Twelve recommendations for disaster management, the time for complacency has not come: TIB

By Adnan Tazvir

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) feels that the time for complacency has not yet come, despite significant progress in Bangladesh’s capacity and preparedness to deal with disasters. However, the organization has recommended twelve points to address the deficiencies and challenges of good governance.

These demands were presented by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) at a virtual press conference on Thursday, December 24, 2020. The press conference published a research report titled ‘Challenges of Good Governance in Disaster Management and Ways to Overcome It: Recent Experiences on Cyclone Amphan and its subsequent cyclones’.

At the press conference, TIB said that Bangladesh had gained a good reputation for disaster management, including reducing casualties, preparing a structured model for disaster management, and the follow-up by many countries. However, there is still room for improvement and systematic development, and there is no room for complacency right now.

Because there are also some substantial deficiencies in the field of digester management in the existing governess of Bangladesh. Due to which about 2.2 percent of the national income is lost annually. If these deficits can be eliminated, it is possible to prevent or reduce the country’s huge loss of national income.

Iftekharuzzaman, Executive Director of TIB), Professor Sumaiya Khair, Advisory Executive of Management, TIB, and Mohammad Rafiqul Hasan, Director of Research and Policy of TIBattended the press conference.

The report was presented by the Deputy Program Manager of the Good Governance Unit on Climate Finance, Newazul Maula, and Kazi Abu Saleh, Assistant Manager, Policy Integrity Project, Climate Finance.

To review the progress and challenges of good governance in dealing with the recent disasters including cyclone Amphan, data was collected from field level, analyze and prepare the report of this research for about seven months from May 18 to December 23, 2020.

The study found that the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Paris Climate Agreement lacked compliance with international commitments on disaster management and compliance with national laws, policies, and orders on disasters.

There is a lack of capacity to install coal and LNG-based power in environmentally critical areas, including the Sundarbans, to determine the exact amount of damage caused by disasters, prepare and publish damage reports, and raise funds from international sources. However, reliance on business-based ‘insurance and bond’ systems to deal with disasters has increased.

Not only is there a lack of structured guidelines for disseminating disaster information at the local and national levels, but there is also a lack of disclosure (dissemination and dissemination Publish and Promote) of information on disaster preparedness, response, and subsequent relief and rehabilitation activities.

There have been deviations in compliance with the specific instructions mentioned in the relevant laws and regulations, including Disaster Management Act-2012, National Disaster Management Policy-2015, Cyclone Shelter Maintenance Policy-2011, and Permanent Disaster Orders 2019.

Analyzing the results and data of the study, TIB has recommended 12 points for disaster management. Recommendations include:

1. To update the existing warning system and propagate it in simple language understandable to the general public.
2. Ranking the high-risk areas and giving timely forecasts and warnings with utmost importance.
3. Transparently conduct all basic rights activities, including relief and rehabilitation, prioritizing the most vulnerable families and areas.
4. Release information on relief and rehabilitation to the public at the national and local levels.
5. Ensure the Disaster preparedness with the effective participation of several local level committees, volunteer teams, and concerned stakeholders considering the emergency and the potential risk of disaster and taking advance plan for disaster responsive level.
6. Ensure shelters with special facilities and area-based needs for women, children, the elderly, and the disabled.
7. Consider the number of asylum seekers to prepare and provide adequate food, water, sewerage, emergency medical services in the shelters.
8. Build, renovate, and rebuild disaster-tolerant and sustainable infrastructure in a ‘participatory’ manner, led by the affected population, by involving local government.
9. Establish accountability by stopping any corruption, irregularities, and waste in disaster management activities, including delays in project implementation.
10. Ensure strict exemplary punishment by taking departmental and criminal action against the culprits after transparent investigation and proof of guilt of published irregularities and corruption.
11. To rehabilitate the families’ livelihoods displaced by the disaster, create new livelihood opportunities, and take effective measures to build their capacity to deal with the disaster.
12. Adopt and implement a master plan to protect coastal areas based on international experience in disaster management, especially water management experience in countries like the Netherlands.