Empowering Bangladeshi youth: catalysts for effective disaster management

The hackathon is to generate interest and create opportunities for talented and technology-oriented youth in the country to contribute to proactive disaster management. Henceforth, the youth of Bangladesh will play a significant role in disaster management.

Under the auspices of FOREWARN Bangladesh at Start Network, and Open Mapping Hub-Asia Pacific, the first-ever disaster-themed hackathon in Bangladesh was conducted over a span of three months. The competition concluded with an event held at a hotel in Dhaka on Thursday (October 5), where eight best teams were announced and awards were distributed, said a press release.

The "Forwarn Disaster Hackathon 1.0" has been organised with students from various universities in Bangladesh actively participating.

Christina Bennett, the CEO of Start Network, presided over the event, with Dr. Hafiza Khatun, Professor at the Department of Pabna University of Science and Technology, and Nama Budhathoki, Regional Director of Open Mapping Hub-Asia Pacific, inaugurating the awards ceremony.

Teams from 32 institutions, including Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, BUET, IUT, Rajshahi University, Pabna University of Science and Technology, participated in the competition. In this competition, students showcased how technology and innovative solutions could be employed in disaster management in Bangladesh.

The competition awarded best eight teams out of 37 among which Islamic University of Technology students secured the 1st prize for Supply Chain Management using blockchain technology, while Pabna University of Science and Technology students won the first runners-up position through disseminating necessary information about disasters using a Messenger chatbot. The team from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) secured the third position with their Flash Flood Early Warning System.

Speaking at the event, Christina Bennett, CEO of Start Network, expressed her appreciation, stating that it is a commendable initiative which could accelerate innovation at scale creating the space of greater collaboration in the humanitarian sector. Through this, FOREWARN Bangladesh and OpenStreetMap's HOT-Asia Pacific aim to foster innovation and instil the concept of system change of Disaster Management among the youth of Bangladesh actively engaged in disaster management. Vice chancellor of Pabna University of Science and technology, Professor Hafiza Khatun anticipates through this kind of innovative competition Bangladeshi youth will play a crucial role alongside the government and humanitarian community.

The top 8 teams will be mentored by FOREWARN Experts till December 2023 so that the tools can be ready to pilot in 2024.