Children and Disaster Risk Reduction:
Bangladesh Perspectives
Dr Muhammad Abdur Razzaque
Minister for Food & Disaster Management
Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
High Level Meeting on International Cooperation for Child
Rights (ICCR) in the Asia Pacific Region
Beijing, China, November 2010
Location of Bangladesh
Geographic, topographic and geo-physical location of the
country making it vulnerable to disasters
Topography of Bangladesh
Forming lower part of the
basins of three mighty rivers,
the Padma, the Brahmaputra
and the Meghna.
Subtropical monsoon climate
About 50% of the country is
within 6-7 m of MSL; coastal
area within 1m MSL
About 68% of the country is
vulnerable to flood; 25~30% is
inundated during normal flood
Bangladesh rivers receive runoff from a catchment of 1.72
million sq. km, around 12 times its land area
Brahmaputra Basin
552,000 sq.km
CHINA
INDIA
Ganges Basin
1,087,000 sq.km
BHUTAN
INDIA
BANGLADESH
Meghna Basin
82,000 sq.km
BAY O F BE N GAL
Country Profile: Bangladesh
•Total population : ~ 150 million
•Total Geographic Area : 147,570 sq km
•Population density : ~ 1000/sq km
•Floodplains: 80% of total areas
•More than 300 rivers (57 Trans boundary rivers)
•Coastal area: 42500 sq. km, 32% of the total
•Coastal population: Population 35 million,
25% of total population
Country Profile: Bangladesh
Economic growth (5.5~6.5 %) in the last decade
Economy still predominantly on agriculture (20% of the
GDP and engages about 45% of labour force)
Commendable performance in agriculture; Foodgrain
production growth (3.5% in the last decade); outpaced
population growth; production increased for all crops and
non-crops except for pulses and oilseeds
Analogous successes in social indicators:
School enrollment;
Sanitation and drinking water;
Iodine and Vitamin A supplementation;
Maternal and Infant mortality rate;
Life expectancy
Number in millions
60
47.7%
40.4%
50
40
50%
40%
28.4%
19.5%
30
30%
20%
20
10
10%
0
0%
1988-89
1991-92
1995-96
2000
% of total population
Persistent challenges…: Food based poverty
2005
Number of hard core poor
Number of absolute poor
Percentage of hard core poor
Percentage of absolute poor
Source: BBS quoted in Fiorillo (2009); Absolute poor < 2122 kcal/day: Hard
core poor < 1805 kcal/day
Poverty Differences at Sub-national Level
Poverty
headcount rate
differs across the
country
Coastal belt, hilly
areas, haors, and
flood plains house
more poor than
other areas
SOURCE: BBS-WFP (2009)
Persistent challenges: Population….
Pop density of countries (pop over 60 million)
Pop density (per sq km)
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
Population (in millions)
Bangladesh
Brazil
China
Congo
Egypt
Ethiopia
France
Germany
India
Indonesia
Iran
Italy
Japan
Mexico
Nigeria
Pakistan
Philipines
Russia
Thailand
Turkey
UK
USA
Vietnam
1600
Persistent challenges-Malnutrition: Bangladesh
and others (UN-ESCAP, 2009)
Country
U5
Under
weight
(%)
U5 mortality
rate
(per 1000
live birth)
Maternal
mortality ratio
(per 100000
live birth)
Birth
attended by
skilled
Personnel (%)
Afghanistan 39
257
1800
14.3
Bangladesh 44.6
60.5
400
18
Bhutan
19
84
440
24
Maldives
27
16
69
84
India
46
72
254
47
Nepal
39
54.7
830
19
Pakistan
-
90.4
320
39
Sri Lanka
22
11.4
39.3
98.3
Persistent challenges…: undernutrition trends
Undernutrition trends among <5 children in Bangladesh
80
70
65.8
60
64.6
68.3
57.4
64.2
51
Percent
50
47.8
51.4
43
48.3
40
42.4
41
44.6
43.1
30
20
14.4
16.7
16.6
12.7
12
17
13
10
1989/90
1992
1995
2000
2005
2007
2009
Underweight <5
Stunting <5
Wasting <5
MDG target for underweight
Source: 1990-2005 CMNS; 2007 BDHS; 2009 HFSNA
Bangladesh: Emerging Challenges
• Climate change and disaster impacts
• Global food crisis/uncertainties of global food market
• Inadequate aid response even after shocks
Food aid to Bangladesh: commitment vs
disbursement (ERD. 2009)
1,000.0
2500
Rice price
800.0
USD/MT
1500
1000
500
600.0
400.0
200.0
Total commitment
Total disbursement
2007/08
2005/06
2003/04
2001/02
1999/00
1997/98
1995/96
1993/94
1991/92
1989/90
1987/88
1985/86
1983/84
1981/82
1979/80
1977/78
1975/76
1973/74
Year
Jan-06
Mar-06
May-06
Jul-06
Sep-06
Nov-06
Jan-07
Mar-07
May-07
Jul-07
Sep-07
Nov-07
Jan-08
Mar-08
May-08
Jul-08
Sep-08
Nov-08
Jan-09
Mar-09
May-09
Jul-09
Sep-09
Nov-09
Jan-10
Mar-10
May-10
Jul-10
Sep-10
-
0
1971/72
Quantity ('000 mt)
2000
Thai A1 super
National rice
Climate change impacts: IPCC projections
•
•
•
•
•
•
Average temperature changed
Frequency and intensity of natural disasters increased
Salinity intrusion
Decline of precipitation resulted droughts
Extinction of plant and animal species- loss of biodiversity
Sea-level rise by one meter in the current century, likely to:
– one third of the country’s land under threat of salt water
inundation
– loss of livelihoods of 40 million people
– 20 million might need relocation by 2050
Disaster and Vulnerability









Flood
Tropical Cyclone
Storm Surge
Tornado
River Bank Erosion
Drought
Earthquake
Arsenic
Landslide
14
Flood
Cyclone
Drought
Arsenic
Earthquake
Hazard Maps
Bangladesh
Disaster Calendar of Bangladesh
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Flooding
Flash flood
Drought
Erosion
Cyclones/tornadoes
Diarrhoea
Monga/famine
Cold weather
Earthquakes
..
..
..
Arsenic contamination
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
..
Cropping Calendar (rice and wheat)
Jan
Aus
Aman
Boro
Wheat
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Major Disasters in Bangladesh-Impacts…
Year
1970
1988
1988
1989
1991
1996
1997
1998
2004
2007
2007
2009
Disaster
Cyclone
Flood
Cyclone
Drought
Cyclone
Tornado
Cyclone
Flood
Flood
Flood
Cyclone(SIDR)
Cyclone(Aila)
Death
500,000
1,708
4,000
800
138,868
545
550
918
747
800
3,406
190
Major Disasters in Bangladesh-Impacts
Year
1987
1988
1988
1989
1991
1996
1997
1998
2004
2007
2007
Disaster
Flood
Flood
Cyclone
Drought
Cyclone
Tornado
Cyclone
Flood
Flood
Floods
Cyclone
(Sidr)
2009 Cyclone (aila)
Economic loss
US$ 1,000 million
US$ 1,200 million
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
US$ 2,800 million
US$ 2,200 million
US$ 1100 million
US$ 1642 million
n/a
Climate change & disaster impacts ….
Crops, business, fish ponds, rural houses, live stocks/poultry, fishing boats
Damages from 2009 Cyclone (Aila)
Total Death: 190
Family Affected:
7,75,915
Houses: 5,87,803
Crops: 3,05,698
acres;
Roads (km) 1033.75
(full) 5410 (partial)
Embankments-213
km (full); 1128 km
(partial)
Source: MOFDM, MOFL &
MOWR (2009)
Affected areas
11 Districts; 64 Upazila
194 Union (full); 334 Union (partial)
Damage by sidr 2007
0%
15%
5%
30%
50%
Social
Productive
Housing
Infrastructure
Cross sectoral
Total effects of the disaster:
1.6 billion US$
19%
32%
68%
81%
Public
Damage
Losses
Private
Disaster Management: GoB’s Vision
“To reduce the vulnerability of the poor to
the effects of natural, environmental and
human induced hazards to a manageable
and acceptable humanitarian level”
 Millennium Development Goals
 NPDM (2010-15) and PRSP-II,
Bangladesh
 Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA)
2005-2015
 United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
 SAARC Framework for Action (SFA)
2006-2015
COMPREHENSIVE DISASTER MANAGEMENT
MODEL, BANGLADESH
RISK REDUCTION
Defining Risk Environment
-Hazard, Vulnerability and Risk Assessment
- Risk Prioritization
Managing Risk Environment
EMERGENCY
RESPONSE and
RECOVERY
-Avoid/Eliminate Risks
-Reduce/Transfer Risks
-Managing Residual Risk
Prevention
Mitigation
Preparedness
-Warning/Evacuation/Search/Rescue
- Emergency Relief
- Emergency Rehabilitation
- Long Term Holistic Rehabilitation
Response
Response
Recovery
Recovery
Disaster Management Institutions
in Bangladesh
UNCT
UNDMT, IASC
Cluster
National Disaster Management Regulatory Framework
Disaster
Management Act
(draft)
DM Policy
National Plan for DM (2010-2015)
Sectoral Policies
Sectoral Plans
(DRR Incorporated)
(DRR Incorporated)
Hazard specific
Plans
Programming for Implementation
SOD 2010
Guideline
Templates
National and Local Level DM Coordination framework
COORDINATION
BILATERAL
DONORS
Disaster Management
Committees
Humanitarian
Actors
DMC / DRR
-National Level
-District Level
-Municipal Level
-Upazila Level
-Union Level
NGOs
GoB efforts : Disaster Management
Paradigm shift: relief >> risk reduction >>development
Policy and Planning Reforms: NPDM, Revised SoD, Draft DM
Act, DM Corporate Plan, DRR in Dev. Planning; Comprehensive
Disaster Management programme; HFA processes-DRR platform
Strengthening DM and Risk Reduction Capacity: Learning and
Development Strategy, Standardized tool-CRA Guidelines/ RRAPs,
Earthquake contingency plan, Strengthened DMIC/DMCs; Hazard
mapping/Improved early warning; Expanded storage, safety nets and
PFDS: More equipped AFD and Fire services
Enhancing community level capacity and Nurturing partnership:
GO-NGO, GO-DP (e.g.UN clusters), GO-Private
Structural measures: ~2,600 cyclone shelters; 200 flood shelters;
4,000 km coastal embankment ; drainage channels 4,774 km
 Non structural measures: Training and Awareness, Cyclone
Preparedness Programme, Disaster volunteers (6000 CPP+62000 urban)
Community Resilience to Disaster
Key child centred DRR initiatives…
 National Plan for DM sets the target to protect, among others,
women and children and emphasizes on establishing guidelines
and procedures
 SoD asks for initiatives for mainstreaming child centered DRR
Knowledge mechanisms and information sharing platform
International Cooperation- SDMC, GFDRR, ISDR, ADPC, UNFCC etc.
Project on Ensuring Safe Drinking Water and Social Protection
to Women and Children
Child Protection Cluster Network
Key child centred DRR initiatives
 Child Friendly Spaces (CFSs)
Inclusion of DRR Issues in Text Books; Initiatives to resume formal
education just after the disasters
Strengthened social safety nets like VGD, VGF, FFW,100-day EGHP,
Maternal Health Voucher Scheme, Allowances to elderly/widows,
Supplementary feeding etc.
Incorporation of child centered DRR in the draft Children’s Policy 2010
Normal time efforts for improving nutrition: crop-diversification, no-crop
agriculture, food safety initiatives, scaling up nutrition and health
programmes
Child centred DRR in the draft Children’s
Policy 2010
•Priority of safety and security of children in all stages of DM
•Girl children having specific emphasis
•Secure essential healthcare, sanitation and drinking water
facilities during disasters and resilience processes
•Psychological support together with material support
•Special provisions in SSNPs to protect children, orphans and
helpless during and aftermath emergency
•Child friendly spaces equipped with toys, materials for
games and study
•Shelters to have special provisions for safety and security of
girls, relevant facilities for pregnant and lactating mothers and
for breastfeeding
Cyclone Shelters
Financing the Response
•National Disaster Management Fund
•National Risk Reduction Fund
•Local Disaster Management Fund
•Budget for social safety nets
•Climate Change Trust Fund within the
Ministry of Environment and Forest
Normal Time Use of Cyclone Shelters
Health Center
1%
Office
No use 8%
6%
Other
2%
Community
center
1%
Education
Center
82%
32
Future needs….
Continue political support to child centered DRR
Streamlining of knowledge development and sharing to support child
centered DRR
Promoting clarity, coherence and consistency to support child centered DRR
Implementation of Climate Change Adaptation Strategy & Action Plan
Implementation of agricultural risk reduction strategies
Need to construct new embankment and maintenance of the old
Women and child friendly cyclone shelters in the char and coastal areas
Develop anticipated climate change risks scenarios and impacts
Strengthen disaster loss assessment capacity
Sharpen cooperation in regional and international levels
Continued support from development partners in the above
Thank you all
www.mofdm.gov.bd