Communities: Bangladesh's path to flood resilience

Bangladesh is no stranger to floods, but the scale and intensity of these natural hazards have drastically changed due to climate change impacts. Regions once considered safe from floods are now experiencing devastating impacts, as seen in places like Noakhali, Feni, and Sherpur.

The nation has significantly improved its flood forecasting and early warning systems, yet significant gaps remain in meaningfully engaging the communities in community-led and forecast-based flood preparedness measures, including the children, women, and youth. Policy reforms are necessary to ensure that flood damage can be confined to the minimum. 

Flood early warning systems: progress and limitations

Bangladesh has made significant improvements in its flood early warning systems, especially in flood-prone areas where historical data has allowed for better forecasting and preparedness. However, these early warning systems still struggle to predict extreme rainfall events and flash floods for previously unaffected areas. 

We have seen an unexpected flood in the southeastern regions of the country. Also, communities in regions like Sherpur have been caught off guard by unexpected floods, exposing the gaps in localised, real-time forecasting systems. This limitation makes it difficult for the government to provide accurate, context-specific warnings that communities can act on effectively.

Improving the country's flood and cyclone early warning systems is crucial, especially in making disaster risk information available at the local level. 

Once communities have access to accurate information, they can act, but uncertainties often prevent timely actions. This highlights the need to further refine the system to provide localised, real-time warnings that can be easily accessed and used by communities living in vulnerable locations.

Moreover, as climate change intensifies, places that have never experienced floods before are likely to be affected in the near future. It is imperative that investments in disaster preparedness are reflected in infrastructure planning, including improving flood early warning systems. 

For instance, when constructing hospitals, roads, or schools in flood-prone areas, future flooding risks must be considered, ensuring that these critical infrastructures are better prepared to anticipate and cope with severe flooding events and provide services with minimum disruption and withstand severe floods. This level of disaster risk foresight in infrastructure planning and investment is key to safeguarding communities.

Disproportionate impact on women, children, and youth

The floods have disproportionately impacted vulnerable groups, particularly women, children, and youth. One of the key challenges is the unequal access to flood early warning information. In many households, men typically have access to mobile phones, leaving women and children less informed about imminent dangers. This disconnect makes it harder for these groups to prepare adequately for floods.

Women, in particular, face added difficulties during and after floods, as access to healthcare, sanitation, and clean drinking water becomes severely compromised. The destruction of sanitation facilities further worsens the conditions for women and girls, affecting their health and safety during floods. 

Post-flood recovery efforts tend to focus more on male-dominated sectors such as agriculture and fisheries, while women's livelihoods often remain neglected. This creates long-term setbacks for women in recovering from the economic and social effects of disasters.

Moreover, children and youth are significantly affected by the disruption of education. Schools often serve as temporary shelters during floods, leaving students without access to classrooms for extended periods. This not only interrupts their education but also has a detrimental impact on their overall development. Flood-induced malnutrition also disproportionately affects children, exacerbating the existing nutritional gaps in vulnerable regions.

The role of education in building resilience 

Education can be an essential tool in building resilience among youth. By incorporating climate awareness and disaster preparedness into school curricula, Bangladesh can better equip its younger population to deal with future disasters. 

There is potential to utilise the educational system, including madrasas, to raise awareness and train students on how to respond to emergencies. For example, this approach is already being implemented through initiatives like the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance (ZCRA) program in flood-prone regions of Bangladesh, which supports capacity building among youth and other community leaders, including women. 

Incorporating such programs into the national education system would help instil resilience in future generations, enabling them to better handle the effects of climate change-related hazards like floods. Teachers and local leaders play a crucial role in guiding students and communities in disaster preparedness. Building the knowledge and capacity of these groups is critical, as they often serve as first responders during disasters.

Policy gaps and community empowerment

While Bangladesh has made progress in improving its disaster management infrastructure, several policy gaps hinder the country's ability to empower local communities fully. The current disaster management framework is largely sectoral, with responsibilities scattered across various government departments, often leading to coordination challenges during emergency situations. 

The need for better inter-ministerial coordination is critical, as disaster preparedness cannot be the sole responsibility of one department. Effective coordination between agencies like the Department of Disaster Management (DDM), the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Planning is necessary to ensure a streamlined response to floods, including adequate financing for preparedness measures at the local level. It has to be made sure that floods are no longer the concern of any particular department, as they affect all. 

In addition to coordination, there is a pressing need for investment in resilient infrastructure. Roads, health facilities, and communication networks must be built to withstand future disasters. As floods become more frequent, these investments will ensure that essential services like healthcare remain operational during and after floods. Evacuation routes and flood shelters also need to be prioritised in the infrastructure planning of the government. 

Localised financing mechanisms are essential for empowering communities to act on disaster preparedness. For example, establishing a "Community Resilience Fund" would allow local governments and communities to access financial resources for flood risk management solutions. 

Additionally, building codes and government guidelines must be revised to account for future risks, ensuring that both public and private infrastructure development is resilient to climate change.

Youth leadership and climate justice

Bangladesh's youth have already demonstrated their capacity to contribute to climate resilience efforts, but their participation needs to be more structured and institutionalised. Youth-led initiatives can play a pivotal role in community resilience, especially when they are given the freedom and resources to take ownership of local disaster preparedness programs. 

Integrating youth into formal policy frameworks will ensure that their voices are heard in both local and global climate dialogues.

Furthermore, promoting leadership among women is vital in building stronger, more resilient communities. Women, often seen as victims during disasters, have demonstrated their leadership and role in resilience-building efforts. By investing in women's leadership, particularly at the grassroots level, the country can transform vulnerable communities into resilient, self-sufficient units. 

The role of youth and women as local leaders needs to be recognised beyond disaster periods. They should be viewed as champions of resilience, fostering leadership throughout the year.

To effectively build community resilience in Bangladesh, it is crucial to improve early warning systems, address the specific needs of women and children during disasters, and empower local communities through targeted policies. 

The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction serves as a critical platform to reflect on these pressing issues, reminding us that building a disaster-resilient future is not just the responsibility of governments but requires active participation from all sectors, especially the youth. 

As leaders from the Asia Pacific community gather for the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) in Manila (14-18 October), the voices and visions of young people must be prioritised to create a more resilient world. This is a unique opportunity for Bangladesh to showcase some of the youth-led flood preparedness initiatives and ways youth leadership in disaster risk governance could be further strengthened and promoted. 

Jyotiraj Patra is the programme director of Concern Worldwide in Bangladesh 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.