During a “learning sharing workshop” held in the capital on Sunday, experts underscored the importance of early forecasting and enhancing the skills of local communities to effectively manage floods.
The workshop, focusing on “Community Oriented Localized Early Warning System in Flood,” addressed the challenges faced by communities residing in the Teesta, Brahmaputra, and Jamuna basins due to monsoon floods.
Speakers at the workshop highlighted the significant damage inflicted on these river basin communities during floods, leading to a perpetual cycle of deprivation from developmental opportunities.
They stressed the need to empower local communities to manage floods effectively, thereby addressing both national and regional challenges.
Zohirul Islam, the additional director general of Bangladesh Water Development Board, graced the workshop as the chief guest, while Manish Kumar Agrawal, country director of Concern Worldwide, attended as the special guest.
Samia Jahan Chowdhury, the project coordinator of Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES), shed light on initiatives aimed at empowering local communities along the Teesta river bank to tackle floods.
The project, launched on May 1, 2022, covered six unions in Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat district and Kapasia union of Sundarganj upazila in Gaibandha district.
It involved gathering information from the upstream of Teesta Barrage and disseminating it after validation by the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC).
Additionally, the project focused on providing flood management training to the community in the project area.
Implemented by Concern Worldwide in collaboration with FFWC and RIMES, the project named “Community Oriented Localized Early Warning System” was part of the Zurich Flood Resilience Program (ZFRP), supported by Z Zurich Foundation through Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance (ZFRA).
Locally, it was executed by Assistance for Social Organization and Development (ASOD) and Gana Unnayan Kendra (GUK).
The workshop witnessed the participation of Raihanul Haque Khan, Bangladesh country program lead of RIMES, Jiban Kumar Sarker, additional chief engineer of Bangladesh Water Development Board, Dr Sajjad Hossain, and other distinguished guests, emphasizing collaborative efforts to enhance flood resilience at the community level.
