Call made to reduce disaster risk in urban areas

Speakers have emphasised the importance of taking steps to make cities disaster-resilient. These would reduce losses to life and property during disasters–like earthquakes, fires or water-logging–that can strike any time.

The speakers underscored that urban risk assessments and preparedness are necessary to tackle these effectively.

They said this while addressing a workshop titled "Risk Reduction Action and Contingency Plan Validation" in Padakkhep conference room, Adabar, in the capital on Saturday.

Community Participation and Development (CPD) in association with Save the Children, funded by the European Union Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) jointly organised the event.

"We cannot eradicate disaster, but we can deal with it effectively with preparedness. There is no alternative to preparedness to reduce the casualties. We have to create a suitable atmosphere for living," they said.

Bangladesh is urbanising at a remarkable pace; which has increased vulnerability and potential for disasters in urban areas. Disaster impacts include: loss of possessions and damage to assets, damage to infrastructure, an impact on children, school closures, as well as an impact on women and the extremely poor, they added.

They called for integrating disaster risk reduction into the country's development programmes and initiating activities that increase disaster resilience.

Disaster Management Plan (RRAP and CP), developed through Urban Risk Assessment, was validated at the workshop.

Abul Kashem, councillor of Ward 30 of DNCC, attended the programme as the chief guest.

Alamgir Hossain, Baby Akhter and Kaji Md Faruk, members of Disaster Management Committee of Ward 30 of DNCC, spoke at the event moderated by CPD project coordinator Fazlul Hoque.

Community volunteers and members of the Disaster Management Committee of Ward 29 and 30 of DNCC also attended the programme.