Risk Returns

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Learn from what is already being done

Exposure of Government officials and civil society organizers to

disaster preparedness work at national, state and regional levels is

essential since there is so much to learn from others’ experiences.

Awareness raising and use of multimedia

There is a widespread lack of awareness on disaster preparedness at

all levels of the community and Governments. There should be much

greater use of media, especially television and radio, in raising awareness.

Teaching children disaster preparedness

Schools should include disaster preparedness and awareness raising

about cyclones and their nature, especially at community and house-

hold levels.

Green belts protect communities

Forest and mangroves in the coastal areas help reduce storm

surge penetration, soil loss and flooding. They sustain marine and

brackish water fisheries and other ecosystems, and provide fuel,

fodder, building materials and livelihoods to coastal communities.

Therefore, their protection is important for the well-being of the

community.

Bangladesh

The Empowerment of Coastal Fishing Communities for Livelihood

Security (ECFC), an FAO/UNDP/Government of Bangladesh Project,

was implemented in Cox’s Bazaar district between 2002 and 2006.

One of the main components of the project related to strengthening

the capacity of the coastal fishing communities for disaster manage-

ment, focusing on cyclone preparedness measures. The objective of

this component was to facilitate and enable community access to

advance disaster warnings in order to prepare them to cope with and

recover from natural and other hazards at sea and on land.

One of the important lessons learnt from the project was that

disaster preparedness in real time should be driven by a sense of

responsibility. This was shown during the cyclonic

period in May 2004 by the fishing communities of all

the villages covered under the project. The role played

by Village Disaster Preparedness Committees (VDPCs),

change agents and volunteers (both men and women)

in alerting the communities was highly effective. These

groups shared responsibilities for disseminating door-

to-door weather forecasts and danger signals. The

teamwork shown by the community in taking prompt

initiative for cyclone preparedness was found to be

excellent and highly appreciated by people from all

walks of life.

Regional training

The South Asia component of the FAO Global Project

on Safety at Sea for Small-Scale Fisheries in Developing

Countries was implemented in the four member coun-

tries of the BOBP-IGO from May 2007 until December

2010. The project focused on training, education and

awareness for improved safety at sea. Various approaches

were used to take the message to the community. These

included colourful leaflets giving key messages on

subjects such as cyclone signals, folk songs and village

theatre, and video films in local languages.

Rising risk, prepared communities

With the increase in sea surface temperatures due to

global warming, there is likely to be an increase in the

frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones. In such

situations, community preparedness will be of immense

help. There is a pressing need to replicate the lessons

learnt from the above examples, not only within the

BoB region but also in other parts of the world, where

coastal communities face constant threat from cyclones

and other natural hazards.

Folk songs and village theatre are effective media for raising awareness

amongst communities

Gender mainstreaming is vital for success of disaster preparedness

Image: Yugraj Yadava