Bangladesh better prepared than neighbours to combat disasters: Joy

Prime Minister's ICT Adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy has said Bangladesh is better prepared than its 'far wealthier' neighbors to withstand the ravages of man and nature as it has one of the world's most comprehensive programmes to deal with climate change and natural disasters.

"Indeed, Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable nations in the world to the combined effects of climate change and natural disasters. But it also now has one of the world's most comprehensive programs to deal with them," he wrote in an article published in The Diplomat on July 24.

The Diplomat is an online international news magazine covering politics, society, and culture in the Asia-Pacific region. It is based in Tokyo, Japan.

Joy, also the prime minister's son, added: "Bangladesh is better prepared than its far wealthier neighbors to withstand the ravages of man and nature thanks to focus and determination."

He wrote Bangladesh has gone to great lengths to protect its people and their property from natural disasters as the country has made real strides in reducing its exposure to catastrophes.

Referring to cyclone "Mora" that made landfall in Bangladesh on May 30 this year, the PM's ICT adviser said strong winds and a violent storm surge tore through farmlands and battered buildings. 

He said the media was quick to highlight the devastation. But what was even more notable was the fact that a few lives were lost, only nine by one count. More than half a million people were evacuated and vital infrastructure withstood the storm's wrath.

Bangladesh has gone to great lengths to protect its people and their property. And the effort has largely succeeded against great odds, Joy said.

Because of geographic factors, he said, Bangladesh is especially vulnerable to natural disasters. The nation is located at the head of the warm-water Bay of Bengal, which serves as a kind of funnel for cyclones in the region. Bangladesh is the bull's-eye for deadly storms every year.

Source: bss