Disaster risk reduction: Mitigation approach
Building awareness
IT was a hot summer noon at Dakkhin Haldibunia under Chila union of Mongla upazila of Bagerhat district. Braving the scorching heat, a large number of villagers, both men and women, thronged Dakkhin Haldibunia Registered Primary School ground. A group of schoolgirls enthralled the large gathering by performing a 'Zarigan'. The 'Zarigan' audience was cautioned that 'time is short (as climate is changing) and all must act before time runs out'. The colourful event was organised as part of the climate campaign being conducted under a project titled, 'Improved Food and Livelihood Security in the Context of Increased Disaster Risk and Climate Change Project' in Mongla upazila of Bagerhat district recently. Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Prodipan, Caritas Bangladesh and ADD Bangladesh have been jointly implementing the project being funded by donor agency CAFOD, UK. “The choir girls are providing vital knowledge and understanding of basic concepts and terms, such as weather, climate, climate change, disaster risk, etc,” remarked Project Coordinator Md Mukhlesur Rahman of Dhaka Ahsania Mission, organiser of the show. “We want to get the idea across that time is running out and all must rise to the challenge.” He emphasised that to achieve any result, citizens must take part and the event aims to raise awareness among general people. The 'Zarigan' was followed by an integrated disaster risk reduction simulation exercise. The exercise was part of making people understand their already developed response plan so that when a disaster hits, they would know what to do. The drill helps the communities identify hazards in their surrounding, identify their needs and develop disaster response plans. During a courtyard meeting at another village named Kanainagar under Chandpai union in Mongla upazila, Dhaka Ahsania Mission field supervisor Tara Biswas discussed and listened to women's views on climate change, food security and the roles and resources that men and women can play and have access to. Local farmers have already observed changes in the seasonal patterns of rainfall, decreases in the amount of rainfall and diminishing water resources and rise in salinity. In addition, they are concerned about dwindling forest cover which had in past served as a source of supplementary food. Strategies to cope with these changes include livelihood diversification. Meanwhile, the authorities of Chhabed Khan Secondary School at Dakkhin Chila in Mongla conducted an essay competition with a theme: 'Climate Change, Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation'. The participants of this activity were students of the high school. The activity was aimed to engage school students in disaster risk reduction (DRR) issues and enhance the awareness level of students about the importance of community initiatives in DRR, especially school-based communities. Disasters can hit at any time and at any place. But they always hit poor people the hardest. For poor people, climate change is not just another cause of economic loss. It threatens the very possibility of escape from poverty. Global warming is increasing the severity and frequency of cyclones, storms, droughts and floods. If poor communities do not adapt to a changing climate, these events could well keep on increasing their distress. Rising sea levels mean that low-lying coastal areas of Bangladesh may disappear altogether. These resulting disasters have a devastating impact on poor people's ability to farm and therefore their access to food. “We need to be aware of what is happening,” said Chandpai UP member Debola Sarker, also group leader of ward committee. “I grew up in a place where there were clear water bodies and now they are no longer there,” she lamented. Bagerhat district has a population of 15,97,554 people and is a coastal area. The district has been affected by several disasters like cyclone Sidr, tidal wave, severe floods over the past decades. Frequency of natural disasters has increased owing to climate change. One lakh 37 thousand beneficiaries have been brought under the project. Mass awareness campaigns on livelihood security and climate change issues are being geared up in the project areas. The activities help them in attainment capacity to combat disaster and its management. Contacted, Mongla Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Saidur Rahman said the government is rendering all-out help to Dhaka Ahsania Mission and other NGOs in combating disaster. He said, work on an embankment already started with assistance of WFP for protection of people and property in the area from the onslaught of coastal surge. The project activities are also raising capacity of the Union Disaster Management Committees besides women headed families of the targeted population, disabled people and those living at risk of HIV/AIDS. Under the programme, income of the families of targetted population in Mongla upazila is being increased by conducting environment-friendly farming -- pisciculture, livestock raising and through adoption of alternative means of livelihood. Food production has also increased considerably in the upazila as small and marginal farmers are using sustainable farming technology. Till now, 14 opinion exchange meetings have been organised among representatives of the Union Disaster Management Committees.Two training programmes on disaster management have been conducted for representatives of Union Parishad (UP). Fourteen monthly meetings have been organised to strengthen union level committees. Two triennial meetings have been arranged among Community Advocacy Group members and Union Disaster Management Committee for establishing strong linkage and activities. Two workshops have been organised for union level disaster reduction planning. Community Action Group and Union Disaster Management Committee have been formed for identifying community volunteers aiming at disaster preparedness and raising mass awareness through posters and leaflets. For implementation of the project, Radio spot management, orientations for sending warning messages, pre-disaster, during disaster and post-disaster action trainings are being conducted for different community groups. Besides, radio and megaphone have been distributed among various Action Groups.
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