Speakers at a meeting have stressed for innovation and adoption of community-based techniques and early preparedness with efficient emergency response management systems to reduce risk of natural disasters.World Vision Bangladesh (WVB) under Fulbari Area Development Programme (ADP) organised the meeting on ‘Disaster management at community levels’ at its Madila Sub-centre under Betdighee union of Fulbari upazila in Dinajpur on Wednesday. Thirty members from four Community Based Organisations (CBO) of Betdighee Mohona Mohila Samobai Samity, Madila Nabin Sangha, Hargobindapur Jubo Sangha, Gangarampur Wrindan & Sanchoy Samobai Samity Limited participated in the meeting.With Programme Officer of Fulbari ADP of the NGO Badal Sangma in the chair, its Agriculture Officer Arbindo Roy addressed concluding ceremony of the day-long meeting as the chief guest.President of Betdighee Mohona Mohila Samobai Samity Ferdous Zannat, General Secretary of Madila Nabin Sangha Raihan Ali, President of Hargobindapur Jubo Sangha Rawshan Zamil and President of Gangarampur Wrindan and Sanchoy Samobai Samity Limited Yakub Ali Master addressed, among others.The speakers narrated various types of natural disasters, statistics with loses of human lives and properties and suggested way-outs for reducing disaster risks everywhere, including the disaster-prone rural areas, amid climate change impacts.They stressed for coordinated efforts of government and non-government organisations, public representatives and community leaders in creating awareness and disseminating necessary knowledge among the common people to reduce risks of natural disasters.There is no alternative to adopting comprehensive steps to cope with climate change impacts those mostly affect children, women and livelihoods of the poor, socioeconomic development, agriculture, environment, ecology and bio-diversity, they said.They expressed concern over the degrading climate being caused by global warming due to emission of the Green House Gases, melting huge ice, sea level rise and asked the responsible richer nations for taking effective step rights now to save the planet.The chief guest asked the participants for ensuring efficient emergency response management systems by adopting precautionary measures and effective dissemination of information with early preparedness to minimise damages during natural disasters.
He also suggested for innovating need-based local mechanisms at community levels to cope with adverse impacts of climate change on agriculture, eco-systems, environment, bio-diversity and other sectors amid increasing threat of natural disasters. -BSS, Rangpur
