Speakers on Wednesday demanded to construct cyclone Resilient Housing as it is more appropriate than Cyclone Shelters.
They raised the demand at a press conference organized by Coast, at the National Press Club in the city on Wednesday.
Moderated by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of COAST, the press conference was also addressed, among others, by Nayeem Gowhar Wahra of Disaster Forum, AHM Bazlur Rahman of BNNRC, Badrul Alam of Krishok Federation and Syed Aminul Huq of COAST.
Barkat Ullah Maruf of COAST read out the position paper and Mostafa Kamal Akhanda has given welcome speech in the occasion. In his speech, Nayeem Gowhar Wahra said that, the government is planning to construct seven thousand new cyclone shelters where such shelters has maintenance and management problems to ensure basic human facilitates having only 2 sq. feet area per person. This is very difficult for a person to stay there for 48 hours. So, there should be cyclone resilient housing instead of such cyclone shelters, he added.
At least 35 cyclone resilient two storied model house could be constructed with the cost of one cyclone shelter. In this case, the community people will take care of the house as well as their neighbors in need, he said.
Syed Aminul Haque of COAST said that the government should take initiative to have formal studies and documentation to ascertain long term impact of such cyclones as an evidence of loss and damages negotiations, which could be placed as evidences in different global climate change forums including in UNFCCC climate conferences.
Badrul Alam said that, in respect of supporting to the farmers, priority should be given to the share croppers not to the absent land owners.
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, the moderator of press conference, said that government must prioritize to the climate related infrastructure along with growth related infrastructure as mentioned in Delta plan 2100. Government should not wait for foreign help in this regard, coastal people have to be protected first priority wise with local resources, he added.
Barkat Ullah Maruf placed ten points demand in his position paper, where major demands are included need to reform the weather forecasting, which is port based now and confusing for mass people and it should be specific and human habitation based, there should registration of the sea-going fishermen run by local government authorities during the cyclone period to track the missing ones, donors, UN agencies and INGOs should prioritize project to the local NGOs and local governments with long term vision to develop their sustainable capacities for disaster, and embankment in remote islands should be constructed on priority basis at least before cyclone period i.e., by March in each year.
