Speakers at a meeting stressed for creating community-based awareness with efficient emergency response management systems to reduce loss of lives and property during earthquake and other natural disasters.
World Vision Bangladesh (WVB) under Fulbari Area Development Programme (ADP) organised the meeting on Monday at its Madila Sub-centre under Betdighee union of Fulbari upazila in Dinajpur on ‘Disaster management at community levels’ amid changing climate.
Thirty male and female members of Community Based Organisations (CBO) of Betdighee Mohona Mohila Samobai Samity, Madila Nabin Sangha, Hargobindapur Jubo Sangha, Gangarampur Wrindan & Sanchoy Samobai Samity Limited participated.
With President of Betdighee Disaster Management Committee Shujan Hossain in the chair, former Rajshahi Divisional Disaster Affairs Coordinator of WVB Shushil Chandra Mandal was the chief guest at the day-long meeting. Programme Officer of Fulbari ADP of the NGO Badal Sangma, President of Betdighee Mohona Mohila Samobai Samity Ferdous Zannat, General Secretary of Madila Nabin Sangha Raihan Ali, President of Hargobindapur Jubo Sangha Rawshan Zamil and school teacher Hased Ali Master were special guests. The speakers narrated various types of natural disasters including earthquake, statistics with loses of human lives and property and suggested way-outs for reducing disaster risks in the disaster-prone rural areas amid adverse impacts of climate change.
They stressed for coordinated efforts of the GO-NGOs, public representatives and community leaders in creating awareness and disseminating necessary knowledge among the common people to reduce losses during earthquake and other natural disasters.
They said there is no alternative to creating awareness, early preparedness and ensuring efficient emergency response management systems through effective dissemination of information to minimise damages during natural disasters. The chief guest asked the participants for ensuring efficient emergency response management systems by adopting precautionary measures and effective dissemination of information with early preparedness to minimise damages during natural disasters.
He also suggested for innovating need-based local mechanisms at the community levels in rural areas with early preparedness to minimise damages during earthquake amid increasing threat of natural disasters.
