Disaster Risk Reduction, Preparedness, Response and Recovery in Bangladesh:

A complex, multifaceted challenge, in any country of the world!

In Bangladesh, there is still a massive amount of work to do! Nevertheless, real progress in 2012: what’s been done; and how does it relate to the IASC Transformative Agenda?

Bangladesh, one of the world’s most vulnerable countries!

The evolution of a comprehensive Bangladeshi National Strategy

Achievements:

1. Revamped and revitalised coordination

2. Disaster Management Act

3. Streamlined Joint Needs Assessment

4. ITA in Action

The Major Challenges Forward in 2013

Today’s Presentation

The rising Bay of Bengal

Waterlogging

Increasingly severe cyclones

Storm surge

High population density and poverty compounds RISK.

Bangladesh: An

earthquake fault line

Increasingly unpredictable river flow from HimalayasFloods! Droughts!

Myanmar

India

India

India

Date Disaster Death toll Nov. 12, 1970

 Cyclone Bhola

 500,000

  April 29, 1991

 Cyclone Gorky

 140,000

  Nov. 15, 2007

 Cyclone Sidr

 4,000 

May 25, 2009

 Cyclone Aila

 190 

Yet, an amazing achievement: saving lives through disaster preparedness and responses

How has this been achieved ?

Evolution of Disaster Risk Management in Bangladesh

Bhola cyclone 1970 (500,000 killed)

Volunteers network

Floods 1987, 88(100 yr flood)

Flood Action PlanWarning CentersRefocused Ministry

Cyclone Gorki1991(138000 killed)

Dedicated DRR UnitCyclone Shelter PlanStanding Orders for Disaster

Flood in 1998 (longest duration)

Cyclone Sidr, Aila

Climate PlanHumanitarian ReformDM Act 2012

Mobilization ………. Professionalization ………. Paradigm Shift

Bringing us to today….

Revamping Coordination, taking into account the Government’s Perspective, UN Capacities…

The National Structure for Aid Coordination and DER

Disaster Management Act 2012

Improving Joint Needs Assessments

Bangladesh Development 

Forum

GOB/DP Plenary

LCG Secretariat

DP Plenary

ExComm*

1. Coordination:The Bangladesh Local

Consultative Group and the 18 LCG Working Groups

* The DP ExComm consists of seven members. Three permanent ones (ADB, WB and UN RC) and four non-permanent ones (currently: Canada, USA/USAID, Switzerland, and EU/Germany), that represent four groups of bilateral donors and rotate on an annual basis. 

LCG

Wor

king

Gro

ups

Agriculture, Food Security and Rural Development Chair: M/o Agriculture & FAO

Aid Effectiveness Chair: ERD & DFID

Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Chair: M/o CHT Affairs & UNDP

Climate Change and Environment Chair: M/o Environment & Forests & DFID

DER Chair: M/o Disaster Management & Relief & UNRCO

Education Chair: M/o Primary & Mass Education & EU

Energy Chair: Power Division & ADB

Gender Chair: M/o Women & Children Affairs & UN Women

Governance Chair: Cabinet Division & UNDP

Health, Nutrition and Population Chair: M/o Health & Family Welfare & DFID

ICT - Digital Bangladesh Chair: M/o ICT

Macro-Economics Chair: Finance Division & IMF

Poverty Issues Chair: General Economics Division & UNDP, DFID

Private Sector Development and Trade Chair: M/o Commerce & EU

Transport and Communication Chair: Roads Division & JICA

Urban Chair: Local Government Division & UNDP, UNICEF

Water Management Chair: M/o Water Resources & Netherlands

Water Supply and Sanitation Chair: Local Government Division & WB

Definition of “how-to” and “who” done inclusively,

Flexible/light structure built on existing coordination mechanisms,

Joint GoB / International Community leadership of Humanitarian Cluster Coordination Task Team (HCTT)

Clusters lead sector response/recovery preparedness, aligned with the relevant LCG WGs

Linked to DMIC on information management and baseline data for preparedness.

1. Coordination (continued): Strengthened Architecture

Local Consultative Group

Food Security cluster

WASHcluster

Educationcluster

Early Recovery cluster

Humanitarian Coordination

Task Team

Humanitarian Coordination

Task Team

Healthcluster

Logisticscluster

Sheltercluster

Stand alone clusters

*IFRC – as convener during emergency phase

WHO UNDPUNICEF/SCFFAO/WFP

Nutritioncluster

UNICEF UNICEF

UNDP/IFRC*WFP

The DER Coordination Structure: approved in 01/2012

Working Groups:

WATSANLCG WG

Education LCG WG

Poverty LCG WG

DERLCG WG

Health LCG WG

Ag. & FoodLCG WG

Humanitarian Work, Early Recovery and Resilience

February 2013

A significantly improved legal structure approved on 24 September 2012:

Defines key terms

Reforms Organizational Structures

Defines key roles, responsibilities and functions

Enables fast-track mobilization

Gov’t asked for and got, substantive UN input

2. Disaster Management Act, 2012

The Problem:13 separate needs assessments carried out in mid-2011 on Satkhira water-logging

Principles, Tools for a better Response:Government has the ultimate responsibility for needs assessment

Commitment to a common approach among all DPs with GoB to assessments

Utilise a phased approach to assessments

3. Joint Needs Assessment: Background

It looks like this:

Joint Needs Assessment

Analyzed and proposed by a DER Task Force; agreed by DER in May 2012;Put into practice in Chittagong, June 2012, monsoon rains, floods, landslides

Accountability:

• Recognizing as principle, Government’s primary accountability to its citizens;

• In UN system, we’re accountable to both those living in disaster prone areas and to the government;

• A coordination structure premised on accountability combining local knowledge and global guidance has been developed.

4. Bangladesh: The IASC Transformative Agenda in Action

Leadership:

• Highlighting historic National achievements (advocacy);

• Promoting highest level government engagement implementing a comprehensive approach to DRR, Preparedness, Response and Recovery;

• Within UN, explicit engagement of RC;

• Personal commitment of relevant UN heads of agency and INGOs

• Empowered Cluster Leads with technical expertise and an “outreach and partnership” attitude.

4. ITA in Action (continued)

Coordination and Partnership:

• Real National Ownership, based on Government’s prioritization of a comprehensive disaster risk cycle approach and a tailor made framework;

• Progress, planning and actions based on multi-stakeholder, consensus driven process;

Resulting in:

• Explicitly improved legislation, systems and tools!

• Involvement and positive reactions from Government, bilateral donors, I/NGOs.

4. ITA in Action (continued)

Challenges Forward Saving lives and saving livelihoods: making resilience happen!

Address climate change, linked to slow-onset, prolonged disasters;

From joint assessments to joint actions (meaning both operational modalities, funding & response);

Strengthening even further, national capacities;

Making coordination and response consistently more effective; across sectors ensuring greater integration with LCG WGs (development);

The role and the guidance from LCG WGs is very vital in two ways:

Proactive measures for incorporating DRR in normal development

Guiding a rapid return to development; building back better!

Thank You very much!

Discussion…