Invest more in disaster management

Public and private sectors alike have to increase the investment in disaster management to sustain the economic and human development, said director general of the Department of Disaster Management yesterday.

Such investments will return the benefits in multiple ways, said the director general, Md Reaz Ahmed, at a discussion on the occasion of this year's National Disaster Preparedness Day.

The department with the support of Shifting the Power, and Dhaka Earthquake and Emergency Preparedness programme of Christian Aid Bangladesh, organised the discussion on "Let the world know, Bangladesh is prepared for facing disasters" at the department's office in the capital.

The government is preparing a database of load-bearing capacity of soil in Dhaka and other nearby districts to help design buildings resilient to earthquake and other disasters, said Reaz.

The government has so far procured disaster rescue equipment worth Tk 250 crore and trained 6,000 doctors and paramedics, he added.

The department's Director Khaled Mahmud emphasised that the people across the country regularly make use of the weather forecast hotline service by dialling "1090" from any mobile operator.

Prof Mahbuba Nasreen, director of the Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies at Dhaka University, said all the documents and guidelines on disaster management should be widely available in an abridged version.

Noted disaster management expert Abdul Latif Khan said the disaster management issue must be incorporated in every development plan of the country.

Dr Md Atiqullah, additional secretary to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, said all the documents and research findings so far prepared on disaster management must be compiled immediately in the interests of people and professionals.

Md Shah Kamal, secretary to disaster management and relief ministry, was present at the programme as the chief guest.

He said the government has approved a national resilience project under which Tk 400 crore would be earmarked for the disaster management department.

The government observes National Disaster Preparedness Day every year to promote disaster risk reduction with dissemination of knowledge on safety of all but particularly of those at greater risk of death, injury, ill-health, loss of livelihood and displacement. And the vulnerable groups include women, children, elderly persons and people with disabilities.

Shakeb Nabi, country manager of Christian Aid Bangladesh, conducted the discussion.