In a discussion in Dhaka on Sunday, speakers highlighted various problems faced by disaster-prone regions and explored different solutions, such as preparing disaster-resilient shelters at the regional level.
One of the discussants, Shahida, a woman from coastal district Patuakhali, said that in the char area, the most common issue people face during the floods every year is the lack of safe drinking water.
“There have been many days when we had to drink rainwater we managed to collect. Water is all around, but not a drop to drink,” said Shahida.
The discussion was held as part of a national level consultation workshop on Local Adaptation Plan of Action (LAPA) Development. The initiative is a collaboration between the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Center for Natural Resource Studies (CNRS), Uttaran, and Jago Nari NGOs.
The objective of the project is to enhance the skills of communities in disaster-prone areas at the district level. This is a part of Bangladesh Government’s National Adaptation Plan under the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
The one-day workshop was attended by MoEFCC deputy secretary Mosammat Mohsina Akhter Banu, IRC country director Hasina Rahman, and CNRS chairman Dr Akhtar Hossain, along with others working regularly on climate change issues in Bangladesh.
The discussion highlighted various problems faced by disaster-prone regions and explored different solutions, such as preparing disaster-resilient shelters at the regional level, considering the needs of marginalized groups including women and children in decision-making processes, promoting climate-friendly agriculture, and enhancing the skills of local residents to combat disasters.
The workshop also involved detailed discussions on how to implement these measures at the district level, with the aim of recommending them as part of the government’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP).
Representatives from the districts of Patuakhali and Satkhira were also present.
The Chairman of Lalua Union Parishad in Kalapara, Patuakhali, identified water salinity as a major issue affecting agricultural land in his area. He also emphasized the need for more widespread disaster forecasting.
