Bali conference lauds Bangladesh’s disaster management initiative for people with disabilities

Praising Bangladesh's initiative to reduce disaster risks for people with disabilities, speakers said, reducing risks for all, leaving no one behind, is a very easy thing to say but difficult to accomplish. However, Bangladesh is showing the world how to reduce the disaster risks for all, even for people with disabilities.

The speakers said, the declaration that was adopted in Dhaka in 2018 under the Sendai framework on disaster risks reduction (DRR) in 2015 is the first declaration that talks about reducing risks of disaster for people with disabilities.

The speakers said this at a side event of Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) 2022 held yesterday afternoon (May 24, 2022) at the International Conference Center in Nusa Dua, Bali.

The seminar titled,'Inclusive Local Actions towards Effective Disaster Risk Reduction and Leave No One Behind: Dhaka Declaration and Other Inspiring initiatives' was moderated by Saima Wazed, chief advisor of Bangladesh National Taskforce on Disability and Disaster Risk Management.

State Minister for the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief made the key presentation where he talked about the progress of the Dhaka Declaration and key actions that Bangladesh has taken so far to reduce disaster risks for people with disabilities.

"The government has been constructing cyclone shelters where people with disability have their access. Also, the government has been arranging leadership training, school drill, livelihood support for people with disabilities," the state minister said.

Kamrul Hasan, secretary to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, said people with disabilities are at higher risk in disasters and put them in the most vulnerable condition.

"It is our comparative advantage that we work together within the framework of Dhaka Declaration regionally, internationally, nationally, and locally in managing the systemic nature of risk," the secretary said.

Carlos Kaiser, executive director, ONG Inclusiva/ Latin America DiDRR Network, Chile said, "We are talking about leaving no one behind. But it is not an easy thing to do. We have lots of good projects, but not lots of good policies."

The Dhaka Declaration is the first declaration that talks about reducing risks of disaster for people with disabilities, he said.

"In 2015 when I went to Bangladesh, speakers said what needed to be done and when I went back in 2018, I found – all those marvellous things Bangladesh was doing for people with disabilities."

Nogining Armelle Almerique, chair of an OPD, Coordinating Unit of Associations of Persons with Disabilities (CUAPWD), Cameroon said that it isimportant that governments give priorities in the disaster risks reduction issues in the national budget.

"Because it needs support in capacity building and making national action plan on disaster risk reduction."

Chrysant Lily Kusumowardoyo, country director, ASB Indonesia and Philippine also spoke in the seminar.

Saima Wazed, also the global expert on Disability inclusive Disaster Risk Management (DiDRM), Climate Change, Autism and Mental Health, International Focal Point, Advocacy Group on Disability inclusive Disaster Risk Management (DiDRM), Bangladesh said in her speech that it is important to include people with disabilities while making the public policies of reducing disaster risks.

She said, Bangladesh has taken some strong initiatives to include disables in the mainstream under Sendai framework.

Earlier in the morning President of Indonesian Republic Joko Widodo delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the seventh Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR) at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center.

Indonesia is hosting a series of meetings of the 7th Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2022) in Bali from May 23-28, 2022.

Saber Hossain Chowdhury, president of parliamentary standing committee on Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bangladesh and other Bangladeshi delegates were present at the session.