Marking a step forward in the enhancement of disaster management in Bangladesh, CARE Bangladesh, in partnership with NIRAPAD, facilitated a workshop titled ‘Roadmap for the Effective Implementation of Standing Orders on Disaster (SOD) 2019’ at a hotel in Dhaka on Tuesday.

Under the USAID-funded ‘SHOUHARDO-III DRR Activity’, this workshop was aimed at disseminating the results of an extensive study which intended to bolstering local disaster management capabilities through a detailed assessment and enhancement of the Disaster Management Committees' capabilities across grassroots levels.

Md. Mijanur Rahman, director general of the department of disaster management (DDM), presided over the event while Md. Kamrul Hasan, secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR), was present as the chief guest.

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The study's findings were presented and discussed throughout the course of the workshop, to refine the collective understanding and development of actionable strategies for disaster management.

Md. Kamrul Hasan said, ‘'SOD is a living document that facilitates spontaneous disaster response by the different layers of administration.”

He emphasised the importance of widespread awareness about SOD at all levels using the existing government channels including National Institute of Local Government (NILG). He also announced that the next revised version of SOD would cover the aspects of anthropogenic disasters.

Md. Mijanur Rahman commended the effectiveness of the SOD during recent cyclones, especially in lowering the death toll. Looking forward, he discussed the importance of periodic revision of SOD and plans to include CPP volunteers in future updates to strengthen the procedure.

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In his address, Mustapha El Hamzaoui, Director, Humanitarian Assistance Office, USAID, acknowledged the advancement of Bangladesh in Disaster Management. He opined that the Area-Based Collaboration framework would be an important approach for the localization of disaster management. Any plan for SOD implementation involving the community and local organization would also support achieving USAID’s localisation goal.

The event demonstrated the commitment to empower local disaster management actors, and the collaborative approach presented by CARE Bangladesh and NIRAPAD, with the support of USAID, reflects a dedicated stride towards sustainable development and disaster resilience.