Power of information

A tale of power of knowledge and information has emerged from a village in Kutubdia where the people used their knowledge about the Right to Information Act to ensure accountability in the activities of local elected representatives, particularly in terms of pre-disaster risk reduction strategy. The encouraging facts motivated experts to call for formulation of policies focusing on pre-disaster risk reduction interventions instead of the current practice of post-disaster response and recovery method. Undoubtedly, advance preparations and sustainable planning can help reduce the impacts of natural and manmade hazards. One benchmark of good governance of the local government empowering the communities and ensuring participation of community members in disaster preparedness and management.
In another tale of success and empowerment, as reported in this daily on Monday, villagers of Kaulia in Morelganj, Bagherhat, have constructed a cyclone shelter in their village to protect them from natural calamities. It is claimed to be the first cyclone shelter in the village built by the community members with their own hand and on their own land. The community members, from about 277 families, raised money for its registration as public property and negotiated with the local government for the construction of a better road leading up to the cyclone shelter. The story only reinforces our belief in what people can do once they get united and motivated to solve their own problems. The above two stories have been revealed in a seminar titled 'Good governance in disaster risk reduction: Story telling' organised by Bangladesh Disaster Preparedness Centre (BDPC) in the city on Sunday.
All over the world communities living in disaster-prone areas build some mechanism to educate community members about how to minimize risks in case of a natural calamity, like cyclone, flashflood or landslide following heavy rain. In recent decades, community radio has been playing a vital role in keeping the people informed about looming dangers. Operated locally by some community members, these radios impart forecasts regarding rain, floods, cyclones, draughts etc.
Bangladesh being a disaster-prone land, authorities concerned will have to implement a fool-proof mechanism to make the vulnerable communities aware of natural disasters. In this connection, the scope and reach of community radios among the disaster-prone population will have to be increased at the earliest possible time as it is the fastest medium to disseminate information.