Cyclone Preparedness Programme in Bangladesh (CPP)
- Bangladesh
- South Asia
ENTRY DATE: 09.03.2012 | LAST UPDATE: 09.03.2012
SCALE:
- Community Level
TARGET AREA:
- Rural and Urban
BEST PRACTICE IN:
- Capacity Building
- Research and Development
KEY SECTOR:
- Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
FUNDING AMOUNT:
Description of Intervention
Bangladesh’s coastline is frequently affected by storm surges and cyclones causing massive destruction to life and property. This project by the Red Crescent Society was initiated to develop an early warning system using the existing structures at village level. The CPP program covers 13 districts in the coastal areas.
The working approach of CPP is as follows:
1. Meteorological data is collected from the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), which issues regular bulletins that are transmitted to the six zonal offices and the 30 upazila (sub-district) offices over high frequency (HF) radio
2. The upazila office in turn, passes it to unions (village level) through very high frequency (VHF) radios
3. The unit team spreads out in villages and issues cyclone warnings. Each unit serves one or two villages with a population of about 2,000 to 3,000
4. Ten male and two female volunteers are recruited from each unit. In each unit the 10 male volunteers are divided into five groups, with the following responsibilities:
• Warning;
• Shelter;
• Rescue;
• First aid; and
• Food and clothing
The two female volunteers work among the women, providing first aid and raising awareness. Apart from these, the volunteers are also engaged in spreading awareness and social welfare measures.
Problems to be Addressed
Warning systems for storms and cyclones
Aims
Training volunteers on community-based cyclone preparedness
Objectives
• To complement the government’s efforts in case of emergency relief situations emphasizing the development of disaster preparedness related plans and programmes; and
• To train volunteers on community-based cyclone preparedness.
How it fits into the EbA concept
The project presents an interesting study for a participatory approach for disaster preparedness and response.