Bangladesh Cyclone Preparedness Programme

Bangladesh Cyclone Preparedness Programme
Name	Bangladesh Cyclone Preparedness Programme
Formation	1973
Headquarters	Dhaka
Region served	Bangladesh
Parent organization	Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief

Bangladesh Cyclone Preparedness Programme

The Bangladesh Cyclone Preparedness Programme operates as a national disaster risk reduction initiative coordinating with humanitarian, meteorological and civil protection institutions to reduce cyclone mortality and damage. It integrates community volunteers, coastal authorities and international partners to implement early warning, shelter management and evacuation procedures across Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Barisal and Sylhet. The Programme collaborates with regional agencies and global actors to link local preparedness with transnational technical networks.

Overview

The Programme functions at the intersection of coastal risk management and humanitarian response, aligning with actors such as Bangladesh Meteorological Department, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Air Force, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, UNOCHA, UNDP and USAID. It maintains partnerships with WMO, IFRC, World Bank, ADB and IOM. The Programme's mandate connects to coastal infrastructure initiatives like Char Development and Settlement Project, environmental projects related to Sundarbans conservation, and policy frameworks influenced by Hyogo Framework for Action and Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

History and Development

Established in the aftermath of the Bangladesh Liberation War and major cyclones that included events linked to tragedies such as the 1970 Bhola cyclone, the Programme evolved through phases of international cooperation involving United Nations Development Programme, United States Agency for International Development, OXFAM, CARE International, Save the Children, International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps and BRAC. Historical milestones include expansions after cyclones comparable in impact to the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone and reform initiatives following responses studied by CRED and analyses in journals like The Lancet and Nature Climate Change. Donor coordination has involved European Union, JICA, DFID, Sida and Norwegian Refugee Council.

Organization and Structure

The Programme is structured around a national secretariat in Dhaka and a network of district and upazila units operating with volunteer constituencies drawn from coastal communities, collaborating with administrative authorities such as LGED, DPHE, BIDS and Bangladesh Planning Commission. It interfaces with statutory agencies including Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Shipping, Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock and public safety institutions like Bangladesh Police, Fire Service and specialized units such as Bangladesh Coast Guard and Cyclone Preparedness Volunteer Volunteer Force. Governance mechanisms reflect inputs from international standards bodies like ISO and program evaluation frameworks used by OECD and UNDP.

Preparedness Activities and Programs

Core activities include evacuation planning tied to coastal embankment projects, construction and management of multipurpose cyclone shelters associated with Department of Disaster Management, retrofitting initiatives funded by World Bank and Asian Development Bank, and public information campaigns coordinated with media outlets including BTV, The Daily Star, Prothom Alo and radio networks such as Bangladesh Betar. The Programme administers contingency stockpiles alongside partners like WFP and UNICEF, integrates health preparedness with DGHS responses, and aligns with nutrition interventions by UNICEF and WHO.

Early Warning Systems and Technology

Early warning capabilities rely on meteorological inputs from Bangladesh Meteorological Department, hydrographic data from Bangladesh Water Development Board, satellite remote sensing services from NOAA, scatterometer data analogous to ESA missions, and numerical forecasting models used by ECMWF and IMD. Communication dissemination includes mass SMS alerts via mobile operators such as Grameenphone, Robi, and Banglalink, community sirens, VHF radio networks, and coordination with maritime agencies like Chittagong Port Authority and Mongla Port Authority. Technological partnerships have included projects with Google.org, academic collaborators like University of Dhaka, BUET, IIT Madras-style research exchanges, and climate modelling linkages to IPCC assessments.

Community Engagement and Training

Volunteer mobilization leverages community structures involving teachers from institutions such as University of Chittagong, health workers trained by DGHS, religious leaders from Baitul Mukarram National Mosque networks, women's groups associated with Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, youth networks like Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Student League and civil society organizations including BRAC, Akhon, Ain o Salish Kendra, and Transparency International Bangladesh. Training curricula draw on manuals by IFRC, simulation exercises with UNDRR, and school-based drills coordinated with the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education. Community-based early warning experiments integrate indigenous knowledge documented in studies by CIRDAP and ICIMOD.

Impact and Evaluation

Evaluations by World Bank, Asian Development Bank, UNDP, IFRC and academic assessments in Journal of Climate-style publications attribute substantial reductions in cyclone mortality to the Programme's volunteer networks, shelter capacity expansions and warning systems when compared to historic events like the 1970 Bhola cyclone and the 1991 Bangladesh cyclone. Impact assessments reference disaster loss databases such as EM-DAT and policy analyses by Brookings Institution, Chatham House and IIED. Continuous challenges include climate change projections by IPCC, sea-level rise research from NASA, livelihood resilience studies involving FAO, and infrastructure resilience funded by ADB and World Bank. Monitoring and evaluation follow metrics promoted by OECD and UNDP while adaptation programming aligns with Green Climate Fund priorities.

Category:Disaster preparedness in Bangladesh Category:Humanitarian aid organizations