Experts at a views-sharing meeting have stressed for enhancing institutional capacity to reduce disaster risks through conducting emergency search and rescue operations during and after natural disasters.The also called upon the heads of the educational institutions for disseminating knowledge on natural disasters, including earthquake preparedness, among students, teachers, school managing committee (SMC) members and guardians.They were addressing the meeting organised for the teachers by Rangpur unit of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) at its office in the city under its Disaster Preparedness for Safer School (DPSS) Project on Wednesday.The American Red Cross has been funding the project with technical assistances of the National Society for Earthquake Technology (NSET)
of Nepal under the management of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC).Country Representative of the American Red Cross in Bangladesh Alex Shachin attended the meeting as the chief guest with Rangpur unit Secretary of BDRCS Shah Mohammad Nabi Ullah Panna in the chair.
Director of the Disaster Risk Management division of BDRCS from its National Headquarters Ekram Elahi, Earthquake Specialist of NSET from Nepal Engineer Nirakar Joshi and Senior Manager of IFRC Maliha Ferdous attended as the special guests.Heads of the enlisted 25 secondary level schools of Rangpur City Corporation area under the ongoing DPSS Project or the teachers of these institutions, who are in-charge of BDRCS activities in these
schools, participated in the meeting.The experts of American Red Cross, IFRC and NSET inspected an artificial disaster risk management drill at Darshona BM School & College and exchanged views with teachers and members of the School Safety Club at Mahiganj Girls’ School and College in the city.While addressing the occasions, the experts called upon the teachers, students, members of the SMCs and local communities to ensure adequate
early preparedness in reducing losses of lives and properties during natural disasters including earthquakes.Citing global statistics of damages, severity and intensity of major earthquakes during past 100 years, they said most of those occurred during day times causing maximum casualties in educational institutions for lack of proper knowledge and preparedness.They stressed for involving more students with BDRCS activities and providing necessary training so that they could assist suffering humanity during natural disasters those may take place anytime amid faster climatic degradation.
They suggested for strengthening disaster preparedness activities through training and demonstrating artificial earthquake preparedness drills, rescue and relief operations in educational intuitions also for self-safety during and post earthquake times. -BSS, Rangpur
