Since Bangladesh is a low-lying and densely populated area, it remains one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries.
The yearly onset of cyclones (the worst of which killed more than a 100,000 people in 1991), which continue to be exacerbated by the detrimental effects of climate change, require us to remain vigilant and prepared in the upcoming years.
To this end, all of Bangladesh’s 329 municipalities have joined the UN’s Making Cities Resilient Campaign -- a commendable and timely step.
The campaign ensures that every single city in the country strives to be disaster resilient, working on improving infrastructure and taking steps towards disaster reduction.
For Bangladesh, this has never been more important. Landslides and mudslides due to incessant rainfall continue to put the lives of people at risk, and flooding has forced countless others to move out of their homes.
And with this year heralding the first time Asia will see more than half its population being deemed urban for the first time, it is also important to realize flooding does not affect the rural population alone.
Due to poorly managed streets and unsophisticated drainage systems, rainfall wreaks havoc on city life, causing entire neighbourhoods to submerge and inconveniencing citizens to no end.
Bangladesh’s wholehearted response in joining the Making Cities Resilient Campaign will ensure that, in the future, we are much better prepared to fight the woes disasters bring.
But we must also remember that preparedness is only one aspect of disaster management -- preventative measures which take into account the increasing sizes of the population and which tackle the detrimental effects of climate must work in sync with infrastructural development if we are to see any long-term solutions.
