk and vulnerability. It considered 42
elements of Social, economical and environmental including natural
disaster due to climate change and sea level rise; population pattern,
development; access to natural resource; dependency of agriculture and
social conflict. According to the index,
Bangladesh is the topmost vulnerable country due to climate change.

4. Climate Change and Bangladesh (Continue…..)
This index identified 16 new economically strong Asian countries as 'most
vulnerable'. Among them chronologically Bangladesh (1), India (2),
Philippine (6), Vietnam (13) and Pakistan (16) have got place in the index as
'most vulnerable'.
Bangladesh becomes a top vulnerable country from both side disaster and
climate change vulnerability.
• Firstly, global warming lead to change in precipitation and weather pattern
leading agriculture and food security to massive threat.
• Secondly, increased number of climate induced disasters in the form of
extreme hydro-meteorological events such as flood, drought, salinity
ingress, river bank erosion and tidal surge leading to damage of
infrastructure, crop production, natural resources, livelihoods and
consequently the national economy (Huq et.al., 1996; Assaduzzaman et.al.,
1997; Choudhury et. al, 2005).

5. According to World Bank estimation 2010, a one meter rise in sea level
would flood 18% of the total land in Bangladesh
Another research by Ahmed 2006 highlighted the fact that frequent
disaster induce saline water "overtopping" of coastal embankments,
causing further saline intrusion and damage to agriculture and freshwater
sources
In addition
Projections of temperature and precipitation for Bangladesh indicate a
warmer summer and wetter monsoon with substantial spatial
differences in rainfall. The surface average temperature will increase 1°C
and 1.6°C by the year 2030 and 2050 respectively. By 2100, temperature is
likely to increase up to 2.4°C. The rate of change in temperature is slightly
higher in winter than that in monsoon. On an average, the annual mean
rainfall will increase by about 4 and 10 percent by 2030 and 2100,
respectively.

6. National Initiatives on Disaster
Management and Climate Change

7. National Policy, Planning and Act on Disaster
Management
A disaster management regulatory framework is established
under which the Bangladesh disaster management frame
work is implemented
The framework is comprised of:
 Standing Orders on Disaster- SOD
 Draft National Disaster Management Policy
 National Plan for Disaster Management 2010-2015;NPDM
 Guidelines for Government at all Levels -Best Practice Models
(2010)
 Disaster Management Act, 2012

8. Standing Orders on Disaster (SOD)
After the super cyclone hit in 1991 with significant
death toll, the then government of Bangladesh
realized that there was a fundamental need for a
disaster management policy and institutional
mechanism
As a part of National Disaster Management
Framework the draft Standing Orders on
Disaster (SOD) first issued in 1997.The draft
SOD was approved in 2010 (Nahar,2013)|

9. Standing Orders on Disaster (SOD)
It basically describes the detailed roles and responsibilities of Committees,
Ministries, Departments and other organizations involved in disaster risk
reduction and emergency response management.
The Disaster Management Bureau has organized national lessons learned
workshops after the Flood 2004 and the Cyclone Sidr 2007
The importance of disaster risk reduction as well as strengthening of the
emergency response system in the country is emphasized through this.
Accordingly the SOD had been revised in 2008.
Again in 2010 the SOD has been revised and updated as an `Living
Document'. In this 239 pages document the roles and responsibilities of
the different ministries, departments and associated bodies during disaster
has been clearly illustrated.

10. Draft National Disaster Management
Policy
 The National Disaster Management Policy (draft) was
developed in 2008
 This is a 15 pages strategic document where national aim and
strategies about the disaster management is broadly
presented.
 But this draft national policy is yet to endorse by the national
parliament government has plan to approve and implement
this by 2015.
 It is hope that Bangladesh will be forwarded to achieve the
commitments after the Hyogo framework of action (2005-
2015) combining all the disaster management policies and
other laws or planning.

11. National Plan for Disaster Management
2010-2015 (NPDM)
 The National Plan for Disaster Management 2010-2015 is an
outcome of the national and international commitments of the
Government of Bangladesh (GoB) and the Disaster Management
and Relief Division (DM&RD)
 It is mentioned that, Government of Bangladesh executed this plan
(NPDM) as an implementation measure of taken indicators in
Hyogo framework of action (2005-2015) and SAARC Disaster
management framework (2006-15)
 The seven strategic objectives of Regional Comprehensive
Framework on Disaster Prevention compiled for South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation -SAARC countries are selected
as the strategic objectives of this planning-NPDM (GoB,2010c).

12. National Plan for Disaster
Management 2010-2015 (NPDM)
The objectives are as follows:
1. Professionalizing the disaster management system;
2. Mainstreaming disaster risk reduction;
3. Strengthening of community institutional mechanisms;
4. Empowering community at risk particularly women, the poor and
the disadvantaged;
5. Expanding risk reduction programming across a broader range of
hazards (all hazards approach);
6. Strengthening emergency response systems; and
7. Developing and strengthening networks of relevant national,
regional and international organizations.

13. 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. (GoB, 2010a).

14. Disaster Management Act, 2012
The Disaster Management Act was approved by the
Parliament on 12 September 2012 and then came to
effect from 24 September 2012 after having signed
by the by the President. The seventeen page Act is
comprised of six chapters, 60 sections and one
schedule.

15. Disaster Management Act, 2012
Objective of the Act:
 Substantial reduction of the overall risks of disasters to an
acceptable level with
appropriate risk reduction interventions;
 Effective implementation of post disaster emergency response;
 Rehabilitation and recovery measures;
 Provision of emergency humanitarian assistance to the most
vulnerable
community people;
 Strengthening of institutional capacity for effective coordination of
disaster management involving government and non-government
organizations, and establishing a disaster management system
capable of dealing with all hazards for the country.

16. Disaster Management Act, 2012
Feature of this Act:
 All-hazard, all-risk and all-sector approach
 The comprehensive disaster management model
 Developed through a long trial and error basis that has
earned global recognition
 It puts equal emphasis on disaster risk reduction and
emergency response management with greater focus on
equitable and sustainable development.