ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme FY2021

Country Report:
Bangladesh
By

Abdul Quader
Deputy Secretary
Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

Disclaimer
This report was compiled by an ADRC visiting researcher (VR) from ADRC
member countries. The views expressed in the report do not necessarily reflect
the views of the ADRC. The boundaries and names shown, and thedesignations used on maps in the report also do not imply official endorsement
or acceptance by the ADRC.

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

Table of Contents
Chapter-1: General Information ............................................................................................................. 5
1.1. Overview ...................................................................................................................................... 5
1.2. Geographical Information ............................................................................................................ 7
1.3. Climate ....................................................................................................................................... 10
1.4. Administrative Divisions............................................................................................................. 121.5. Population .................................................................................................................................. 13
1.6. Education ................................................................................................................................... 14
1.7.Economy ..................................................................................................................................... 15
1.8.Art and Culture............................................................................................................................ 19
Chapter-2: Disaster management overview ......................................................................................... 20
2.1. Country risk profile .................................................................................................................... 20
2.1.1 Earthquake Risk ................................................................................................................... 22
2.1.2 Thunderstorm: A new disaster frontier in Bangladesh......................................................... 25
2.2. Natural hazards likely to affect .................................................................................................. 26
2.2.1 Flood .................................................................................................................................... 27
2.2.2. Tropical cyclone .................................................................................................................. 28
2.2.3.Tornado ................................................................................................................................ 30
2.2.4.Riverbank erosion ................................................................................................................ 32
2.2.5.Drought ................................................................................................................................ 33
2.2.6. Earthquake .......................................................................................................................... 34
2.3. Recent Major Disasters .............................................................................................................. 36
Chapter-3:Disaster Management System in Bangladesh ..................................................................... 40
3.1. Disaster Risk ............................................................................................................................... 40
3.1.1. Policy framework for Disaster Risk Reduction .................................................................... 40
3.1.2 Risk informed sharing platform ........................................................................................... 41
3.1.3.Risk inform to the community level ..................................................................................... 42
3.2. Risk Governance to manage Disaster Risk ................................................................................. 43
3.3Regulative Framework ................................................................................................................. 44
3.4 National Disaster Context ............................................................................................................ 47
3.4.1 GOB Vision on Disaster Management .................................................................................. 47
3.4.2 Mission of the MODMR ....................................................................................................... 47
3.4.3. Overall Objective ................................................................................................................. 47
3.4.4 National Committees under SOD ......................................................................................... 47
3.5 National Institutions for Disaster Management ......................................................................... 49
3.5.1 Department of Disaster Management (DDM) ..................................................................... 49
3.5.2 Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP) ................................................................................. 49

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

3.5.3. Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO) ......................................... 50
3.5.4.Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) ................................................................. 50
3.6. Other Institutions for Disaster Management............................................................................. 51
3.6.1. Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) .......................... 51
3.6.2 The Institute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM) ..................................................... 52
3.6.3 Institute of Water Modelling (IWM) .................................................................................... 52
3.8.ADRC Counterpart....................................................................................................................... 57
4. References ........................................................................................................................................ 57

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

Chapter-1: General Information
1.1. Overview
Bangladesh officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is
the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 164 million people(Bangladesh Population, 2020). In terms of landmass, Bangladesh ranks 92nd, spanning
148,460

squarekilometres(57,320 sq mi),making it

one

of

the

most densely

populated countries in the world. Bangladesh shares land borders with India to the west, north,and east, Myanmar to the southeast, and the Bay of Bengal to the south. It is narrowly separated
from Nepal and Bhutan by the Siliguri Corridor, and from China by Sikkim, in the north,respectively. Dhaka, the capital and largest city, is the nation's economic, political and culturalhub. Chittagong, the largest seaport, is the second-largest city (Wikipedia, 2021). Bangladesh
is one of the emerging and growth-leading economies of the world, and is also one of the Next
Eleven countries, with one of the fastest real GDP growth rates. The Bangladeshi economy is
the 39th-largest in the world by nominal GDP, and the 29th-largest by Purchasing Power Parity(PPP) (Wikipedia, 2021). The basic information regarding Bangladesh given below :People's Republic of Bangladeshগণপ্রজাতন্ত্রী বাাংলাদেশ

Flag

EmblemAnthem: "Amar Sonar Bangla" (Bengali)"My Golden Bengal"

5ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

Official Seal

CapitalDhaka
23°45′50″N 90°23′20″E

and largest city

Official language
andBengalinational

language
Religion(2011)

Demonym(s)Legislature







90.4% Islam (official)
8.5% Hinduism
0.6% Buddhism
0.4% Christianity
0.1% Others
Bangladeshi

Jatiya Sangsad

Independence• Declared

26 March 1971

• V-Day

16 December 1971

• Current

16 December 1972

constitution

Area• Total148,460 km2 (57,320 sq mi)• Water (%)

6.4

6

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh• Land area

130,170 sq Km• Water area

18,290 sq km

Population• 2018 estimate

161,376,70• 2011 census

149,772,364 (8th)• Density

1,106/km2 (2,864.5/sq mi) (7th)Currency

Taka (৳) (BDT)Time zone

UTC+6 (BST)

Date format

dd-mm-yyyy (CE)

Mains electricity

220 V–50 Hz

Driving sideleft

Calling code+880

ISO 3166 code

BD

Internet TLD.bd.ববববব

1.2. Geographical Information
Bangladesh is a low-lying, riverine country with a largely marshy jungle coastline of 710 km(441 mi) on the northern littoral of the Bay of Bengal.Formed by a delta plain at the confluenceof the Ganges (Padma), Brahmaputra(Jamuna) and Meghna River sand their distributaries andtributaries, Bangladesh's alluvial soil is highly fertile, but vulnerable to flood and drought. The
geographical position of Bangladesh showing in figure -1 and information given in Table-1.

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

Table 1: Geographical Information

Name

Description

Geographical Coordinates

20°34’ to 26°38’ north latitude and 88°01’to
92°42’ east longitude

Area

Total: 147,570 km²
Country comparison to the world: 94
Land: 133,910 km²
Water: 10,090 km²Land boundaries

Total: 4,246 km
Border countries: Myanmar 193 km, India
4,053 km
Contiguous zone: 18 nmi (33.3 km; 20.7 mi)
Continental shelf: up to the outer limits of thecontinental margin Exclusive economic
zone: 200 nmi (370.4 km; 230.2 mi)
Territorial sea: 12 nmi (22.2 km; 13.8 mi)
580 km with 273 km unbroken longest sea
beach in the world
Lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
Highest point: In the Mowdok range at 1052m (at N 21°47'12" E 92°36'36")

Maritime claims

Coastline
Elevation extremes

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

Hills rise above the plain only in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the far southeast and the Sylhet
division in the northeast. The whole country consists of mainly low and flat land, except for
the hilly regions in the northeast and southeast. A network of rivers, with their tributaries anddistributaries crisscross the country. Physiographically, the country can be divided into hills,
uplifted land blocks, and the majority alluvial plainswith
very low mean elevation above sea level .In terms ofgeographical location, Bangladesh is in the context of theGanges-Brahmaputra-Meghna(GBM) river system.

Geologically, Bangladesh is a part of the Bengal Basin, oneof the largest geosynclinals in the world.The Basin isbordered on the north by the steep Tertiary Himalayas; onthe northeast and east by the late Tertiary Shillong Plateau, theTripura hills of lesser elevation, and the Naga-Lusai folded belt; and in the west by themoderately high, ancient Chotanagpur plateau. The southern fringe of the basin is notdistinct but geophysical evidence indicates it is open towards the Bay of Bengal for aconsiderable distance. The formation and growth of the Bengal Basin is directly related
to the origin and morphology of the IndoGangetic trough, which itself is overlaid andfilled by sediments thousands of meters
thick. The broad geological features of theBengal Basin and its prominent tectonic
elements

areIndian platform, Bengal

foredeep, ArakanYoma folded system, and the
Figure 2: Physiography of Bangladesh

Sub-Himalayan Foredeep. Other features are
Rangpur Saddle, Dinajpur slope, Bogra slope,
Hinge Zone, Barisal High, and Troughs ofSylhet, Faridpur and Hatiya, etc.

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

1.3. Climate
Bangladesh has a subtropical monsoon climate marked by broad seasonal fluctuations inrainfall, mild temperatures and high humidity. Regional climatic variations are small in thisflat region. Three seasons are commonly known: the mild, humid summer from March to June;the cold, rainy monsoon season from June to October; and the cool, dry winter from October
to March. In general, the mean summer temperatures are between 32°C and 38°C. In most partsof the world, April is the warmest month. January is the coldest month in which the averagetemperature for much of the world is 10°C.
The winds are mainly from the north and northwest in the winter, moving softly at one to threekilometres per hour in the northern and central regions and three to six kilometres per houralong the coast. From March to May, intense thunderstorms, named to the northwest by local
English speakers, emit winds of up to 60 kilometres per hour. During the extreme storms of theearly summer and late monsoon season, southerly winds of more than 160 kilometres per hour
trigger waves to crest as large as 6 metres in the Bay of Bengal, creating catastrophic floods incoastal areas.
Heavy rainfall is traditional of Bangladesh. With the exception of the comparatively dry
western area of Rajshahi, where annual rainfall is approximately 160 cm, most areas of theworld receive at least 200 cm of rainfall each year. Due to its position just south of the foothillsof the Himalayas, where monsoon winds transform west and northwest, the district of Sylhet
in northeast Bangladesh has the highest annual rainfall.
About 80 percent of Bangladesh's rainfall comes during the monsoon season. Monsoons are
the product of contrasts between low and high air pressure areas arising from unequal heatingof soil and water. During the hot months of April and May, hot air rises across the Indian
subcontinent, producing low-pressure areas in which colder, and moist-bearing winds from theIndian Ocean surge. This is the southwestern monsoon, which starts in June and typicallycontinues until September. Divided towards the Indian landmass, the monsoon flows into two
branches, one of which hits western India. The other passes up the Bay of Bengal and througheastern India and Bangladesh, crossing the plains to the north and northeast, until turning to
the west and northwest towards the foothills of the Himalayas.
Natural calamities, such as hurricanes, tropical cyclones, tornadoes, and tidal bores—
destructive waves or floods triggered by floods rushing up estuaries—stricken the region,

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

especially the coastal belt, almost every
year. Between 1947 and 1988, thirteen
cyclones

struckBangladesh,causingtremendous loss of life and property. In May
1985, for example, a strong cyclone storm,
packed with 154 kilometres per hour of wind
and waves 4 metres high, swept southeastand south Bangladesh, killed more than
11,000 citizens, destroyed more than 94,000
homes, killed some 135,000 head of
livestock,
kilometresanddamagedofnearly400

critically-needed

embankments (Wikipedia, 2021).
Annual monsoon rains result in loss ofhuman life, disruption to property and

Figure 3: Climate of Bangladesh

communication networks and a lack of drinking water contributing to the spread of disease.
For example, two-thirds of Bangladesh's sixty-four districts sustained severe flood damage in1988 as a consequence of the exceptionally heavy rains that overwhelmed the river systems.
Millions were left homeless and lacking clean water. About 2 million tonnes of crops havebeen confirmed lost and rescue work has been rendered much more complicated than normal
because the flood has made transport of some sort incredibly difficult. There are no safeguards
against cyclones and tidal bores except for issuing early notice and having secure publicbuildings where citizens can take refuge (Khatun, Rashid, & Hygen, 2016).

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

1.4. Administrative Divisions
Bangladesh is divided into eight administrative divisions,each named after their respective
divisionalHeadquarters:Barisal (officially Barishal), Chittagong (officially Chattogram), Dhaka, Khulna,,Mymensing,Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Sylhet.
Divisions are subdivided into districts (zila). There are 64
districts

inBangladesh,eachfurther

subdivided

into upazila (subdistricts) or thana. The area within eachpolice station, except for those in metropolitan areas, isdivided into several unions, with each union consisting ofmultiple villages. In the metropolitan areas, police stations
are divided into wards, which are further divided
into mahallas.There are no elected officials at the divisional
or district levels, and the administration is composed onlyof government officials. Direct elections are held in each
union (or ward) for a chairperson and a number of members.
In 1997, a parliamentary act was passed to reserve three seats (outFigure 4: Administrative Divisionsof 12) in every union for female candidates (Wikipedia, 2021). There are 08 large city
corporations in Bangladesh. Dhaka is the capital and largest city of Bangladesh.

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

1.5. Population
Estimates of the Bangladeshi population vary, but UN data suggests 161,376,708 (162.9
million) in 2017. Bangladesh is the world's eighth-most-populous nation and the most denselypopulated large country in the world, ranking 7th in population density even when small
countries and city-states are included. The country's population-growth rate was among thehighest in the world in the 1960s and 1970s, when its population grew from 65 to 110 million.
With the promotion of birth control in the 1980s, Bangladesh's growth rate began to slow.
Its total fertility rate is now 2.05,lower than India's (2.58) and Pakistan's (3.07). The populationis relatively young, with 34 percent aged 15 or younger and five percent 65 or older. Life
expectancy at birth was estimated at 72.49 years in 2016. Bengalis are 98 percent of the
population.Of

Bengalis, Muslims are

theby Hindus, Christians and Buddhists.

The ethnic

the Chakma,,

Marma,

minority

Tripuri,majority,

followed

population

includesKuki,

Khiang,Khumi, Murang, Mru, Chak, Lushei, Bawm, BishnupriyaManipuri, Khasi, Jaintia, Garo, Sant
al, Munda and Oraon tribes. The forcefully displaced Mayanmar citizen at around 1 million,
making Bangladesh one of the countries with the largest refugee populations in the world(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladesh, 2021).

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

1.6. Education
Bangladesh has a literacy rate of 72.9 percent as of 2018: 75.7% for males and 70.09% forfemales. The country's educational system is three-tiered and heavily subsidised, with thegovernment operating many schools at the primary, secondary and higher secondary levels andsubsidizing many private schools. In the tertiary education sector, the Bangladeshi government
funds over 45 state universities through the University Grants Commission.The education
system is divided into five levels: primary (first to fifth grade), junior secondary (sixth to eighth
grade), secondary (ninth and tenth grade), higher secondary (11th and 12th grade), andtertiary.Five years of secondary education (including junior secondary) ends with a Secondary
School Certificate (SSC) examination. Since 2009, the Primary Education Closing (PEC)
examination has also been introduced. Students who pass the PEC examination proceed tosecondary or matriculation training, culminating in the SSC examination.Students who passthe PEC examination proceed to three years of junior secondary education, culminating in
the Junior School Certificate (JSC) examination. Students who pass this examination proceed
to two years of higher secondary education, culminating in the Higher Secondary School
Certificate (HSC) examination. Education is primarily in Bengali, but English is commonly
taught and used. Many Muslim families send their children to part-time courses or full-time
religious education in Bengali and Arabic in madrasas. Article 17 of the Bangladesh
Constitution (The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh) provides that all
children between the ages of six and ten years receive a basic education free of charge(Bangladesh, 2021).Universities in Bangladesh are of three general types: public (governmentowned and subsidised), private (privately owned universities) and international (operated andfunded by international organisations). They are accredited by and affiliated with
the University Grants Commission (UGC), created by Presidential Order 10 in 1973.The
country has 47 public,105 private and two international universities . (Wikipedia, 2021).

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

1.7.Economy
Bangladesh has the world's 39th largest economy in terms of market exchange rates and 29thlargest in terms of purchasing power parity, which ranks second in South Asia afterIndia. Bangladesh is also one of the world's fastest-growing economies and one of the fastest
growing middle-income countries. The country has a market-based mixed economy.
A developing nation, Bangladesh is one of the Next Eleven emerging markets. Economic
growth slowed to 5.24 percent in FY2019-20, according to the provisional estimates of BBS,
which is the lowest since FY2008-09. As per final estimate GDP growth was 8.15 percent in
FY2018-19. According to the provisional estimate of BBS, the growth of agriculture sector has
slowed to 3.11 percent in FY2019-20, from 3.92 percent in FY2018-19. During the same period,
industry sector grew by 6.48 percent, which was 12.67 percent in the previous fiscal year. The
service sector grew by 5.32 percent in FY2019-20 compared to 6.78 percent in the previous
fiscal year. The contribution of agricultural, industry and service sectors reached at 13.35
percent, 35.36 percent and 51.30 present respectively in FY2019-20 against 13.65 percent,35.00 percent and 51.35 percent respectively in the previous fiscal year. The basic economy of
Bangladesh given below :Economy of Bangladesh
Currency

Bangladeshi taka (BDT, ৳)Fiscal year

1 July – 30 June

Trade

SAFTA, SAARC, BIMSTEC, WTO, AIIB, IMF, Commonwealthorganizations

Bank, ADB, Developing-8

 Developing/Emerging
Country group

Lower-middle income economy
Statistics

Population

GDP

162,650,853 (2020 est.)

$416 billion (nominal; 2021)

$1.07 trillion (PPP; 2021)

GDP rank 37th (nominal, 2021)
31st (PPP, 2021)

15

ofNations, WorldADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

GDP growth

7.9% (17/18) 8.2% (18/19e)



5.2% (19/20f) 6.8% (20/21f)

GDP per capita

$2,591 (nominal, 2021)



$6,380 (PPP, 2021 est.)

GDP per capita
 149th (nominal, 2021)
rank



130th (PPP, 2021)

GDP by sector
 agriculture: 14.23%



industry: 35.66%

services: 50.11%

(FY18)Inflation (CPI)
5.5% (2020 est.)
Population 

20.5% in poverty (2019)

below poverty


28.3% on less than $3.20/day (2020f)

line



6% living in extreme poverty (2020)

Gini coefficient
32.4 medium (2016, World Bank)
Human



Development
0.632 medium (2019)[16] (133th)
0.478 Low IHDI (2019)

Index
Labor force69,706,733 (2019)55.8% employment rate (2017)

Labor force by agriculture: 40.6%
occupation

industry: 20.4%

services: 39.6%

(2017 est.)

Unemployment
Overall 4.2%



Male 3.1%

Female 6.7%

(2017 est.)

Main



Textilesindustries

pharmaceutical products

electronics



shipbuilding

automotivebicycle16

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladeshleather



jute



glass



paper



plasticfood and beverages

cement



tea



rice



natural gas and crude petroleumiron and steel
External

Exports
Main
partners$24.70 billion (July 2021 - December 2021)

$37.88 billion (2020-21)[

exportEuropean Union(+) 58.2%



United States(+) 16.3%

Japan(+) 3.1%

Canada(+) 3.0%

India(+) 2.4%

Australia(+) 1.9%



China(+) 1.9%

Southeast Asia(+) 1.6%


Imports

Others 11.6%$60.68 billion (2020-2021)[26]

Import goods
Textiles and Textile Articles, Machinery and Mechanical Appliances, Electrical
Equipment, Mineral Products, Vegetable Products, Metal & metal products, Chemicals& Allied Products, Vehicles & AircraftMain
partners
importChina(+) 21.5%

India(+) 12.2%

Singapore(+) 9.2%

European Union(+) 6.2%

Hong Kong(+) 5.5%


FDI stock 

Other 45.3%[27]$16.85 billion (March 2020 est.)

17

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: BangladeshCurrent
account

Abroad: $309.6 million (31 December 2017 est.)−$3.808 billion US$(2020-21)[26]}}

Gross external $72.1 billion (March 2021 est.)
debt

Public finances
Public debt

40.7% of GDP (November 2021 )Budget

−3.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)balance

Revenues

৳3.925 trillion (US$46 billion) (2021)

Expenses

৳6.037 trillion (US$71 billion) (2021)

Foreign$48 billion (August 2021)[37] (41st)

reserves

The economy is driven by strong domestic demand. The private sector of Bangladesh has
rapidly expanded, with a number of conglomerate driving the economy. Major industries
include textiles, pharmaceuticals, shipbuilding, steel, electronics, energy, construction
materials, chemicals, ceramics, food processing, and leather goods. Export-oriented
industrialization has increased with fiscal year 2018–19 exports increasing by 10.1% over theprevious year to $40 billion. Most export earnings are from the garment-manufacturingindustry. Bangabandhu Bridge, commonly called the Jamuna Multi-purpose Bridge, was the
11th longest bridge in the world and the 6th longest bridge in South Asia when constructed in
1998.Agriculture is the largest sector of the economy, making up 14.2 percent of Bangladesh's
GDP in 2017 and employing about 42.7 percent of the work force.The agricultural sector
impacts employment generation, poverty alleviation, human resources development and foodsecurity. More Bangladeshis earn their living from agriculture than from any other sector. The
country is among the top producers of rice (fourth), potatoes (seventh), tropical fruits (sixth),
jute (second), and farmed fish (fifth).Bangladesh is the seventh-largest natural gas producer in
Asia, ahead of neighbouring Myanmar, and 56 percent of the country's electricity is generated

18

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

by natural gas.The country has three UNESCO World Heritage Sites (the Mosque City, theBuddhist Vihara and the Sundarbans) and five tentative-list sites (MoF, 2020).

1.8.Art and Culture
Bangladesh is a melting pot of races. She, therefore, has a mixed culture. Her deep rooted
heritage is amply reflected in her architecture, literature, dance, drama, music and painting.
Bangladeshi culture is influenced by three great
religions- Hinduism, Buddhism andIslam in successive order, with Islam having the most pervading and lasting impact. Like acolorful montage, the cultural tradition of the country is a happy blending of many variants,
unique in diversity but in essence greatly symmetrical.

Figure 5: Ahsan Monzil

Figure 6: Bengali Traditional Handcraft Nokhsi Katha

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

Chapter-2: Disaster management overview
2.1. Country risk profile
Bangladesh is considered as a developing economy. Bangladesh has achieved rapid andspectacular improvements in many social development indicators during the last two decades
or so. Within South Asia, Bangladesh has improved its position in the region as a whole in a
number of human development indicators. (Asadullah, Mahmud, & Savoia, 2012).This has all
been achieved against the backdrop of being exposed to over population, natural and humaninduced hazards. It is estimated that 14% of Bangladesh’s GDP is exposed to disasters on anannual basis. This is a testament to the innate resilience of the Bangladeshi people who continue
to make developmental progress while living with disasters and climate risk (MoEF, 2013).
Every year the country faces many natural disasters like floods, cyclone, tidal surges, tornado,
thunderstorm, river and costal erosion, landslides, salinity intrusion, hailstorm, extreme
weather events etc (Agrawala, 2003). With the country’s geographical location, its topography
and high population density, the frequent occurrence of natural hazard events often offsets inhigh loss of life and economic damage. Simultaneously, the country is at risk from adverse
impacts of climate change and variability. It is therefore likely that both acute hazards (such as
flooding or cyclonic events) and chronic hazards (drought, sea level rise and saline intrusion,for example) will be more damaging to human lives and properties in the contexts of flourishingeconomic conditions where more investments will create more economic activities, e.g.
infrastructure and human engagements in areas susceptible to different hazards. The disasters
that Bangladesh experiences are primarily originated from three factors such as :(i) physical conditions (like low lying topography, fluvial systems) and relative location of thecountry in the region causing hydro-meteorological hazards like floods, cyclone, river bankerosion etc.
(ii) man-made conditions that trigger various types of disasters such as road accidents, building
collapse, fire hazards etc. and

20

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh(iii) climate change impacts which bring in subtle alterations in the physical, hydrological,
biological processes and cause different kinds of slow but progressive changes leading todifferent hazards like droughts, water logging, salinity intrusion etc.

These differences in the origin of disasters uniquely characterize the disaster events and create
varied impact conditions in different parts of Bangladesh which suggest that different
approaches are required by state agencies to reduce disasters impacts where possible and tobetter manage where
Others (fog, insect invasion)

344 (7.9%)

Hailstorm

mitigation
possible.

518 (11.88%)

SalinityisThe
approaches

178 (4.09%)

accommodate
Landslides

3 (0.08%)

River/coastal erosion

not

and

tools

strategies

sensitive to different

215 (4.95%)

disaster contexts forThunderstorm

651 (14.94%)

Storm and tidal surge

377 (8.65%)

Tornadohandling

disaster

impacts

effectively

and efficiently. In this180 (4.14)

regard,Cyclone929 (21.31%)

Water logging

605 (13.88%)
1503(34.48%)Flood
Drought
500

1000

occurringinBangladesh

arebroadly
intocategorized
twogroupsconsidering

645 (14.8%)0disasters

1500

2000

institutional

level
impactFigure 7: Affected Households

management

aspects. These are strong and rapid disaster onslaughts covering common natural hazards likefloods, cyclones, earthquakes and man induced disasters like fire hazards, building collapse etc.
The second category is slow and progressive disasters induced by change in the climaticconditions such as water logging, salinity intrusion, sea level rise etc. Table 2 highlight the21

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

major types of disasters with major attributes and Figure 7 depicts the number of affectedhouseholds from 2009 to 2015. Table 2: Major Types of Disaster

Disaster

Scenario

Socio-economic vulnerability and risk exposure


Flood

Floods occur annually, reaching their most severe inmonths of July and August. The floods of 1988, 1998,
and 2004 were catastrophic resulting in large scale
destruction and loss of lives.



Cyclone andStorm surges

Tropical cyclones accompanied by storm surges areannual disaster phenomena in Bangladesh. In an
average year, the country’s coast is hit by 1.3
cyclones, the more severe (1970, 1991, 2007 & 2009)of which caused devastation and huge loss of lives.






Nor’weasters
and Tornadoes

Earthquake

River Bank
ErosionLandslideOccurring most commonly during the pre- and postmonsoon (March to May, and October to November),Nor’ westers bring the much-needed pre-monsoon
rain, but also cause devastation and destruction. The
frequencies of devastating nor ’westers usually reachmaximum in April and minimum in March.



Bangladesh is in a seismically active region. It has
experienced numerous moderate to large-scale eventsin the last 100 years. None of these, however, has hada catastrophic impact
It is estimated that 5% of total floodplain of
Bangladesh is directly affected by river bank erosion.
During monsoon, extensive overbank spills, bankerosion and bank line shifts have become typical andthe unpredictable shifting behavior of rivers and theirencroachments not only affect rural floodplains but
also hinder urban growth centers and infrastructures.
Common in hilly areas of southeastern Bangladesh
especially in Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachhari
and Cox’s bazar. The events of June 2007 in
Chittagong, in which more than 120 people died,
clearly demonstrate that.













Fire

Infrastructure
collapse

Traffic
accidents

Fires in urban settings are common in Bangladesh,causing huge loss of life and damage to properties
every year. Fire incidents in the country are
increasing at an alarming rate. In 2004 alone, a totalof 7,140 fire incidents occurred
Incidents of infrastructure collapse are on the rise, andBangladesh has witnessed the collapse of a number ofindustrial buildings in recent years.

Fatalities and injuries from road accidents are a
growing concern..



The 1988 flood affected 2/3rd area of the country.
The 1998 flood affected 67% area of the country and caused 1,100
deaths, rendered 30 million people homeless, damaged 500,000 homes
and caused heavy loss to infrastructure.
The 2004 flood inundated about 38% of the country (WARPO, 2005).
About 747 people lost their lives, 2500 kilometers of embankment weredamaged, and 74 primary school buildings were washed away. This
flood caused economic loss of about US$ 2200 Million.
Super cyclone Sidr hit the Bangladesh coast in November 2007, killingaround 3,406 people and costing the economy approximately US$2.3
billion.
AILA caused 190 deaths of people in 2009.
The 1991 cyclone killed 138,882 people and living as many as 10 million
homeless causing 1.5 billion USD in damage.
The 1970 cyclone was deadliest in killing 300,000 people and theestimated damage was 86.4 million USD.
Wind-speeds in nor ‘westers do not exceed 113-130 km/hr (70-80
miles/hr), though often their speeds exceed 162 km/hr (100 miles/hr).
When the winds become whirling with funnel shaped clouds having a
speed of several hundred kilometers or miles per hour, they are called
tornados.
Tornados are suddenly formed and are extremely localized in nature andof brief duration.
The record of approximately 150 years shows that Bangladesh and thesurrounding regions experienced seven major earthquakes

Approximately 8,700 hectares of land are lost and around 180-200,000
people displaced annually due to river erosion in Bangladesh.
Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogra, Sirajganj, Tangail, Pabna andManikganj districts along Jamuna River, and Rajbari, Faridpur,
Manikganj, Dhaka, Munshiganj, Shariatpur and Chandpur districts arealong Padma River, are the country’s most erosion prone zones
Causes of landslides include: earthquakes, sustained rainfall, unregulated
anthropogenic developments, mining, and, as is most common in
Bangladesh, heavy rainfall. Deforestation, hill cutting, and unregulated
development work can also contribute to the likelihood of landslides.
The effects of jhum cultivation and other forms of cultivation in the steep
slopes also play significant role in occurrence of landslides.
Landslides often affect most severely the poorer sections of the
population, because poverty and landlessness force poor people to live on
the slide-prone hill slopes.
Factory fires are more frequent in Bangladesh as fire incidents in the
country are increasing at an alarming rate. In 2004 alone, a total of 7,140
fire incident occurred which caused damage to property worth more thanTk. 200 crore.
Vulnerability increased due to inaccessibility of site to the equipment
even though all the required equipment is mobilized, unfamiliarity with
understanding and practical collapse condition and lack of awareness ofmass people on stages of rescue operation.
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, 3,193 people were
killed and 2,409 injured in traffic accidents during 2006

2.1.1 Earthquake Risk
Earthquake hazard poses huge threats to the lives of people, damage of property andeconomy in Bangladesh because of its location in the tectonically active Himalayan

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

orogenic belt. The major earthquakes happened in Bangladesh include 1548 earthquake hit
in Chittagong and Sylhet regions, earthquake stricken in 1642 in Sylhet district, earthquake
took place in 1918 in Sylhet district, 1762 earthquake that shaken most parts of Bangladesh,great Indian earthquake happened in 1897 (8.7 magnitude on Richter Scale) caused hugedamage in Dhaka, Sylhet and Mymensingh districts. In recent memories, 1997, 1999 and2003 earthquake in greater Chittagong regions caused local level damages.

Studysuggests that around 250,000 buildings in the three major cities of Bangladesh like Dhaka,
Chittagong and Sylhet are extremely vulnerable to earthquakes (CDMP 2009). Some
142,000 among 180,000 (79%) buildings in Chittagong; 24,000 out of 52,000 in Sylhet(46%); and 78,000 out of 326,000 buildings (24%) in Dhaka were detected as risky toearthquake hazards. MoDMR has carried out several studies to assess earthquake risks
especially for urban conditions. For example, risk assessments were carried out for Dhaka,
Chittagong and Sylhet (CDMP) and also for cities like Bogra, Dinajpur, Mymensingh,
Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Tangail (CDMP, 2009) . Ministry of Disaster Management(MoDRM) in 2015 study identified major earthquake risks which are mentioned as follows: In general, at short return period, i.e. 43 years, the observed seismicity in andaround Bangladesh controls the hazard for most considered structural periods.
 Ground motion across Bangladesh represented by PGA is in the range of 0 .10 .6g, corresponding to the 475-year return period and in the range of 0.1-1.0
g, corresponding to the 2,475-year return period.
 The effect of high-slip-rate of Duaki fault could be observed as the largest
seismic hazard in Bangladesh.
Management of earthquake risks needs mitigation, preparedness, emergency response andrecovery plans. MoDMR prepared contingency plans for emergency response and recovery
stages of earthquake disaster management for different levels. The contingency plans also may
help to design appropriate mitigation and preparedness plans. However, scenario based
contingency plan has been prepared for national level. In addition, contingency plansdeveloped for city level, e.g. for the city corporations in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet. Agency
level contingency plans include Department of Disaster Management (DDM), Armed Forces
Division (AFD ), Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), Fire Service and Civil
Defense (FSCD), Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited (TGTDCL),
Bangladesh Telecommunication Company Limited (B TCL), Dhaka Power Distribution
Company Limited (DPDC) and Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA).

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

Scenario based contingency plans have also been prepared at city level for the cities of Bogra,
Dinajpur, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Tangail, and at Ward Level for Dhaka North
City Corporation (13 Wards), Dhaka South City Corporation (12 Wards), Chittagong City
Corporation (15 Wards) and Sylhet City Corporation (10 Wards ). The plans have identified
evacuation routes, emergency shelter locations and identified gaps in the resource and needs
by the responding agencies.
Table 3: Status of buildings-at-risk in different cities of Bangladesh to earthquake hazards

Moderate
Damage (%)

Complete
Damage (%)

Totalbuildings

Moderate
Damage (%)

Complete
Damage (%)

9829

Total
buildings

73, 27

Informal
Structures

Complete
Damage (%)

3.85
0Masonry
Structure

Moderate
Damage (%)

92830

Concrete
StructureTotalbuildings

Bogra Municipality

Generationof debris% of steel
followed bybrick/wood

Total
numbe
r
of
buildings(Metric Ton)

Cities

22.8

8.3
7

6128
8

19.7
9

32.1
9

202
27

18.5
4

0.1

6

Dinajpur Municipality

41955

1.39
0

75, 25

3929

22.7
4

1.7
8

2331
8

25.7

16.1
6

805
7

14.4
8

0

Mymensingh
Municipality

45033

4.55

70, 30

7703

0.58

97.
77

2678
9

0.57

91.7
7

105
41

38.3
6

1.57

Rajshahi
Corporation

City

93885

1.61
0

68, 32

7982

23.8
5

8.6
2

8061
8

29.7
3

18.8
4

514
2

18.0
7

0.14

Rangpur
Corporation
municipal area)

City
(old

76444

2.81

73, 27

6294

31.3
3

29.
32

3743
6

13.8
4

42.1
8

326
94

10.6
6

0.15

68348

0.35

72, 28

4864

20.5
4

10.
57

1307
6

40.0
4

5.93

444
17

12.0
7

0

Tangail Municipality

Source: (MoDMR, Earthquake Risk, 2015)

The relative location of the country, low-lying land topography, tropical climatic pattern,strongly active hydrological processes all in combined fashion makes the country sensitive andvulnerable to different type of hazards. A brief review of the physical characteristics might givean understanding about the susceptibility of the country to hazards which sometimes lead todisasters conditions.

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

2.1.2 Thunderstorm: A new disaster frontier in Bangladesh
The pre-monsoon hot summer season from the month of March to May brings with it heat,rainfall and thunderstorm every year. With the shifting from winter anti-cyclonic pressure
regime to summer, this season has a hallmark characteristic of high temperature and cyclonicstorms brewing in the Bay of Bengal. Lightning-strike normally peaks in this season. Lightning
has suddenly drawn attention of the citizens of Bangladesh with its sudden onslaught assomething more than a hazard, rather a disaster. Particularly, death of a large number of people
due to lightning this year (in the month of April, May and June) i.e. 2016 caused and spread
panic across the country. The State Minister, Disaster Management and Relief, Bangladesh
informed the Members of the Parliaments on 5th of June 2016 that 142 people have been diedof thunderstorms this year2 with the highest 15 people in Habigonj district. This death toll anddamage of assets made Government of Bangladesh to include Thunderstorm hazards (andassociated lightening) as a national disaster.
Climate scientist suggest (Diffenbaugh N.S., 2013) that in future the energy available forconvection( called convective available potential energy or CAPE) will increase in climatechange induced greenhouse gas forcing conditions. As high value of CAPE is conducive forsevere thunderstorms, we can expect to have more thunderstorms and lightning hazards infuture in Bangladesh. With global warming expected to continue in future, thunderstorms will
occur more frequently given conducive context for it to form (Samenow, 2013).

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

2.2. Natural hazards likely to affect
Historicalstatistics

wouldsuggest that Bangladesh is one
of

the

most

disasterprone

countries in the world with
great

negative

consequences

being associated with various
natural

and

human

inducedhazards.

The

geophysicallocation,landcharacteristics,

multiplicity of rivers and themonsoonclimaterenderBangladesh highly vulnerable tonaturalhazards.

morphology

The

of

coastalBangladesh

influences the impact of natural
hazards on the area. Especially inthe south eastern area, natural
hazards increase the vulnerability

Figure 8: Areas Prone to Disaster Typeof the coastal dwellers. Following disaster occurred frequenly in Bangladesh:• Flood• Tropical Cyclone• Storm Surge• Tornado• River Bank Erosion• Drought• Earthquake
And the Key factors of vulnerability are Geographical location, Dominance of flood plains,
Low elevation from the sea, warming & climate change, High population density, High levelof poverty.
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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

2.2.1 Flood
Floods are annual phenomena, with the most severe occurring during the months of July andAugust. Regular river floods affect 20% of the country, increasing up to 68% in extreme
years. The floods of 1988, 1998, 2004 and 2007 were particularly catastrophic, resulting inlarge-scale destruction and loss of lives.
Flash floods caused by overflowing of hilly rivers in eastern and northern Bangladesh (inApril-May and September-November).
Rain floods caused by drainage congestion and heavy rains.
Monsoon floods caused by major rivers usually in the monsoon (during JuneSeptember).
Coastal floods caused by storm surges.
The 1998 flood lasted for 65 days from July
12 to September 14 and affected about 67%
of area of the country. In
theyear
2000, Bangladesh faced an unusual flood
over its usually flood-free south western
plain, which also caused loss of life andmassive damage to property. In 2004,
floods inundated about 38% of the country.
About 747 people lost their lives. About
2,500 kilometers of embankment weredamaged and about 74 primary schoolbuildings were washed away.
This
flood
caused economic
lossesofabout US$2,200
Million.
Floodscontinue to be major hazards in
Bangladesh.
Figure 9: Flood Prone Areas

To
mitigate
the impacts of floods, thegovernment has been developing
and implementing various measures to better
equip the country to deal with floods. The Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) is
leading the country on flood mitigation initiatives. Important initiatives include Flood
Action Plan, Flood Hydrology Study, Flood Management Model Study, National Water
Management Plan, National Water Policy, Flood Early Warning System Study, etc.

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

2.2.2. Tropical cyclone
Tropical cyclones fromthe Bay of Bengal accompanied by storm surges are one of the
major disasters in Bangladesh.The country is one of the worst sufferers of all cycloniccasualties intheNumberworld.

of casualties isdue to the fact that cyclones
are always associatedwith
storm surges. Storm surgeheight in excess of 9m is
not uncommon

in

this

region. For example, the1876 cyclone had a surgeheight of 13.6 m and in 1970
the height was 9.11 m. In
fact, the 1970 cyclone isthe deadliest cyclone that
has

hit

coastline.

BangladeshWitha wind-speed of about 224 km per
hour

and

storm surge

associatedof

6.1

Figure 10: Areas Affected to Cyclone

to9.11m, it was responsible for deaths of about 300,000 people.

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

Table 4: Major cyclones that hit the Bangladesh

Date

MaximumWind
speed(km/ hr)

Storm Surge Death Toll
Height(metres)

11 May1965

161

3.7 - 7.6

19,27915 December

1965

217

2.4 - 3.6873

01 October

1966

139

6.0 - 6.7

850

12 November

1970

224

6.0 - 10.0

300,000

25 May1985

154

3.0 - 4.6

11,06929 April

1991

225

6.0 - 7.6

138,882

19 May1997

232

3.1 - 4.6

155

15
(SIDR)

November 2007

223

4.2 - 4.63363

25 May (AILA)

2009

92

--

190

16May(Mahasen)

2012

130

--

16

Source: (BMD, 2020)

Figure 11: Cyclone Shelter Location Map

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

2.2.3.Tornado
The two transitional periods between southwest and northeast monsoons over the Indian
sub-continent are characterized by local severe storms. The transitional periods are usuallyreferred to as pre-monsoon (March-May), and post-monsoon (October- November). It is
the pre-monsoon period when most of the abnormal rainfall or drought conditions frequently
occur in different parts of Bangladesh. Also there are severe local seasonal storms, popularly
known as nor’westers (kalbaishakhi). Severe nor’westers are generally associated withtornadoes. Tornadoes are embedded within a mother thundercloud, and moves along thedirection of the squall of the mother storm. The frequency of devastating nor’westers
usually reaches the maximum in April, while a few occur in May, and the minimumin March. Nor’westers and tornadoes are more frequent in the afternoon. Nor’westers
may occur in late February due to early withdrawal of winter from Bangladesh, Bihar,West Bengal, Assam, and adjoining areas. The occasional occurrence of nor’westers inearly June is due to the delay in the onset of the southwest monsoon over the region. Wind
speeds in nor’westers usually do not exceed 113-130 km/hr (70-80 miles/hr), thoughoften their speeds exceed 162 km/hr (100 miles/hr). When the winds become whirling withfunnel shaped clouds having a speed of several hundred kilometers or miles per hour,
they are called tornados.

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

Nor’westers bring the much-needed pre-monsoon rain. They can also cause a lot of havoc
and destruction. Tornados are suddenly formed and are extremely localized in nature and ofbrief duration. Thus, it is very difficult to locate them or forecast their occurrence with thetechniques available at present. However, high-resolution satellite pictures, suitable radar, anda network of densely spaced meteorological observatories could be useful for the prediction orfor issuing warnings of nor’westers and tornados.
14 April 1969

Demra (Dhaka)

17 April 1973

Manikganj (Dhaka)

10 April 1974

Faridpur

11 April 1974

Bogra

09 May 1976

Narayanganj

01 April 1977

Faridpur26 April 1989

Saturia (Manikganj)

14 May 1993

Southern Bangladesh

13 May 1996

Tangail

04 May 2003

Brahmanbaria

21 March 2005

Gaibandha

22 March 2013

Brahmanbaria

Table 5: The Table 6 The devastating northwesters and tornadoes that hit Bangladesh.

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

2.2.4.Riverbank erosion
River erosion in Bangladesh is noless dangerous than other sudden
and devastating calamities. Losses
due to river erosion occur slowly andgradually.
slow

Though losses

areand gradual, they are more

destructive and far-reaching thanothersuddenanddevastating

calamities. The effects of rivererosion are long-term. It takes a few
decades to make up the losses, which a

Figure 12: River Erosion

family has incurred by river erosion. There has been little progress, however, for
improving thelives of erosion-affected people due to resource constraint. This is an ongoingdisaster and there is no specific indicator to measure the extent of damage. So the extent
of damagecausedbyriver

erosionin most

cases

is

based

on

variousreports/information.
Needlesstosay whatever the difference inascertaining the extent of damage river erosion
causes
the

huge

year.

Reportloss

Accordingof

property throughout

to “World

Disaster

2001” published by IFRCS every year

about 10,00,000 people are affected by river erosion
and 9,000 hectare cultivable lands are banished inriver. Among these only a few affected people areable to find new shelters while others become
Figure 13: Riverbank Erosion Map

homeless for uncertain period. A recent study of
CEGIS (2005) shows that bank erosion along Padma

River during 1973 – 2004 was 29,390 hectares and along Jamuna River during 1973 – 2004, it
was 87,790 hectares.

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

2.2.5.Drought
Drought conditions due to deficiency inrainfall affect different parts of Bangladesh
mostly duringthepre-monsoon

andpost-monsoon periods. Between 1949
and

1991,

Bangladesh

droughts
24times.

occurred in
Verysevere

droughts hit the country in1951, 1957,
1958, 1961, 1972, 1975, 1979, 1981, 1982,
1984 and 1989. Past

droughts

havetypically affected about 47% area ofthe country and 53% of the population(WARPO,

2005).

Bangladesh

Figure 14: Drought

faces

unpredictable drought hazard in the dry monsoon due to inadequate and uneven rainfall. It
varies from place to place, however, and the northwestern regionsuffers most from thedrought. As much as 17% of the Aman crops, the main paddy crops in the wet season may belost in a typical year due to drought.

Figure 15: Drought Map

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

2.2.6. Earthquake
The historical seismic data of Bangladesh and adjoining areas indicate that Bangladesh
isvulnerable to earthquake hazard. The
record of approximately 150 years showsthat Bangladesh and the surrounding regions
experienced seven major earthquakes (withMb =7). In the recent past, a number oftremors of moderate to severe intensity had
already taken place in and around Bangladesh.
The Sylhet Earthquake (Mb = 5.6) of May 8,
1997, the Bandarban Earthquake (Mb = 6.0)of November 21, 1997, the Moheshkhali
Earthquake (Mb= 5.1) of July 22, 1999, theFigure 16: Earthquake Zones in Bangladesh

Barkal (Rangamati) Earthquake (Mb=5.5) of

July 27, 2003, the Meghalay Earthquake (Mb=5.2) of March 02, 2013 and many more shakes
in the recent years may be cited as examples. Bangladesh and the northeastern Indian states
have long been one of the seismically active regions of the world, and have experienced
numerous large earthquakes during the past 200 years. Many of seismic-tectonic studies havebeen undertaken on the area comprising the Indo-Burmanranges and their western extension
and in the northern India.
Major active fault zones of the country have beendelineated through geological trenchingand dating methods. A seismic zoning map of Bangladesh has been proposed in 1979 byGeological Survey of Bangladesh (GSB) dividing the country into three seismic zone which
was accompanied by an outline of a code for earthquake resistant design. Later, a new
updated seismic zoning map and detailed seismic design
incorporated in Bangladesh National Building

Codeprovisions(BNBC

1993).

map of Bangladesh and its adjoining areas has also been prepared

by

have

been

A seismicity
BMD

and

GSB. Bangladesh has been classified into three seismic zones with zone-3 the most andzone-1 the least vulnerable to seismic risks.

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

Table 7: Major Earthquake

Date

Name

Magnitude

Epicentral
Distance
from
Dhaka
(km)

Epicentral
Distancefrom Sylhet
City (km)Epicentral
Distance from
Chittagong
(km)

7.5

250

70

280

(Richter)

10January,1869

CacharEarthquake

14 July, 1885

BengalEarthquake

7.0

170

220

350

12June, 1897

Great Indian
Earthquake

8.7

230

80

340

8 July, 1918

Shrimongal
Earthquake

7.6

150

60

200

2 July, 1930

DhubriEarthquake

7.1

250

275

415

15
1934

Bihar-Nepal
Earthquake

8.3

510

530

580

Assam
Earthquake

8.5

780

580

540

January,

15 August,
1950

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

2.3. Recent Major Disasters

May 2020 - Tropical Cyclone Amphan
On 20 May 2020, Tropical Cyclone Amphan reached Bangladesh. As of 22 May, the official
death toll in Bangladesh was 17, with the UN estimating 10 million people and 19 districts
were affected. GoB’s Early Warning system, the successful massive evacuations to cyclone
shelters respective of COVID-19 mitigation measures, and the power of the mangrove forestof the Sundarbans contributed to reduce the impact of the cyclone and to reduce the loss of
lives as well as the damages to infrastructures. According to MoDMR 330,667 houses weredamaged including 55,667 totally destroyed in nine most impacted districts: Khulna, Satkhira,Barguna, Bhola, Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Noakhali, Bagerhat and Jessore. Damage was mostly
due to tidal surge causing embankments to collapse or overflow. Bangladesh Armed Forces
provided medical assistance, emergency rescue and relief assistance. BDRCS provided foodand emergency relief items in affected districts in addition to funding the immediate repair of
200 tube-wells and for the rapid installation of 100 communal latrines. CSOs and NGOs areusing their prepositioned items to contribute to the relief efforts.

July 2019 – Monsoon Floods
Despite the delayed onset of the monsoon, heavy rainfall occurred during the first half of July
2019 which triggered widespread flooding. Floods damaged and destroyed vital
infrastructures including 6,641 kilometers of roads, 1,275 bridges and culverts as well as 1,515
kilometers of embankments. With the support of the Ministry of Disaster Management andRelief (MoDMR), the humanitarian community conducted a Joint Needs Assessment (JNA).
Among the 28 districts affected by the floods, the JNA report identified nine most severely
affected districts: Jamalpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Sylhet, Sirajganj, Tangail, Sunamganj,
Bogura, Bandarban. In those districts, 85% of the overall displacement occurred equivalent to261,499 persons including 57,406 school-age children (29,407 boys and 28,002 girls). Amongthe displaced population, 239,387 persons were living in makeshift shelters (schools, colleges)
or on embankments and some returned as water started to recede in their areas. Associatedriverbank erosion permanently displaced more than 8,000 people equivalent to 1,654
households in Kurigram, Bogura and Tangail districts.131

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

July 2018 – Floods
On 25 July 2018, heavy monsoon rains caused landslides and flooding in the southeast, killing
five children near Cox’s Bazar and Ramu. Approximately 21,000 Rohingya refugees in thecamps were relocated because their shelters were threatened by landslides.

August 2017 – Floods
Heavy monsoon rains caused intense flooding across more than one-third of Bangladesh. The
Bangladesh Meteorological Department provided heavy rainfall warnings. As per the analysis
by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR), the floods were the worst in
the last four decades. Incessant heavy rainfall brought by the monsoon triggered flooding infive divisions, 31 districts, 176 Upazilas and 1,173 Unions. Findings from the 72-hours Needs
Assessment were published on 21 August and they indicated that a total of about 6.9 million
people (1.54 million households) were affected by the floods. National authorities confirmed
114 deaths and 197,416 people were temporarily displaced in 703 community shelters. As aresult of the extensive floods, 77,272 houses were destroyed, 524,375 were partially damaged.
Findings of the 72-hours Needs Assessment also highlighted that in northern Bangladesh, thefollowing were the six worst-affected districts: Gaibhandha, Dinajpur, Kurigram, Jamalpur,
Nilphamari, Sirajganj. In these districts, a total of 330,000 people were displaced. Access tothe most affected areas in the northwest was a challenge as roads were either severely damaged
or submerged under flood water. Approximately 9,000 km of roads, 500 bridges and culverts
were damaged. Nearly 100 km of rail lines were severely damaged by the floods. Around 714
km of embankments were also washed away.

June 2017 – Landslides
The June landslides, which started on 13th June with a few episodes, resulted in heavy loss oflife (160 persons), injury (187 persons), destruction of houses (6,000 structures), and other key
infrastructures despite being localized in impact. It was the worst landslide-related disastersince 2007. It affected approximately 80,000 persons across five districts: Bandarban,
Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Khagrachari and, Rangamati. Among these people, 34, 000 were37

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

severely impacted as they lost their houses together with their belongings, basic necessities,
livelihoods and food stocks.

2016 - Cyclone Roanu
On 21 May 2016, Cyclone Roanu made landfall in Bangladesh, about one week after it struck
Sri Lanka as a tropical storm. The cyclone caused the deaths of at least 27 people in Bangladesh,though many more in Sri Lanka. Thanks to early warning systems, half a million people were
evacuated to shelters. Cyclone Roanu affected 1.3 million people, bringing winds over 100
km/hour (62 miles/hour), heavy rain, and storm surges peaking at 2.7 meters (8.9 feet).127 The
Bangladesh Armed Forces were among the responders.

Cyclone Aila (May 2009)
CycloneAila

substantial

damagedeaths,injurieshittothe Bangladesh on Monday 25May 2009 and has produced
across areas of southern Bangladesh. It

caused190

immediate

7,103 people and more than 500,000 people to become homeless.

The total damage was $ 1.7billion.

Cyclone Sidr (November 2007)
Cyclone Sidr hit the coastal areas on 15 November 2007. It affected 87,000 people,
killed3,363 andinjured55,282 and 564,000 homes have been destroyed 8,85,280

houses have been damaged. Total damage and losses were

(in

USD)

23billion.

Cyclone (April 1991)
On April 29, 1991, a cyclone struck the country of Bangladesh, causing a massive storm surge
and widespread flooding. Approximately 138,000 people perished in this disaster.
Although cyclones frequently hit this region of the world, this cyclone was one of
the strongest hurricanes in recent history. The 270 km/hr wind speed caused a 6 meterhigh storm surge that flooded a large area of the country. The total damage was $ 1.5
billion.

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

Cyclone (November 1970)
The 1970 Bhola cyclone was a devastating tropical cyclone that struck Bangladesh
onNovember 12, 1970. It remains the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded, and oneof thedeadliest natural disasters

storm surge

causedinmodern times. The 34.8 foot (10.6

meter)

the highest tropical cyclone death toll in history, about 300,000

people were killed. Two hundred and fifty miles of coastline on the Bay of Bengal wasdevastated and homes, crops, cattle and poultry, everything washed away. The total damage
was US$24 billion.

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

Chapter-3:Disaster Management System in Bangladesh
3.1. Disaster Risk
Proper understanding of disaster risks is the prerequisite to devise necessary strategy, mobilize
resources for reducing disaster risks and at the same time to put appropriate systems in placefor efficient handling impact events. However, there should be a conceptual construct how toassess potential risks for different sectors (e.g. health, education, settlement, employment andlivelihoods etc.) operating at different tiers (e.g. national, regional and local, household levels),
at different times for different disasters. Involvement of multiple dimensions of these kinds
indicates that understanding disaster risks is not straight forward phenomenon; it rather needs
a comprehensive and systematic approach to assess the challenges induced from disasters.
Considering the necessity and importance in understanding the risks, different directives
promulgated in policy instruments (both local and international), different risk assessment tools
and processes were adopted, loss and damage assessment studies conducted, early warning
systems and communication modes/processes for disseminating risk information at community
levels implemented to better understand disaster risks.

3.1.1. Policy framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
Disaster Management has been considered as GOB’s one of the top priorities, which is now
focusing on shifting from post-disaster relief distribution to a disaster risk reduction culture.
This also gradually focused on mainstreaming efforts adopting inclusive approach including
gender mainstreaming in DRR. The National Plan for Disaster Management (2016-2016) andthe Disaster Management Act (2012) have become functional. A Disaster Management Policy
has also been prepared and is waiting for final approval. In addition to MoDMR, DRR issues
have also been taken as one of the key components of several policies and legislations in
Bangladesh. Some of the DRR inclusive documents can also be found in the plans and policies
of other Ministries, few of them are: the Seventh Five Year Plan (2010-2015, Ministry ofPlanning), BCCSAP (MoEF-GOB, 2009), National Women’s Advancement Policy (Ministryof Women and Children Affairs/MoWCA, 2011), National Child Policy (2011) and Children
Act (MOWCA, 2013), National Education Policy (Ministry of Education, 2010), National
Agriculture policy (MoA, 1999).

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

The National Plan for Disaster Management (NPDM, 2010-2015), led by Ministry of Disaster
Management and Relief (MoDMR)4, is an outcome of the HFA and of the process of regional
cooperation in South Asia (i.e., the SAARC Process). The NPDM focuses on disastermanagement vision of Bangladesh, takes into consideration hazards, climate change, linkages
between disasters and development, national and International drivers for change like MDGs,
Hyogo Framework of Action (HFA) etc. All the issues involving methods, strategic goals,
regulatory framework, plans for disaster management, and implementation of the plan,
financing and follow up are planned to be executed in collaboration with stakeholders including
the UN agencies, INGOs and NGOs (MoFDM, 2010).
The revised Standing Orders on Disaster (MoFDM, 2010) include various stakeholders suchas Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MOWCA) in risk reduction activities. Such
activities involve responses during normal, warning, disaster and rehabilitation stages.
Department of Women Affairs (DWA) is assigned to carry out specific activities such as
ensuring participation of DWA representatives in different disaster management committees(DMC), ensuring women’s participation in the preparedness and disaster management
activities, play active role in identifying the gender gap and ensure its implementation in alldisaster management activities, provide livelihood support to women and children affected bydisasters. The National Policy for Women’s Advancement, 2011 has endorsed women indisaster as a separate theme for the first time in Bangladesh.

3.1.2 Risk informed sharing platform
Bangladesh has made good progresses in monitoring sub-regional and regional hazard risks.
Institutional arrangements exist between FFWC and neighboring state institutions, such as the
Indian Central Water Commission, to exchange hydrological and meteorological data on transboundary rivers. Arrangements have been put in place to facilitate the sharing of information
regarding avian influenza outbreaks near borders between Bangladesh and neighboring statesof India. Adoption of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
Comprehensive Framework on Disaster Management created an opportunity for the exchange
of information and regional cooperation in risk assessments at the regional level. During thisreporting period, the SAARC agreement for Rapid Response to Natural Disasters was ratified
by Bangladesh to enhance regional cooperation and collaboration on Disaster Risk
Management (DRM). United Nations Platform for Space-based Information for Disaster

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER) has been continuing its efforts since2011 towards use of space-based information for DRR as follow up of Technical Advisory
Mission (TAM) to Bangladesh. International NGOs have facilitated the sharing of
information and knowledge on DRR and DM on a regular basis, especially during the hazard
and disaster season with neighboring states.

3.1.3.Risk inform to the community level
The Government of Bangladesh has strong Early Warning (EW) systems for cyclone andflooding. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) and FFWC produce anddisseminate disaster warning information through the media and institutions at the local level.
A community-based flood EW system has been piloted in three districts by MoDMR throughCDMP-II. DDM through DMCs disseminate EW information using local means; in addition
community members have access to EW information and daily weather bulletin by dialing
10941 on any mobile phone. DDM is disseminating forecasts of disasters using mobile phones;for example, during cyclone Mahasen updates were sent on the cyclone‘s movement throughIVR and instructions were provided to DMCs through Short Message Service (SMS). Weather
forecasts from BMD are provided by the DAE in its Disaster and Climate Risk Managementin Agriculture (DCRMA) Project website and field offices. The GSB has established landslide
EW systems in parts of Chittagong, Cox‘s Bazar, and Teknaf cities; this will be extended toinclude three hill-tract towns. MoDMR has also established local EW systems through 30
community radio stations. Using Space-based information, community based flood EW
dissemination system and inundation mapping have been piloted in two flood-prone areas by
DDM and FFWC, with support from the JAXA and the ADB. NGOs are working closely with
the Local Governments (LGs) to strengthen the EW dissemination system. NGOs havemobilized youth volunteers to disseminate EW messages During Cyclone Mahasen, along with
CPP volunteers, children and youth groups supported by NGOs were requested by the LGs todisseminate EW messages to their communities. The GoB and NGOs have built a technicalpartnership with the Regional Integrated Multi-hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) to get
scientific data.

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

3.2. Risk Governance to manage Disaster Risk

Bangladesh has become well known for its disaster management and risk reduction
approaches within the South Asian region. Being the most disaster prone country within theregion Bangladesh was the first country to establish a separate Disaster Management Bureau(DMB) in early nineties. Bangladesh has drafted a well-designed document- Standing Orders
on Disasters (SOD) in 1997 (revised in 2010), which explains specific roles of relevant
stakeholders during different phases of a disaster (DMB, 2010). In 2004 the Ministry of Foodand Disaster Management (in 2012 the Ministry has been named as Ministry of Disaster
Management and Relief/MODMR) launched the Comprehensive Disaster Management
Programme (CDMP) to facilitate the reform of the disaster management approach by
expanding its focus from reactive emergency response to proactive risk reduction. The past
decade has seen the country to initiate a good number of institutional structures andrestructuring to achieve technical monitoring, capacity building, preparedness and response
in reducing disaster risks. The MODMR, with its line agency Department of Disaster
Management, is responsible for coordinating national disaster management efforts across allagencies.A series of inter-related institutions, at both national and sub-national levels
have been created for disaster management. As per the Rules of Business of theGovernment of Bangladesh, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR)
is mandated to formulate policies, prepare plans, and monitor and coordinate all

Figure 17: Disaster Management Institutions

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

aspectsof disaster activities.The field level activities of MoDMR are carried out by two
subordinate offices e.g. the Department of Disaster Management and Cyclone Preparedness
Centre (CPP), While DDM is responsible for dissemination of all information on natural
disasters, including flood information at community level, flood preparedness, awarenessraising and capacity building activities, and also is responsible for conducting relief andrehabilitating operations with the help of district and upazila administrations. The Ministry
issued the Standing Orders on Disaster (SOD) in January 1997 to guide and monitor disastermanagement activities in Bangladesh. The SOD has been prepared for concerned persons
to understand their duties and responsibilities regarding disaster management. All
Ministries, Divisions/Departments and Agencies shall prepare their own Action Plans in
respect of their responsibilities under the Standing Orders for efficient implementation.
The National Disaster Management Council (NDMC) and Inter-Ministerial Disaster
Management Coordination Committee (IMDMCC) will ensure coordination of disaster
related activities at the National level. Coordination at District, Thana and Union levels will
be done by the respective District, Thana and Union Disaster Management Committees.
The Disaster Management Bureau will render all assistance to them by facilitating theprocess. A series of inter-related institutions, at both national and sub-national
levelshave been created to ensure effective planning and coordination of disaster risk
reduction and emergency response management.

3.3Regulative Framework
A number of policy and regulatory frameworks have been adopted and promulgated by appropriate
agencies in Bangladesh to reduce disaster risks. The major policies are mentioned in the following
sections.The Standing Orders on Disaster (MoDMR, 2019)provides a detailed institutional frameworkfor disaster risk reduction and emergency management. It outlines detailed roles and the responsibilities
of ministries, divisions, departments, various committees at different levels, and other organizations’involved in disaster risk reduction and emergency management. It also describes the detailed roles andresponsibilities of Committees, Ministries, Divisions, Departments and other organizations involved indisaster risk reduction and emergency response management, and establishes the necessary actions
required in implementing Bangladesh’s Disaster Management Model, e.g., defining the risk
environment, managing the risk environment, and responding to the threat environment.
Disaster Management Act (MoDMR, 2012)was adopted after collective efforts given by the GoB anddevelopment and civil society actors to create a legislative tool under which disaster and emergency

44

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

management will be undertaken. It has placed mandatory obligations and responsibilities on ministries
and committees, and ensures transparency and accountability in the overall disaster management system.
Nine rules are proposed to develop in order to strengthen disaster management activities.

Figure 18: Disaster Management Framework

Theobjectives of the DM Act (2012) are to substantial reduction of the overall risks of disasters to an
acceptable level with appropriate risk reduction interventions, effective implementation of post disasteremergency response, rehabilitation and recovery measures, provision of emergency humanitarianassistance to the most vulnerable community people, strengthening of institutional capacity for effective
coordination of disaster management involving government and non-government organizations andestablishing a disaster management system capable of dealing with all hazards for the country. The DM
Act promotes a comprehensive disaster management program upholding the all hazard, all risk and all
sector approach where risk reduction as a core element of disaster management has equal emphasis withemergency response management with greater focus on equitable and sustainable development.
According to the National Plan for Disaster Management 2021-2025 (MoDMR, 2020) the vision is to
reduce the risk of people, especially the poor and the disadvantaged, from the effects of natural,environmental and human induced hazards, to a manageable and acceptable humanitarian level, and to45

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

have in place an efficient emergency response system capable of handling large scale disasters. The
Plan envisages a group of broad- strategies which are given below.
-

Maintaining the overall goal of building a resilient Bangladesh, the major objectives of theplan are to:
Identify the priority actions to guide the implementation of DM acts, policies and programsin terms of action plans;
Provide a roadmap for progress and implementation of at least 25 core investments;
Incorporate DM aspects in the plan and programs of the sectoral ministries and agencies toensure risk informed development plans;
Explore the investment areas both in public and private sectors and also in hazard-prone
regions, communities;
Ensure inclusion of disability, class, ethnicity, religious minority and address gender in allplans and programs;
Include emerging disaster risks (earthquake), emphasize urban disaster risk (fire, building
collapse) and align those in the plan;
Promote risk governance in the DM programs, compliance including oversight andaccountability; andIllustrate to other ministries, NGOs, civil society and the private sector how their work cancontribute to the achievements of the strategic goals and government vision for DM.

In addition to these legislative frameworks on disaster management there are some sectoral polices
which indirectly support disaster risk management activities in different ways in Bangladesh. These are
National Debris Management Guideline 2015, Policy Guideline of Management of Dead after Disasters
2016, Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan, National Food and Agriculture Policy,
National Education Policy, National Child Policy and Children Act, National Women Advancement
Policy, National Water Policy 1999.

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

3.4 National Disaster Context

 Frequently hit by various natural disasters like Cyclones, Storm surges, Floods,
Tornadoes, Droughts and other calamities.
 Monsoon flooding is an annual occurrence shaping lives and livelihoods.
 Climate change is likely to cause significant impact in the form of severe floods,
cyclones, droughts, sea level rise and salinity affecting agriculture, livelihoods, naturalorders, water supply, health etc.
 The disaster vulnerable people demonstrate strong coping capacity to face thedisasterchallenges.

3.4.1 GOB Vision on Disaster Management
To reduce the vulnerability of people, especially the poor, to the effects of natural,environmental and human induced hazards to a

manageable

and acceptable

humanitarian level

3.4.2 Mission of the MODMR
To bring a paradigm shift in disaster management from conventional response and relief to amore comprehensive risk reduction culture.

3.4.3. Overall Objective
To strengthen the capacity of the Bangladesh Disaster Management System.

3.4.4 National Committees under SOD
The significant change in emergency and disaster management approaches demand institutional
restructuring in the governance portfolios. Consequently, the government of Bangladesh, led by the
Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, has undertaken various steps in the form of policy,
strategy and programs considering the concept of disaster management through mitigation,

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

preparedness, recovery and rehabilitation. The government established the Disaster Management
Bureau (DMB) under the Ministry of Disaster Management in 1993 to promote disaster prevention,
mitigation and preparedness, provide guidelines and to organize training and awareness for theconcerned people and stakeholders to mitigate the impacts of disasters. Currently, the DDM has focusedon risk reduction through community mobilization, capacity-building and linking risk reduction withthe socio-economic development of the poor and vulnerable groups and with developing the DDM’s
partnership with other government agencies, NGOs and international organizations.
Table 8: Summary of institutional Mechanisms and Committees for Disaster Risk Reduction
Level

Summary
National Disaster Management Council (NDMC) headed by the Prime Minister for formulates and review
the disaster management policies and issue directives.
Inter-Ministerial Disaster Management Co-ordination Committee (IMDMCC) headed by the Ministerin charge of the Disaster Management and Relief Division (DM&RD) to implement disaster management
policies and decisions of NDMC / Government.
National Disaster Management Advisory Committee (NDMAC) headed by an experienced person having
been nominated by the Prime Minister
National Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR) headed by Secretary, DM&RD and DG, DMB
functions as the member secretary. This platform shall coordinate and provide necessary facilitation to therelevant stakeholders
Earthquake Preparedness and Awareness Committee (EPAC) headed by minister for MoFDM and DG,
DMB act as member secretary
Cyclone Preparedness Program Implementation Board (CPPIB) headed by the Secretary, Disaster
Management and Relief Division to review the preparedness activities in the face of initial stage of animpending cyclone
Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP) Policy Committee headed by the Minister, MoFDM and
Secretary, DM&RD act as member secretary

National Level Bodies

Disaster Management Training and Public Awareness Building Task Force (DMTATF) headed by the
Director General of Disaster Management Bureau (DMB) to coordinate the disaster related training andpublic awareness activities of the Government, NGOs and other organizations.
Focal Point Operation Coordination Group of Disaster Management (FPOCG) headed by the Director
General of DMB to review and coordinate the activities of various National Plan for Disaster Management
42 departments/agencies related to disaster management and also to review the Contingency Plan preparedby concerned departments
NGO Coordination Committee on Disaster Management (NGOCC) headed by the Director General of
DMB to review and coordinate the activities of concerned NGOs in the country
Committee for Speedy Dissemination of Disaster Related Warning/ Signals (CSDDWS) headed by the
Director General of DMB to examine, ensure and find out the ways and means for the speedy disseminationof warning/ signals among the people

District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) headed by the Deputy Commissioner (DC) tocoordinate and review the disaster management activities at the District level.
Upazilla Disaster Management Committee (UZDMC) headed by the UpazillaNirbahi Officer (UNO) tocoordinate and review the disaster management activities at the Upazilla level
Sub-national
BodiesLevel

Union Disaster Management Committee (UDMC) headed by the Chairman of the Union Parishad tocoordinate, review and implement the disaster management activities of the concerned Union
Pourashava Disaster Management Committee (PDMC) headed by Chairman of Pourashava(municipality) to coordinate, review and implement the disaster management activities within its area ofjurisdiction

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: BangladeshCity Corporation Disaster Management Committee (CCDMC) headed by the Mayor of City
Corporations to coordinate, review and implement the disaster management activities within its area ofjurisdiction.

3.5 National Institutions for Disaster Management
3.5.1 Department of Disaster Management (DDM)
DDM is designed as a small dynamic professionals unit at national level toperformspecialised functions in the field of disaster preparedness, local disaster action
planning, contingency planning, raising public awareness, training and facilitating improved
disaster information flows. DDM works under MODMR and overviews and coordinates all
activities related to disaster management from the national level down to the grass-roots level.
DDM is committed to enhancing regular dialogues and fostering co-operation in practicaldisaster preparedness matters ‘before, during and after’ a disaster between all levels ofgovernment, donors, non-government organisations, community groups and others. DDM’s
main strength is the mandate and authority for dissemination of early warning of different
disasters. DDM has a total of 48 technical professionals stationed at their head office in
Dhaka. It has a vast network under its authority through a standing order.
Currently, DDM is working on cyclone and flood information warning dissemination, but it
has plans to extend its dissemination activities to other disasters. A process of hazard
mapping is also under consideration. A website (http://www.ddm.gov.bd) is currently
available with only static historic information, but it could be made dynamic for updatingwith early warnings like the FFWC website.

3.5.2 Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP)
After the severe cyclone in 1970, by the request of the United Nations,Cyclone Preparedness
Programme (CPP) was established in 1972 with the help of the then legue of Red Cross. After
One Year the league of Red Cross decided to withdraw the program from the field with effects
from 1st July 1973. Considering the importance of the programme, for the interest of thecoastal belt people, government came forward and took the responsibility of the programmeby deciding to continue the programme with effect from July, 1973. It has been working in
the field of disaster management in Bangladesh especially in early warning system, search and49

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

rescue, evacuation, sheltering, First aid, relief distribution and rehabilitation activities It has
Obtained a great name and fame all over the world for its well managed and motivated disastermanagement activities with a dedicated humanitarian spirit. Bangladesh has already proved
its skillness and effectiveness to disaster response especially in case of Cyclonic disaster which
has been appreciated by many others countries in the world.. Now CPP is considered as amodel programme in the disaster management field in the world. In policy concern, CPP is
run by a Policy Committee headed by Honorable Minister, Ministry of Disaster Management& Relief(MoDMR) and in administrative concern, it is operated by an Implementation Board
headed by the Secretary,Minister of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR.)

The CPP has 103 officers /staffs and 55,515 Volunteers among which 18,505 Female
volunteers. 3,701 unit, 355 union , 41 upazila of 13 coastal districts are the command area of
CPP (CPP, 2021).

3.5.3. Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO)SPARRSO acts as the centre of excellence and national focal point for the peacefulapplications of space science, remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) in
Bangladesh. SPARRSO also advises the government in all matters relating to spacetechnology applications and policies. SPARRSO maintains close collaboration with national,
regional and international organizations, institutions and agencies and disseminates
research results, satellite data and information to the relevant public, autonomous andprivate agencies for their development and policy-making activities. SPARRSO’s mandate
includes monitoring and research on environmental issues. For this purpose they receive
images daily to observe weather patterns and floods and prepare flood reports including flood
maps showing flood-affected areas.

3.5.4.Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD)
BMD is the government organization authorized for all meteorological activities in the
country. It maintains a network of surface and upper air observation stations, radar andsatellite stations, agro-meteorological observation stations, geomagnetic and seismological50

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

observation stations and meteorological telecommunication system. BMD contributes toflood forecasting and warnings by preparing short/medium and long term weather forecasts,3hourly surface charts, 6 and 12-hourly upper air charts, heavyrainfall warnings, andspecial weather bulletins with storm surge information. BMD is the only government
authorized organization mandated to issue all sorts of weatherforecast and record
meteorological observations (surface and upper air) in Bangladesh. BMD has been affiliated to
the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) since 1972.
FFWC is a division of the Directorate of Processing and Forecasting, under the Chief
Engineer, Hydrology. Together FFWC, Surface Water Hydrology (SWH) and Construction
and Instrumentation (C&I) undertake the transmission and processing of data for flood
forecasting and warning services. It maintains a strong institutional network fordisseminating flood forecasts at national level.

3.6. Other Institutions for Disaster Management
3.6.1. Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS)CEGIS is a Public Trust organization under the Ministry of Water Resources and functions
under a Board of Trustees chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources onbehalf of the government. CEGIS works in the fields of initial environment examination,
environmental impact assessment, disaster management modelling, natural resource and risk
management, GIS/RS mapping, and survey. CEGIS serves government and nongovernment organizations. CEGIS has developed several disaster and warning related tools
including a Community Based Flood Information System (CFIS); an Environmental
Monitoring

Information

Network(EMIN);

anda

ClimateForecast

Application

Network(CFAN). Currently, CEGIS is in the process of development/acquiring technology
for a regional basin flood forecast modeling for use in Bangladesh. Also, CEGIS has started
to acquire knowledge on urban and flash flood forecasting.
An operational pilot system was developed to produce daily flood monitoring and forecast
maps for use at the community level under Community Flood Information System (CFIS).
CFIS project was designed as a pilot operational system to produce accurate and timely
information on current and forecasted flood conditions for a floodplain community by using

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

easy understandable mobile SMS. This created an important opportunity for low-cost,reliable, and deeply penetrating dissemination of flood forecasts for vulnerable communities.
CEGIS has developed a methodology for predicting the morphology process and bankerosion along the Jamuna, Ganges and Padma Rivers based on space-based technology. The
methodology makes it possible to predict morphological development and bank erosion one to
two years ahead.

3.6.2 The Institute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM)
IWFM is a research institute of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology(BUET). Its mandate includes conducting research on floods focusing on integrated water
management, organizing seminars and workshops related to floods, and offering a post
graduate diploma in Water Resources Development.

3.6.3 Institute of Water Modelling (IWM)
IWM is an institute of learning and research in the fields of water modelling, computational
hydraulics and allied sciences established as a Public Trust under the ministry of Water
Resources. IWM activities in flood forecasting and warning include the collection of real timehydrometric data for running flood forecasting and inundation models; annually updating
and validating the forecasting models; providing technical backstopping and training to
FFWC; assisting FFWC to expand into new areas; developing dynamic flood inundation
models (MIKE FLOOD) and issuing medium (10 days) flood predictions based on climate
forecasts produced by the CFAB project.

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

3.7.Priorities for Sendai Framework Implementation

Achieving the SFDRR outcome, goals and targets are upcoming challenges for Bangladesh to
face in coming 2016-2030 period along with sustainable development goal. The necessity toestablish priorities for action in local and national level for monitoring and reporting on Sendai
Framework progress will ensure to the achievement of global targets and outcome.
Priority

Strategic
Goal

Key Target

Expected
OutcomeUnderstandi
ng Disaster
Risk

Enhanceunderstandingof disaster risk
management,
knowledge andcapacitybuilding

Develop and establish
standard assessment
procedure to identify
community
andhousehold level risks

Communities havegreaterunderstanding
of
their
risks
and
vulnerabilities
tohazardandanticipate disasterrisks and strategies
for reducing or
managing all risks.

Enhancemanagement
skillsCreate a national
training capacity tosustainandprogressively expand
the training efforts

Training institute isestablishedandwell-functioning

Action Agenda- Identify

anddocument
community and household
level risks with special
emphasis
on
risks
of
diversified group that include
women, children, PWDs, theelderly, minorities, following
standard procedure.
- Revise curricula at different
levels of education so that the
future citizens are better
prepared to serve, having
proper knowledge base.
- Invest in leadership andmanagement
capacity
development of civil servantsand other stakeholders at alllevel- Strengthen institutional capacity
within planning cells/units,finance/budget
cell,
and
monitoring cell/unit of eachministry and department sothat climate change may be
integratedinplanning,
financing and implementation
monitoring process of all
sectoral development projects
and initiatives.

-

DisasterManagementistaught in all training
courses of publictraining institutes.

Alltraining
institutes use theupdated module fordisastermanagement

53

Revise all design criteria andmanagement manuals in a bid
toincorporate
DRR,
irrespective of sectors
Incorporate DRR module andadminister
DRR
relatedcoursesinFoundation
Training for civil servants (tobe conducted by Public andPrivateSectorTraining
Academies)
Incorporate DRR module andadminister DRR courses forthe training of office bearers of
LGIs (to be conductedprimarily by National Institutefor Local Government and if
needed by other private andADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

publicsectorinstitutions)

StrengtheningDisaster
Risk
Governanceto manage
Disaster Risk

Coordination
across sectors
andactorsworkingon
DRR

Strengthenandintegration of DRR
withdevelopment
efforts

Prioritizationofdevelopment
projects which have
proven adaptation
co-benefit potential-

Improved
Implementation, MonitoringandSharedLearning

Enhancenational
monitoring
andevaluation system toenable effectivenessof strategies

A common pre-and
post-assessment
tool is in place tomonitor the DM-

Decentralizatio
n and local
level
mainstreamingof DRR

Investing in
Disaster Risk
Reductionfor
Resilience

Prioritization
and budgetingofPrograms
and Projects

Promote RRAP (Risk
Reduction
ActionPlan)andcontingency planning
across agencies andforallunions/cities/wards
andmonitorits
implementation andpractice

Contingency
planning
acrossagencies are wellfunctioning
andproperly monitored
and reported

Robustfinancingpoliciesandmechanisms
fordisaster recovery andreconstruction should
be developed.

Elaboration of theroleofprivatefinancethrough
capitalmarkets,
insurance industry
and how the GOB
may contribute to
the development ofeffective
marketmechanisms
tosupport risk hedging

-

-

54

-

-

training

Invest in up-gradation ofcurrent institutional set up toutilize whole of government
approach to combat disaster. A
consultative process based
national consensus will beforged under the NAP
formulation process to develop
a comprehensive coordination
andimplementation
mechanism across sectors andactors on DRR
Strengthen
institutional
capacity for greater andeffective coordination
Build institutional capacity tointegrate DRR in Development
programming
Initiate greater investment in
the environmental and natural
resource management
Develop mechanisms andmodalities towards performing
participatory reality checks at
project locations regarding
project adequacy during early
design phase
Develop joint monitoring
protocols and ensure sharedlearning with stakeholders.
Require local authorities toincorporate DRR into districtlevel development plans
Create incentives for design,
implementation
andmaintenanceof
DRR
investments at local level
Encourage the mobilization of
informed communities andimplement
processesfordownward accountability toensure demand for DRR and
CCA is met by local
authorities
Costing of all disaster riskplanning by relevant sectors
Conduct Full scale economic
analysis of DRR projects andinitiatives, organize national
dialogues
towards
prioritization and participatory
decisionmakingbeforenational budget session in theparliament
Projecting the prioritized andcosted actions in annual, three
years, five year and long term
budgetframeworktoADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

demonstrate
demands
disaster risk budget
Enhance DRR
financing

Enhancing
DisasterPreparedness for effective
response andto‘Buildback better’in recovery,
rehabilitationandreconstructi
on

Coordinationand planningshouldbeenhancedincommunity andlocal level

Government
and
donor
fundingtargeting strategies
identified within the
local
level
risk
reduction plans

Prepare risk reduction
and climate change
adaptation
actionplans for all high risk
Unions, Upazillas andDistricts
andendorsed by therespective DMC

Identificationofadequate
national
resources to financerisk reduction andenable appropriate
allocationofresourcestovulnerability
reduction through
local
level
mechanisms.

Disasterrisk
reductionandclimatechangeadaptation
actionplans for all risks
and all sectors areproducedandendorsed by therelevant DMCs at alllevels.

-DDM
leadershiponhumanitarian
coordination
should be enhanced and a
resilience
perspective
integrated-

Resilient recovery will be
pursued as a means tosustainable development
PromoteRRAP(Risk
Reduction Action Plan) andcontingency planning acrossagencies
and
for
all
unions/cities/wards
andmonitor its implementationand practiceEncourage different hazard
based contingency planninglikechemicalandtechnological hazards, roadand water safety, nuclear andradiological risk, biologicalhazards, landslide etc
Encourage
earthquake
vulnerable building retrofitting
for major cities especiallypublic buildings--

Developdedicatedcapacity
withinMoDMR and DDM tolead and coordinate
post disaster recovery
and reconstruction

Developand
implement a strategy
for the recovery ofvulnerable groups
Develop guidelines
on multi sectoral coordination for postdisasterrecoveryanddevelopment
activities
Protect & support
the most vulnerable
groupsduringdisaster & post
recoverystage
especially women,children & disable

55

Increase financial allocations
to implement DRR elements inaddition to usual development
Consider greater efforts toseek international financial
supportPromote structural and nonstructural investment likedisaster and climate resilient
housing, roads, embankments,
flood and cyclone shelters andotherinfrastructure
construction and risk reduction
programs at community level--

Gender,vulnerability
and inclusivity
issues should
be considered
across all thesectorsandministries in all
the phases ofdisastersof-Gender issues are integrated
into
all
disasterriskmanagement policies, plansanddecision-making
processes, including risk
assessment, early warning,
information management andeducation and training

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

groups andpeople.

Mainstreaming
DRR

InstitutionalizetheDM Act of 2012
through rules that
achieveadequate
decentralization andaccountability whileconsidering the whole
DM cycle of risk
reduction,
preparedness,
response,
recoveryand reconstructionolder

DM Act is wellfunctioning due todecentralization andaccountability

-

-

-

Developnational
emergency
response
coordination
mechanism
framework &guidelines

Strengthencommunity
andhouseholdlevel
capacity to withstandthe
disastrous
situations

Community
andhouseholds
arebetter prepared tocope with disastereventsLocal and national
development plans
are developed on thebasis of the updated
hazard maps andanticipated climatechangeinducedhazards

56

-

-

-

Reform the SOD and DM Act
and its rules, if needed in linewith post MDG and Sendai
Framework for DRR
Publish the National Plan for
Disaster Management 20162020 in line with post MDG
and Sendai Framework for
DRR
Approve and implement the
National
DisasterManagement Policy
Integrate DM in district
development
plans
and
provide capacity developmenttraining including UDMCs.
Establishthe
National
Emergency Operations Centre(EOC) and fully operationalize
it
Finalize, approve, disseminate
and create capacity for
implementation of criticalguidelines and plans on debris
management,
dead
body
management etc
Finalize, approve, disseminate
and create capacity for
implementation of an IncidentManagement System

ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

3.8.ADRC Counterpart
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief
Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh
Phone: +880-2-9540877
Fax: +880-2-9545405
E-mail: info@modmr.gov.bd
Website: www.modmr.gov.bd

4. References
Agrawala, S. O. (2003). Development and Climate Change in Bangladesh: Focus on Coastal Flooding
and the Sundarbans. Paris: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Asadullah, N., Mahmud, W., & Savoia, A. (2012, 01 22). https://www.theigc.org/project/growthgovernance-and-economic-development-in-bangladesh/. Retrieved from https://www.theigc.org:
https://www.theigc.org
Bangladesh, T. C. (2021, 01 22). http://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/act-367.html. Retrieved fromhttp://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd/act-367.html: http://bdlaws.minlaw.gov.bd
BMD. (2020). Bangladesh Meteorological Report.
CPP. (2021). Cyclone Preparedness Programme. Retrieved from Cyclone Preparedness Programme:
http://www.cpp.gov.bd/
Diffenbaugh N.S., M. S. (2013). Robust increases in severe thunderstorm environments in response to
greenhouse forcing. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,(pp. 16361-16366).
Division, L. a. The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh. Dhaka.
Khatun, M. A., Rashid, M. B., & Hygen, H. O. (2016). Climate of Bangladesh. Norwegian Meteorological
Institute.
Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR), Government of the People’s Republic ofBangladesh. (2009). CDMP. Dhaka: Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR),
Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
MoDMR. (2012). Disaster Management Act . Dhaka: Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief.
MoDMR. (2015). Earthquake Risk. Dhaka: Unpublished.
MoDMR. (2020). National Plan for Disaster Management. Dhaka: Ministry of Disaster Management
and Relief.
MoDMR. (2019). Standing Orders on Disaster. Dhaka: Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief.
MoEF. (2013). BANGLADESH CLIMATE CHANGE AND GENDER ACTION PLAN. Dhaka: Ministry ofEnvironment and Forest,Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

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ADRC Visiting Researcher Programme, FY 2022, Country Report: Bangladesh

MoF. (2020). Bangladesh Economy: Recent Macroeconomic Trend. Dhaka: Ministry of Finance.
Samenow, J. (2013). Climate change may boost violent thunderstorms. Retrieved 1 23, 2021, from
Washingtonpost:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weathergang/wp/2013/09/24/climate-change-may-boost-violent-thunderstorms-study-funds/
Wikipedia. (2021, 01 23). Bangladesh. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org: www.en.wikipedia.org
Wikipedia. (2021, 01
https://en.wikipedia.org

23).

Geographyof

Bangladesh.

Retrieved

Wikipedia. (2021, January 21). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladesh.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladesh: https://en.wikipedia.org
ADRC Visiting Researcher country report (Previous)

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from

Wikipedia:

Retrievedfrom