Emergency Action

Emergency Action in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has a fairly extensive emergency action plan with several governmental and NGO committees. The National Disaster Management Council (NDMC) is responsible for coordination of all the various programs. All funds are distributed through this council which is the highest in the chain of command. The Disaster Management Bureau is specifically responsible for coordinating disaster management activities on the ground. In addition, WHO is responsible for distributing medical needs during a disaster. Finally, the UN has the UNDMT (United Nations Disaster Management Team) compromised of international humanitarian agencies that operate in Bangladesh. All these committees work together to deal with disaster relief in Bangladesh.

For more information on emergency action efforts in Bangladesh, visit the following links:

http://www.searo.who.int/LinkFiles/Country_Emergency_Situation_Profiles_Bangladesh.pdf 

http://www.searo.who.int/en/Section1257/Section2263/Section2301_12185.htm

Emergency Alert System

While there is an early warning system established in Bangladesh, it involves technology that much of the population does not have. For example, inclement weather is advertised via local radio, fax, and television. In addition, various flags are put up at ports. For the parts of coastal Bangladesh that does not have access to these technologies or in an unfavorouble location, another alert system must be established. The solution to this inadequacy lies in a siren warning system. Various sirens can be put in place on sturdy structures that are loud enough to reach all of the coastal areas. Therefore, parts of the coastal population that do not have access to technology will know to prepare for disaster and/or evacuate.

There are already concrete structures in place for refugees on high ground, however the amount must be increased for future disasters. NGOs can work together to build more evacuation homes since the likelihood of disasters is increasing each year along with population.

Fore more information on the current alert system, visit the following link:

http://www.iawe.org/WRDRR_Bangladesh/Preprints/S4BMD.pdf

Drawbacks and Unintended Consequences

The biggest issues with the new alert system lies in infrastructure. The sirens can be easily displaced in a disaster, and therefore must be rebuilt. Each time a siren is put in place, there will be a cost associated with it. This cost will likely be covered by the NDMC as it will add to the efficiency of their disaster programs.

Time Line

This solution is high leverage because it is simple and quick to implement, but will affect many lives. Once the funds are in place, this solution can be implemented next day and will help with future disasters for years to come.

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