About the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management (MoFDM) [http://www.mofdm.gov.bd]
Bangladesh being
an alluvial deltaic plain is divided into three zones, namely hills, terraces
and flood plain. The country has an approximate area of 147,570 sq.km bounded
between 20°34’ to 26°38’N latitude and 88°01’ to 92°41’E longitude and has 4,685
km. long unique geographical location forming a lower part of the basins of
three mighty rivers of Padma, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna. Bangladesh with
its fragile state of economy depends predominantly on agriculture that has
strong linkage with seasonal weather systems. Due to the geographical location,
the country frequently suffers from devastating natural hazards of which,
floods, cyclones with accompanying storm surges, tornadoes, river-bank erosion,
drought and earthquakes are the most disastrous to mention. Bangladesh being in
close proximity with the Himalayas, the country has a long history of seismic
tremors. Four great earthquakes of magnitude exceeding 8 during 1897, 1905,
1934, 1950 and another 10 earthquakes exceeding magnitude belt during the last
100 years. The colossal losses of lives and properties caused by natural
disasters with repeated frequency in short intervals make Bangladesh as one of
the most disaster prone countries in the world.
Resulting loss of human and animal lives, assets and infrastructures, these
adverse natural phenomena greatly hinder the development of the country. The
traditional disaster management model focusing on disaster relief and recovery
has done little to redress these rising levels of risk. Following 1988
devastating floods and the cyclone of 1991, Bangladesh government has adopted a
holistic approach embracing the processes of hazard identification and
mitigation, community preparedness and integrated response efforts. Relief and
recovery activities are now planned within an all-risk management framework
seeking enhanced capacities of at-risk communities and thereby lowering their
vulnerability to specific hazards. In line with the paradigm shift from relief
and response to comprehensive disaster management, the Ministry of Relief and
Rehabilitation before has been changed to the Ministry of Disaster Management
and Relief and in 2003, it was again renamed as the Ministry of Food and
Disaster Management (MoFDM). A series of inter-related institutions were
developed to ensure that planning and coordination of disaster episodes were
performed in accordance with the Standing Order on Disasters (SoD). Specific
codes are developed to address cyclones, floods, drought and famine and the work
has started to develop codes for earthquakes and to address the effects of
Tsunami. These codes are brought to the forefront when articulated at
institutional levels from the Union Disaster Management Committee (lowest
community level) to the apex institution level of the National Disaster
Management Council headed by the Prime Minister. The development of Union,
Pourashava, Upazila, District, City Corporation and National Disaster Management
strategies are all broad-based and comprehensive.
As part of the paradigm shift earlier, the Disaster Management Bureau (DMB) was
created as a professional unit at national level back in 1992 under the then
Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief. DMB was assigned to perform
specialist support functions working in close collaboration with District and
Thana/Upazila leve; authorities and the concerned line ministries under the
overall authority of high level Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMDMCC). The DMB
also has the responsibility to create public awareness on the severity and risks
associated with natural and human-induced hazards and to formulate programs and
projects that will better prepare at-risk communities and public officials to
mitigate their consequences. As a technical arm to the Ministry of Food and
Disaster management, DMB overview and coordinate all activities related to
disaster management from national to the grass-root level. It is also entrusted
to maintain an effective liaison with government agencies, donors and NGOs to
ensure maximum cooperation and coordination in all aspects of disaster
management.
As a continuation of the paradigm shift process, the Comprehensive Disaster
Management Programme (CDMP) has been designed as a long-term programme of the
Ministry of Food and Disaster management with multi-agency involvement. Funded
jointly by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Department
for International Development (DFID), the programme was launched in November,
2003. Activities of CDMP have been designed to be implemented in two phases. The
first phase of CDMP is a five-year programme comprising of 5 broad components
being implemented by different Sub Implementing Agencies (SIAs). The first phase
will lay the foundation of the proposed shift as well as undertake design,
formulate and mobilize resource of the components under phase – II.