By David Tereshchuk*
September 23, 2014—Bangladesh is listed high among nations that are especially prone to disasters—and certain areas of the country suffer extreme vulnerability.
The island of Char Kukri-Mukri in the coastal Bhola Disrict, where UMCOR, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, is now helping to support the local community, is very low-lying, sitting only about four feet above sea level.
The island is regularly buffeted by the region’s endemic cyclones and tidal surges, and also suffers water-logging and excess salinity. To its south, no land protects it from the vast Bay of Bengal, where fierce cyclones periodically generate their powerful and destructive force.
Cyclone Mahasen, which damaged or destroyed about 100,000 Bangladeshi homes in May 2013, had a particularly damaging impact on Char Kukri-Mukri, including the devastating interruption of local livelihoods.
Living elsewhere in Bangladesh—even far inland—does not necessarily offer reassurance for avoiding disasters. Just last month, the far northwest of the country, notably the districts of Kurigram and Bogra, was hit by continuous rains that caused catastrophic flooding in the many river-basin areas.
UMCOR and partner Muslim Aid provided more than 2,000 families in those districts with a month’s worth of emergency food supplies to help them through the crisis period immediately following the flooding. They prioritized poor, marginal and vulnerable households whose income sources are unreliable. Families headed by divorced or widowed women, injured people or those living with disabilities were also among the beneficiaries.
Long-term Work
Tackling long-term change through disaster risk reduction is the aim for UMCOR’s work by the sea, in Char Kukri-Mukri. In partnership again with Muslim Aid, the primary purpose is to reduce the human impact of future cyclones, the main threat to the community.
Many of the inhabitants of the island live in poverty and are already more vulnerable to the storms and flooding that affect it. Most make their living, precariously, by fishing, and there are few other occupational alternatives.
In disaster risk reduction community-based action is key. The Muslim Aid approach, with UMCOR’s support, is to emphasize disaster preparedness, well-understood plans for responding to emergencies, and resilience in the face of the district’s frequently encountered natural hazards.
Training Offered
In practical terms, resilience and preparedness are being cultivated through training in both first aid and in search-and-rescue response. Training is also being offered in warehouse management, to ensure the community’s available resources are well husbanded, and shortages in an emergency are pre-empted.
Repeated drills and simulation exercises are being introduced to reinforce community readiness, and essential response kits for emergencies are being made widely available throughout the island’s villages.
UMCOR Executive Secretary for Disaster Risk Reduction Yovanna Troansky has firm expectations for the collaboration among UMCOR, Muslim Aid and the local population.
“My hope,” she says, “is that the beneficiaries of Char Kukri-Mukri, through their involvement in the project, find the resources that will equip them with knowledge and understanding about the risks, and that it will encourage them to find ways to reduce risk in their communities.”
Char Kukri-Mukri is one vulnerable locality among many, and Troansky believes its lessons can be extended elsewhere in Bangladesh.
“It is also my hope,” she adds, “that the participants will act as transformational agents in their own communities and in the surrounding areas by sharing their experience with other populations.”
Your gift to International Disaster Risk Reduction, Advance #3021952, will help the people of Char Kukri-Mukri and other threatened communities around the world to better meet future challenges from natural disasters.