Assignment On

Role of Government and NGOs in Disaster Management, Relief and Rehabilitation

Operation Programs in Bangladesh

SUBMITTED TO:

Mostafiz AhmedAsst. Professor

Department of Social WorkJagannath University, Bangladesh.

PREPARED BY:

A.M.M Rakibul HasanRoll No. 05101587Reg. No. 102532

Session: 2005-2006.

Date of submission: 25th April’ 2011

JAGANNATH UNIVERSITY

Role of Government

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The role of the government in disastrous times is to provide civility, protection and service emergency response to the needs of the people. Without such services, chaos and mob mentality grows into anarchy. Government agencies play a critical role during times of disaster. They are-

Disaster Management Bureau (DMB)

The main role of the Disaster Management Bureau (DMB) is to provide support to disaster management decision makers, planners and practitioners at all levels in Bangladesh by acting as  a small dynamic professional unit at a national level to perform specialist functions in the field of disaster preparedness, local level disaster action and contingency planning, awareness training, facilitating improved information collection 

During Normal Time

Developing a National Disaster Action Plan, and associated practical guidelines for those   responsible for its implementation.

Helping line ministries and agencies to develop and test their own contingency/action plans.

Helping district- and thana-level authorities to develop and test their own disaster preparedness plans.

Working with local authorities, BDRCS/CPP, NGOs and others to help union councils and village communities in high-risk areas to develop their own contingency plans and increase their own coping capacity.

Collaborating with existing training institutes, training materials development units, and NGOs already engaged in relevant training activities, to co-ordinate and promote the production of curricula and relevant training materials for various target groups.

Collaborating with line agencies, local authorities, existing training institutes, and relevant NGOs, in planning organizing training for a wide variety of government personnel, elected officials and others.

Establishing facilities, information systems operating procedures, and telecommunications systems, for a national emergency

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operations centre (EOC) control room, for immediate use when an emergency arises.

Establishing arrangements for the mobilization of additional personnel for the EOC and to assist local authorities in the field, when required.

Providing a documentation and information services on disaster management for line agencies and others.

Working with the Planning Commission and concerned line agencies to increase awareness of disaster risks and ensure that such risks, and possibilities to reduce them, are considered and appropriate measures incorporated in development planning.

Monitoring and reporting to the Government/Parliament on the risks faced, the vulnerability of people and economic assets to known hazards, the status of preparedness in the country and any delays/bottlenecks in the implementation of disaster prevention/preparedness programmes and project.

 During an Emergency 

Ensuring the effective dissemination of appropriate warnings, of flood, cyclones (through collaboration with BMD, BWDB, CPP, Radio, TV, and authorities in particular).

Activating and operating the national EOC (control room), receiving, analyzing, storing, incoming information, arranging rapid reconnaissance and assess mission, where needed. 

Providing secretarial services and expert advice to the National Disaster Management Council (NDMC) and Inter-ministerial Disaster Management Co-ordination Committee (IMDMCC).

Providing information to and liaising with ERD concerning requirement international assistance, and with Ministry of Information.

During Post-Disaster Recovery

Co-operating with the Planning Commission and line agencies, as required in compiling data on reconstruction requirements and in coordinating the preparedness of an integrated reconstruction programme.

Ensuring that risk reduction measures are built into all reconstruction programmes as much as possible.

Undertaking a final evaluation, or at least a "post mortem", on the over all operation, drawing lessons and feeding them back to the IMDMCC training activities and up-dated guidelines.

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Bangladesh Armed Forces Division

Armed Forces Division plays a vital role in disaster management as part of our overall national strategy to cope with disaster. We have a comprehensive set of standing orders for disaster management (SOD), delineating the role and responsibility of all concerned agencies in disaster management. The Food and Disaster Management Ministry is the prime Government organ on whose request, AFD works primarily in aid to the civil power to mitigate the crisis. The prime role of AFD is to coordinate the employment of Armed Forces in disaster management and the overall relief operation.Army, Navy and Air Force personnel deployed down to sub district level who are engaged in the relief operation. A monitoring cell is established to coordinate with all concerned ministries of the government, which includes MOFA, MOHA, Civil Aviation, MOFDM, Ministry of Health and of course friendly Armed Forces.Armed Forces provide following service to affected population:

Transportation of relief goods by Air Force assets (Helicopter and Fixed Wing Air Craft) from Dhaka.

Transportation of relief goods in affected districts through road and river route using Army and Naval and Civil assets.

Augment civil health care service by Armed Forces Medical Teams.

Clearing of roads and restoration of road communication. Assist in restoration of telecommunication. Designate a Disaster Management Focal Point and inform all

concerned. Establish effective contact and ensure continuous liaison with

CCDR, NDRCG and MoFDM. Ensure necessary and appropriate preparedness along with the

necessary equipments of the three. Arrange training on disaster management for task force and

form a group of Armed Forces for emergency deployment for relief, rescue, and evacuation work effectively.

Ensure safety and security of installations, establishments, equipment, personnel and resources.

Keep budgetary provision for disaster preparedness and management affairs.

Develop a plan and ensure necessary budget allocation for disaster emergency operation with a view to respond to the demand and emergency.

Undertake training for the Task Force Commander in emergency

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response, relief and recovery.

Role of Non Government Organizations

With the government some non government organizations are playing important role in disaster management. Those are described in below-

Bangladesh Red Crescent Society

Operational Method:CPP is a mechanism which relies on technical skills and volunteers commitment for ensuring that all potential victims of an approaching cyclone are given sufficient warning to 11 million coastal people so as to enable them to move to safe- sites including cyclone shelters and buildings. The system starts with the collection of meteorological data from the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), which issues bulletins including the designated warning signals of an approaching cyclone. The bulletins are transmitted to the 6 zonal offices and the 30 upazila level offices(sub-district) over HF radio. The upazila offices in turn, pass it to unions and lower level through VHF radios. The union team leaders then conduct the unit team leaders immediately. The unit team leaders with his volunteers spread out in the villages and disseminate cyclone warning signals almost door to door using megaphones, hand sirens and public address system.

The programs have at its stock of 42675 trained and devoted volunteers including 14225 female who often take risk of their live.

Bangladesh Red Crescent Society also has

Well-built Telecommunication System

Volunteers organization

Volunteers Training Program

Public Awareness Building By

Public awareness through volunteers.

Cyclone drills and demonstration

Film/ Video Shows/folk songs

Publicity campaign

Radio and Television

Posters, leaflets and Booklets

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Staging of drama

The BRAC Flood Rehabilitation Programme

The objective of BRAC’s 2004 Flood Rehabilitation Programme is to repair the damage caused by the flooding and help the poor rebuild their livelihoods. The rehabilitation Programme will work to repair damage caused by flooding to three main sectors, each representing a significant area of

Health Sector Education Sector Livelihoods Sector

Under this Rehabilitation programme BRAC is going to distribute soft loan and flood loan for the victims to reestablished their houses and income generating programme. Rehabilitation programme included several steps. BRAC has planned to create a “Disaster Cell” to organize activities on future coping up mechanism. This cell will organize training, awareness campaign about different issues of disaster preparedness.

BRAC’s cyclone disaster related learning focused on:

Early assessment of cyclone effect Economic losses Post-disaster environment Epidemiology of cyclone Usefulness of shelters Peoples perceptions about cyclone warnings Reasons for structural failures of semi pucca buildings Impact on nutritional status

This were some issues reported from cyclone related study that, few cyclone shelters were used less due to lack of proper management of shelter. Such as, remoteness of the place (not easily accessible and approachable road or footpath), terrible physical condition as people used to use that shelter as a place for defecation and kept their cattle. The most common problem was the lack of latrines and drinking water. Other problem included crowding, lack of privacy, no light, no food, and insufficient supply of proper medicine. There was death incidents occurred in cyclone shelter due to too many people and suffocation, and diarrhoea and pneumonia after effect of cyclone. BRAC also experienced that female mortality is higher than males during disaster. Literacy was found to be inversely related to death rates that are also a proxy for economic status. The most important need during disaster is food and clothes. These needs shifted to housing and then embankments after. This indicates relief priorities in a post-disaster situation.

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CARE Bangladesh amplifies the voices of the poor and the marginalized in ways that influence public opinion, development practice, and policy at all levels. This happens as knowledge drawn from our grass roots and global experience is channeled through purposeful relationships with civil society, government, and the private sector Disaster Preparedness (DP) is one of the four strategic objectives of SHOUHARDO. This thematic study focuses on the approaches and systems being implemented by SHOUHARDO to achieve the fourth strategic objective.

The SHOUHARDO Program is funded through USAID’s Food For Peace (FFP) Title II Program, operating from October2004 to May2010. SHOUHARDO’s overall goal is to ‘Sustainable reduce chronic and transitory food insecurity of 400,000 households (HHs) in 18 districts of Bangladesh. The Program specifically targets the poorest and most disenfranchised populations of Bangladesh, which has been underscored by the Mid Term Review (MTR) of the Program (2007) where it was stated ‘SHOUHARDO has succeeded in establishing a presence in some of the most difficult and remote regions of the country and has effectively defined a target population that is among the most vulnerable in Bangladesh.

SHOUHARDO builds on earlier food security initiatives and operates in four of Bangladesh’s major regions: Kishoregonj, Rangpur, Tangail and Chittagong. 95% of the implementation is through 44 local partner NGOs, with the remaining 5% through direct delivery. Each of these four regions possesses their own unique topography, but is consistent in that the beneficiaries are some of the most marginalized groups in Bangladesh.

Disaster Preparedness Activities Activate/reactivate and capacity building of Union and

Pourashava.

Disaster Management Committees (UDMCS/PDMCS)

Establishing Disaster Volunteers (DV)

Community awareness rising of disaster issues and response

Urban Disaster Risk Management (UDRM)

ADPC pilot early warning project

Networking, advocacy and awareness raising

Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA)

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CARITAS

Enhancement of Adaptive Capacity of Drought Vulnerable Community With a view to reducing the risks and vulnerability of the area this community based adaptation project started in July 2007. The main objective of the project is to improve understanding and awareness of the selected community and stakeholders about the present and future drought impacts on their lives and livelihoods, associated risk and vulnerability and to improve coping mechanism and enhance adaptive capacity of the vulnerable community, particularly of the poor, marginal group and women to address drought impacts, related risks and vulnerability.

Emergency Disaster Management Program (EDMP) To assist the disaster-affected communities with immediate food and non-food items, crop recovery supports, reconstruction works as well as creation of employment opportunities through cash for works like cleaning homesteads and ponds; reconstruction of village roads; canal re-excavation; embankment repairing; installation of water and sanitation facilities; low cost houses construction; professional support (e.g. distribution of boat and fishing nets, rickshaws, vans, cows, sewing machines), repairing of existing cyclone shelters and construction of flood/cyclone shelters.

Strengthening the Community for Disaster Risk Management (SCDRM) To strengthen the capacity of the disaster vulnerable community through building disaster management structure and linking the structure with local government as well as facilitating the community for the preparation and implementation of community based disaster risk management plans through networking and local resource mobilization.

Natural Resources and Capacity Building in Disaster Management.

Humanitarian assistance to people affected by Natural Calamities and Man-made Disast rs. e

Building of the capacity of the people in coping with disasters, before, during and after.

Promote innovative steps to minimize Degradati n of Environment and Depletion of Natural Resources to restore ecological balance.

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Bio-diversity Conservation and Poverty Reduction through sustainable use of natural resources (including land, water, aquatic resources and livestock) as well as promotion of Indigenous Knowledge & techniques.

Oxfam's work on The River Basin Program

The River Basin Program (RBP) intends to demonstrate a robust intervention model that reduces the vulnerability of people, particularly women, living in char and haor areas. The focus areas are:

Minimizing the effects of flooding by constructing flood shelters, cluster villages and raised homesteads and increasing awareness to public health.

Strengthening livelihoods by providing trainings for developing skills, financial support, and linkages with markets.

Helping people being prepared by training them to cope and live with floods, providing emergency stock pilling and coordination, and undertaking advocacy for disaster preparedness with governments and other actors.

Preparing people to live with the floods Oxfam’s River Basin Program, covering 40,000 households in 350 villages, was launched in Bangladesh in 1999 and prepares people to live with floods. It ensures that their lives, and their ability to earn a living are disrupted as little as possible.

Raised homesteadsHomesteads are raised five to seven feet above water level, and to protect the raised earth from erosion, grasses and other plants are grown on it. Raised homesteads can be used all year round for kitchen gardening, and poultry and livestock rearing, giving families more food and income.

Flood sheltersAround three to five acres of raised land can accommodate 100-300 households. People reassemble their houses and bring their livestock to the flood shelter. Facilities include a community room for those without shelter, wells, latrines, fishponds, and areas for growing vegetables and planting trees.

Rescue Boats Rescue boats, with life-saving equipment, are located around the areas most at risk of floods or river erosion. Besides rescuing people, the boats

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collect houses, belongings, and livestock, taking them to flood shelters and other places of safety. In remote areas with no road access, the boats are used to deliver relief such as food, animal fodder, emergency shelter, and other essential items.The boats are used all year round for transportation, and when not in use they can be hired out to raise some income.

References:

1. UNDP, http://www.undp.org.bd

2. Disaster Management Bureau, Bangladesh, http://www.dmb.gov.bd

3. Bangladesh Armed Forces Division, http://www.afd.gov.bd

4. Bangladesh Red Crescent, http://www.bdrcs.org

5. Brac, http://www.brac.net & http://www.bracresearch.org

6. Care Bangladesh, http://www.carebd.org

7. Caritas, http://www.caritasbd.org

8. Oxfam, http://www.oxfam.org.uk

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