USAID’s Disaster Risk Reduction Activity to tackle climate change in Northern and Southwest Bangladesh

An inception event for USAID's Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Activity was jointly organised by CARE Bangladesh and World Vision Bangladesh at the Lakeshore Hotel in the capital on 9 February 2023.

Md. Kamrul Hasan, NDC, Secretary, Ministry of Disaster Management & Relief, graced the event as the chief guest. "The people of Bangladesh are becoming resilient economically, soon we will also become resilient to climate-induced disasters.", remarked Md. Kamrul Hasan in his speech. Md. Mijanur Rahman, Director General, Department of Disaster Management; Ramesh Singh, Country Director, CARE Bangladesh; Abdusattor Esoev, Chief of Mission, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), and Suresh Bartlett, National Director, WVB were present as special guests while Ken W. Hasson, Ph.D. Deputy Director, Humanitarian Assistance Office (HAO)-USAID attended the event as the guest of honour.

USAID is collaborating with CARE Bangladesh and World Vision Bangladesh to implement two comprehensive DRR projects: the Strengthening Household Ability to Respond to Development Opportunities (SHOUHARDO III DRR) Activity, implemented by CARE Bangladesh in Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat and Sunamganj districts and the Supporting Disaster Risk Reduction (SDRR), implemented by World Vision Bangladesh in Khulna and Satkhira districts.

"Building linkages between national and local-level disaster risk management is now more important than ever. Only by working together can we create durable solutions to Bangladesh's climate crisis.", shared Ken W. Hasson, Ph.D., Humanitarian Assistance Office (HAO)-USAID during the inception event.

Bangladesh is the seventh most vulnerable country in the world to climate change, according to the 2021 report of the Global Climate Risk Index. On average, one million people in Bangladesh are affected by climate disasters every year, and the government is estimated to lose USD 1 billion each year to climate-induced incidents*. A major factor behind these is a need for more awareness and better disaster preparedness and management at the grassroots level. The USAID's DRR Activity is devised in response to these critical issues.

The SHOUHARDO III DRR and SDRR projects form part of USAID's initiatives to address climate change and disaster risk management in Bangladesh. The USAID DRR Activity's principal goal is to enhance the disaster management capacity of communities by strengthening the Area-Based Disaster Management Coordination Model. The projects will link disaster management practices at the local level with national disaster management policies and strategies.

The SHOUHARDO III DRR Activity will conclude on 31 August 2024 and the SDRR project will conclude on 30 September 2024.

*World Bank, worldbank.org.

Photography by Apel Pavel/ CARE