Natural disasters cost Bangladesh Tk1.80 lakh crores in 6 years

Bangladesh lost a whopping Tk179,198.8 crore due to 11 natural disasters between 2015-2020, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

The loss is almost 10 times bigger than the Tk18424.7 crore Bangladesh lost due to similar calamities between 2009-2014, according to a new survey of the agency.

A summary of the study titled "Bangladesh Disaster-related Statistics (BDRS) 2021: Climate Change and Natural Disaster Perspectives" has been published on Tuesday at the NEC Conference Center in the capital. 

According to the report, compiled with data from 3.41 crore people living in about 75 lakh households across the country, the number of disaster-affected people has increased by 72% in the six years to 2020 compared to the 2009-2014 period.

Apart from the direct damages, natural calamities are also burdening people with additional medical expenses. In total, losses due to such catastrophes account for 1.31% of the total gross domestic product of the country.

Of all the natural disasters, floods alone accounted for 57% of the total financial losses caused by natural disasters in the last six years, Md Rafiqul Islam, project director, Strengthening Environment, Climate Change and Disaster Statistics (ECDS) Project, BBS, said while presenting the report.

He said the crop sector has suffered the most due to natural calamities, bearing 28.90% of the total loss. Among the other sectors, livestock accounts for 3.98% of the total loss, poultry 1.51%, and fisheries 3.71%. Also, decreases in land value due to erosion accounts for 52.56% of the loss.

During 2015-2020, people living in disaster-prone areas were absent from work for 21.03 days on average, the reports states. Of these, flood victims were absent for 42.68 days in work loss on average.

Meanwhile, residents of disaster-prone areas were absent from work for an average of 12.13 days during 2009-2014.

According to the report, out of the total 75,15,977 households surveyed in disaster-prone areas, 54% were at least affected once, 31% twice, and 15% three or more times during 2015-2020. 

On the other hand, during 2009-2014, 56% of the households were affected once, 27% twice, and 17% of the households three or more times.

Speaking as the chief guest at the event, Planning Minister MA Mannan said, "Bangladesh was known as a land of least developed and backward land due to natural calamities. However, with strengthening resilience, the country has turned around a lot."

He also said some families in disaster-prone areas are still being deprived of adequate electricity and proper sanitation.

To solve all the problems, he recommended formulating integrated projects and increasing coordination among all the concerned agencies.

Also speaking on the occasion, State Minister for Planning Shamsul Alam said although there are many

climate and environment-related indicators in achieving SDG, the achievement cannot be evaluated as there is no baseline information in this regard.

He said the latest survey by the Bureau of Statistics will make it easier to get such information.