Preparedness key to management

Bangladesh is considered as one of the areas most vulnerable to natural disasters in the world due to its geographic location and demographic as well as socioeconomic condition. Earthquakes, cyclones, floods, landslides, river bank erosion and also man-made disasters are not any sudden phenomenon here. These are very regular and common events.
Bangladesh has been rated as the nation most at risk from extreme weather and geophysical events according to a study ranking 229 countries on their vulnerability to natural disasters (NDRI 2010 - 2011). The history of disasters in Bangladesh gives a devastating scenario with the country ranking first among 162 countries based on human exposure due to flood-related hazards and third based on economic exposure. It is ranked sixth among 89 countries based on human exposure in terms of cyclone-related hazards. For earthquake, the country ranks seventeenth among 153 countries based on human exposure and forty-second among 153 countries based on economic exposure.
In different disasters over the past 20 years, a total of 135 million people have been affected, out of which 16,513 were fatalities. The total amount of resulting damage in terms of economy was US$11.7 million. In 1970, a severe cyclone took a toll of 0.3 million human lives in Bangladesh while the toll figuered 0.14 million in April 29, 1991. In 2007, devastating 'Sidr' hit the country affecting all the 32 coastal districts,  killing more than 3,400 people and leaving 55,000 injured and livelihood immensely destroyed while cyclone 'Aila' caused significant livelihood losses subsequently in the coastal districts. Again, the flood in 1988 was devastating, which affected 52 districts resulting in the loss of 1,517 human lives. In this context disaster preparedness is the key strategy for saving lives and resources.
Disasters in Bangladesh are created by many factors of nature. Human induced factors are also liable such as global warning leading to  climate change. Moreover use of chemical fertilizers, excessive withdrawal of ground water, shrimp cultivation and unplanned urbanisation and industrialisation can contribute to create disaster.
Preparedness is the measure that ensures the organised mobilisation of personnel, funds, equipment, and supplies for effective relief. Disaster preparedness is building up of capacities before a disaster situation prevails in order to reduce impacts. Its measures include availability of food reserve, emergency reserve fund, seed reserve, health facilities, warning systems, logistical infrastructure, relief manual, and shelves of projects.
Disaster preparedness is defined as a state of readiness to respond to a disaster, crisis, or any other type of emergency situation. More broadly it is stated as the leadership, training, readiness and support, and technical and financial assistance to strengthen citizens, communities, local and tribal governments, professional emergency workers as they prepare for disaster, mitigate the effects of disaster, respond to community needs after a disaster, and launch effective recovery efforts.
Preparedness includes designing warning systems, planning for evacuation and reallocation, storing food and water, building temporary shelters, devising management strategies, and holding disaster drills and exercises. Contingency planning is also included in preparedness as well as planning for post-impact response and recovery.
Preparedness consists of three basic steps: preparing a plan, training to the plan, and exercising the plan. Preparedness deals with the functional aspects of emergency management such as the response to and recovery from a disaster, whereas mitigation attempts to lessen these effects through pre-disaster actions as simple as striving to create “disaster-resistant” communities.
Preparedness is commonly viewed as consisting of activities aimed at improving response activities and coping capabilities. However, emphasis is increasingly being placed on recovery preparedness -- that is, on planning not only in order to respond effectively during and immediately after disasters but also in order to successfully navigate challenges associated with short- and longer-term recovery.
The Capability Assessment for Readiness (CAR), identifies thirteen elements that should be addresses by states in their preparedness efforts. Those elements are: laws and authorities; hazard identification and risk assessment; hazard mitigation; resource management; direction, control, and coordination; communications and warning; operations and procedures; logistics and facilities; training and exercises; evaluations and corrective actions; crisis communications; public education and information; finance and administration.
Promoting a culture of safety is possible through enhancing preparedness practices in a comprehensive way both in urban and rural areas. It is really a matter of hope that not only the government but also some non-profit organisations have realised the issue and taken some comprehensive disaster management programmes where promoting preparedness measures is one of the major agenda.
The major preparedness for disaster in  Bangladesh are awareness building; building early warning and communication systems; mapping risks, resources and capacities; formulate strategies to increase resilience; skills development; networking and knowledge exchange; capacity building; practice of safety measures, learning about first aid; improving health care and access; preparation and implementation of family and community disaster plans; participation in the test disaster plans; learning infrastructure construction skills; securing land, housing and shelters; engaging with institutional actors; maintaining strong partnerships with local and national government; membership in decision-making bodies; organising communities; conserving natural resource; accessing institutional funds. Proper monitoring of all these initiatives can accelerate the preparedness practices of  people.
Cities are  also becoming more vulnerable to hazards. Due to rapid urbanisation, increasing trend of migration from rural to urban areas, growing trend of population, poor living standards, building construction without consideration for safety measures, lack of public awareness to hazards or risks, and lack of comprehensive disaster management plan are making the cities more vulnerable to disasters specilly earthquake.
For making the cities safer and for reducing urban disaster risks, there is no alternative to promoting reduction risk measures, building capacity of local government for ensuring effective services in emergency situation, decentralising resources and empowering the decision making bodies.
There is a pattern of gender differentiation at all levels of the disaster process. In fact there is a vast difference between men and women in emergency communication; household decisions about use of relief materials; voluntary relief and recovery work; access to evacuation, shelter and relief goods; and employment in disaster planning, relief and recovery programmes. Gender inequalities with respect to enjoyment of human rights, political and economic status; land ownership; housing conditions; exposure to violence, education and health, in particular reproductive and sexual health, make women more vulnerable before, during and after disasters. Women and girls are more than half of the world's population and are among the most affected by disasters. For an example, in 1991, during the cyclone disasters in Bangladesh, of the 140,000 people who died, 90% were women.
Women play a significant role in disaster preparedness. They are the first line of defence for their families in all kinds of emergencies and are often proactive in disaster preparedness. Unfortunately, in our society contributions of women in preparing, protecting, recovering and reconstructing their families and communities before, during and after disasters have unfortunately remained unrecognised.
Bangladesh is one of the disaster prone countries of the world, with extremely limited resources, its real development is not possible without the integration of disaster mitigation programmes in development planning. Our planning thrust is therefore diverted towards disaster management as a major consideration in regional development. Bangladesh is striving hard to establish an elaborate and experienced disaster management system from national down to community level to mitigate the effects of disasters.

The writer studies  Geography and Environment at University of Dhaka [email protected].