Exposure learning – Part –I: WB partners went to Bangladesh to see the CMDRR activities:

Concern Universal (CU) - Bangladesh invited its 7 partners of West Bengal. India and requested them to send their two representatives to Bangladesh to see the Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction (CMDRR) programme implementations by their Bangladesh partners. On 13^th March, 2011, 7 representatives from Women Interlink Foundation (WIF), Bandhan, ABCD- Kolkata and PRISM went to Barisal district of Bangladesh.

On14th March, 2011 we were taken to see the activities of INDAB (Integrated Development Association of Bangladesh), a partner organization of CU-Bangladesh. INDAB was implementing CMDRR activities for the last 2 years in some areas on Barisal district. We met Mr. Kabir, director INDAB and got brief ideas on INDAB’s activities in disaster risk reduction. We also met Mr. H.A. Suman, Hasan M. Mia, Mamud Hossain, Mrs. Afroza, Sanjeeb Das, Karolina Sardar and Md. Siddik Hawladar all INDAB’s field staff and implementers of CMDRR programme amongst the villagers. They were inspired by the works of Dr. Atikur Rahaman, national role model on introducing Climate change adaptation activities in Bangladesh. They also had some experiences in emergency response during the SIDR (2007-08) and also from that time they felt the necessity of community- involvement (CMDRR) and mainstreaming the DRR activities.

            We went to Rafiadi village (Barisal district) with INDAB and 2 staff of CU-Bangladesh accompanied us. That village was on the bank of Kirtonkhola River and was very prone to disaster. There were ~250 families in that village. 

Radio Manager with equipments

Storing dry foods & imp papers

 INDAB had brought the following changes in that village:

• ·         Ward management committee had been formed.

• ·         CMDRR committees had been formed.

•        These committee members had been given more than six specific trainings on CMDRR and Climate change adaptations. These committee members hold regular monthly meeting. Members of these committees had made a community fund by paying 20 taka/ member. Sometimes they took loan from that fund.

•  CMDRR committees had given many specific responsibilities – like information sharing on different warning (Radio or TV), sending old and children and women to local Govt / Private school buildings during hazards, making the cattle free, Tie  houses by rope with post, Raising awareness amongst villagers so that they could keep their all the necessary documents in a safe custody during hazards, disinfection of tubewell after the hazards, made sufficient stock of dry foods and safe drinking water during hazards, etc.

• INDAB had provided them – Radio set, Torch light and Microphone.

• Raising the plinth level of the houses of community people as a preparedness before any flood comes
• Community people were disseminating the warning of signal about disaster by using mobile phone, megaphone and mike of local mosque etc.
• Using banana trees to make local boat for transportation during emergency period
• Community people started taking protection measures by erecting extra supports to their houses, fasten roof structure with post strongly and conceal valuable articles, land documents, safe water, dry food, molasses, coconut in plastic bags and putting them into ground chamber.
• Preservation of fire wood and portable oven for cooking during the emergency
• Community people were sharing CMDRR knowledge to be updated themselves
• School children were creating awareness among the community people about the effect of climate change through their schooling program
• Community people were popularizing the CMDRR concept by performing drama, theater, folksongs etc.

Outcome(Effects):

• CMDRR village and UPAZILA committee had been coordinating with the upazila administration not only in the emergency period but also collaborating each other in normal period

•  On the other hand, they have maintained a fruitful liaison and linkage at external level with government offices, LEB, civil society, educational arena, cultural world.

• CMDRR village and UPAZILA committee had been coordinating with the upazila administration not only in the emergency period but also collaborating each other in general.

• Community participation, frequent sessions and continued interaction, community knowledge, experience and organized efforts  were key to effective project implementation
• Encouraging community response to disaster preparedness and mitigation effort in place of just relief operation.
• Network-building.

• The community members were now trying to make groups, raising their voices and demands to the Govt authorities and also compelling people’s representatives to listen to them.  

Reported by,

Nilangshu Gain, PRISM

Divisional level sharing workshop in Sylhet, Bangladesh

On 9th March, 2011, partners of Concern Universal, Bangladesh organized a Divisional level sharing workshop on ‘Divisional-level sharing workshop on Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation’ in the Sylhet District Council auditorium, Sylhet, Bangladesh. The event was organized jointly by local NGOs- Ethnic Community Development Organization (ECDO), VARD, RWDO, SSS and Shrimangal Foundation and was finance by Concern Universal- Bangladesh.  In that workshop, the speakers urged the Government authorities to formulate an appropriate policy to cope the adverse impacts of climate change and global warming. They also gave stress about the need for strong alliance of the Least Developing Countries (LDCs) in order to coerce the developed nations to reduce carbon dioxide emission.
They also warned that Bangladesh would be one of the worst victims of global climate changes and as a result the food and health security of its people would become more vulnerable due to natural disasters.

The Executive Director of ECDO, Mr. Lakshmikanta Singh delivered the welcome speech. This workshop was presided over by the director, VARD, Mr. Shahid Uddin Mahmud.

In his speech, the City Mayor, Mr. Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran said that the government would not spare any industry violating pollution norms and had already given mandate for state-owned units to set up its own waste management units. He also said that the new industrial policy would encourage environment-friendly industrialization. “We must demand compensation from developed countries for damages we are facing because of their acts,” he added. The mayor also added that the Government was continuing its efforts at international forums to realize compensation for victims of climate change.



City Mayor addressing the audience



Interactive session




Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Sylhet Sadar, Mr. Enamul Habib, Deputy Director of Environment Department, Md. Zillur Rahman, Vice-Chairman of Companygonj Upazila, Ms. Nasrin Jahan Fatema, and Md. Abdul Hamid, Head-Organizational Development & Education Unit Concern Universal Bangladesh also gave their valuable opinions at the workshop. A presentation was displayed by Mr. Masud Rana, Asst. Project Manager of Concern  Universal.  Ms. Sabrin Sultana Project officer of Concern Universal was also present in that workshop.

Reported By,

Lakshmikanta Singh

Executive Director

Ethnic Community Development Organization (ECDO)