Experts highlight disaster risk financing, anticipatory action at national symposium
Humanitarian leaders from across Bangladesh gathered in Dhaka for a national symposium titled "Ahead of The Storm: Research & Insights on Disaster Risk Financing & Anticipatory Action", hosted by Start Network.
The event, held today (26 February), focused on improving disaster preparedness, rapid response, and innovative emergency funding mechanisms, reads a press release.
The symposium gathered key stakeholders, including donors, UN agencies, researchers, and representatives from LNGOs and INGOs.
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Chief guest Ahmadul Haque, additional secretary and director of the Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP), emphasised the importance of strong preparedness, stating, "While there were limitations in our early warning systems, our ability to effectively manage the cyclone proves one thing: strong preparedness and rapid response save lives."
The symposium featured the launch of Start Bangladesh's research on anticipatory action before Cyclone Remal. Findings revealed that embankment repairs, supported by a $902 million investment, helped protect assets and livelihoods worth up to $5.86 million.
Addressing funding challenges, Mark Lindberg, program director of Disaster Relief & Recovery at Margaret A Cargill Philanthropies, highlighted the need to build trust between donors and implementing agencies for better coordination in disaster response.
Discussions also introduced One District, One List—a household database covering 129,117 vulnerable families across 13 districts—to streamline humanitarian response and reduce duplication.
The panel discussion featured experts from UNRCO, Caritas, and other organizations, reinforcing the need for collaborative and data-driven disaster response mechanisms.
