Ten coastal NGOs from Satkhira to Cox's Bazar organized an online press conference titled "Cyclone Amphan and emergency construction of embankment to protect next crop and fish resources in coastal area" with the facilitation of COAST, a coastal NGO in Bangladesh.
Dr Ainun Nishat of BRAC University, Nayeem Gauhar Wahra of Disaster Forum, Ziaul Huque Mukta and Prodip K Roy of CSRL and Rafiqul Alam of Dwip Unnayan Sangsta (Hatiya) spoke at the press conference moderated by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of COAST Trust, said a press release on Saturday.
Ashek E Elahi of Progoti (Sathkira), Sheikh Asad of Udayan Bangladesh (Bagerhat), Ziaul Ahsan of PGUS (Pirojpur), Ziauddin Himu of CRUPDA (Barguna), Masum Chowdhury of Sangram (Barguna), SK Liton of Kutubdia Press Club also attended the press conference.
Syed Aminul Huque of COAST delivered the keynote presentation that depicted total damage of cyclone Amphan in the coastal area. He said Satkhira and Khulna are the worst impacted districts.
As cited in the presentation, 2 lakh hectare land, shrimp culture of Tk 340 crore, livestock of Tk 140 crore, and 150 km embankment were damaged by the storm.
Aminul Huque placed three immediate demands including Tk 400 crore to repair embankment to protect next crop in this monsoon, local government should be assigned to do this emergency construction while Water Development Board (WDB) could give technical assistance, and permanent maintenance responsibility of the embankment should be given to the local government.
Ashek Elhai from Sathkira narrated the story of how mass mobilization with the initiatives from local government tried to protect the embankment during cyclone Amphan in his area.
Sheikh Asad from Bagerhat said how salty water in Bagerhat hampered livelihood due to drainage problem, and how WDB and local administration repeatedly failed to construct embankment on time as because of their contractor and sub-contractor system.
Rafiqul Alam from Haitya who have long cyclone management experience since 1970, said the cyclone signal system is still from colonial period which is tailored to protect ports, instead of protecting people.
Zaiul Huque Mukta from CSRL said that even intervention from Prime Minister aftermath of cyclone Aila WDB have failed to construct embankment on time due to their management complexities. He also narrated spontaneous mass mobilization whole over coastal area who are trying best in repairing and constructing embankment in short term basis.
Nayeem Gauhar Wahra of Disaster Forum place the example from Charfassion Bhola, that how people and NGO participation of maintaining the embankment.
He proposed household based shelter system instead of making cyclone shelters and said 35 household based shelter could be constructed at the cost of one cyclone shelter. Example of this household are available in Kolapara.
Dr Ainun Nishat proposed that metrological department should be shifted to science and technology or to disaster ministry instead of defense. He termed present government approach is mostly “relief approach” in respect of cyclone management which should be in “disaster risk reduction approach”.
Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of COAST concluded that, government institution like WDB have to reform and ownership of embankment should be given to the people.
He also said, we should not expect foreign fund like previous, we should mobilize our own resources for disaster management.
GY
