Disaster Management in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a country that is prone to natural disasters such as floods, cyclones, and earthquakes. The Disaster Management Bureau (DMB) is responsible for managing disasters in Bangladesh. The DMB has established a comprehensive disaster management system that includes disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. The National Plan for Disaster Management (NPDM) 2021-2025 is the strategic plan of the Government of Bangladesh in its Vision and the Mission of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR) between 2021 and 2025 towards building a resilient nation.

History of Disaster Management in Bangladesh:

Bangladesh has a long history of natural disasters that has been widely publicized over the last two centuries. From the commencement of British administration till the present day, we have seen signs of big natural calamity occurrences occurring on this country. While emergency medical care was always a priority, the British never developed a comprehensive strategy for disaster management. Since gaining independence, Bangladesh has built up a formidable domestic capability dedicated to disaster prevention and relief efforts. The historical development of disaster management in Bangladesh from the British period to the present day is discussed in detail in a chapter titled “Disaster Management in Bangladesh: Historical Perspective”. The chapter highlights that Bangladesh was the first country within South Asia to develop the Standing Order on Disasters (SoD) in 1997. The next remarkable development was the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA, 2005 to 2015), aimed to promote DRR as a policy priority, stepping towards disaster risk governance.