National Perspectives of Disaster Risk Reduction in Bangladesh

Abstract

According to Climate Risk Index, Bangladesh is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to different types of disaster because of climatic variability, extreme events, high population density, high incidence of poverty and social inequity, poor institutional capacity, inadequate financial resources, and poor infrastructure. Bangladesh initiated its actions for disaster preparedness immediately after the cyclone of 1991. At present Bangladesh has National Disaster Management Act-2012, National Disaster Management Policy, Standing Order on Disaster and National Plan for Disaster Management 2010–2015 as key documents guiding the disaster management works in Bangladesh. To implement the documents in ground works Bangladesh has Disaster Management and Relief Division, Disaster Management Bureau (DMB) and Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) under the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management (NPDM, National Plan for Disaster Management 2010–2015, Disaster Management Bureau, Disaster Management & Relief Division, Ministry of Food and Disaster Management, Dhaka). The country also has disaster management mechanism at both national and sub-national levels. 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 that 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 (both thematic level and different levels of administrative structure). Furthermore, the Disaster Management Act is enacted by Act No. 34 of 2012 that forms the legislative basis to desirable, integrate, and strengthen the disaster management related activities and to establish an effective institutional framework for disaster management to deal with all types of disaster in Bangladesh.