Coastal afforestation and construction of polders are required to protect the residents of the 18 coastal districts from cyclones and other natural disasters, said speakers at a workshop yesterday. The experts also emphasised the need to construct more cyclone shelters and develop early warning systems. They also expressed their concern over the increase in the global temperature due to carbon emissions, warning that if the current trend continues, it could reach 450ppm by 2030 from the present 400ppm.
The disaster management and relief ministry organised the workshop on ‘Preparedness and Risk Reduction from Cyclone’ at a city hotel. The disaster management and relief minister, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, lawmaker BM Mozammel Huq, the ministry’s secretary, Md Shah Kamal, the Institute of Water and Flood Management’s executive director Monowar Hossain, the director of Dhaka University’s Institute of Disaster Management and Vulnerability Studies, Mahbuba Nasrin, and the director of the Meteorological Office, Shamsuddin Ahmed, also spoke at the workshop.
Prof. Shadat Hossain of Chittagong University presented a keynote paper at the workshop on cyclone preparedness and risk reduction interventions.
According to the paper, “Carbon emissions in the atmosphere have increased from 275ppm in 1750 to 400ppm in 2013. These may reach 550ppm by 2030 if the current trend continues. The carbon concentration of 550ppm may be irreversible. It is a threshold for several life processes.”
In his presentation, he suggested development of the coastal green belt, coastal land reclamation, resilient housing and development of the blue economy.
“A total of 49,365 trained volunteers, including 16,455 women, is present in 3,291 units in 12 coastal districts under the cyclone preparedness programme (CPP),” Chowdhury said.
The government has taken initiatives to construct more cyclone shelters after assessing the destruction by Cyclone Sidr in 2007, the minister said, adding, “The committee formed to assess the loses caused by Sidr has recommended construction of 2,097 more cyclone shelters. The Planning Commission has directed the disaster management ministry to construct 1,072 of these cyclone shelters. We have already constructed 100 shelters. The remainder will be completed in the second phase by 2019.”
Regarding floods, the minister said they have adequate foodstuffs in stock. “People have been affected by floods in nine districts. The ministry has already allocated food and cash in advance to the deputy commissioner (DC) of every flood-affected district. The ministry has allocated 2,300 tonnes of rice and Tk. 45 lakh to the flood-affected districts,” Maya said.