German Red Cross: Disaster risk reduction in seven particularly vulnerable communities on the coast of Hatiya island, Noakhali district, Bangladesh

Source(s): German Red Cross

Thanks to a contribution made by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, the German Red Cross in close cooperation with the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society has successfully implemented a DRR project in seven communities between July 2010 and December 2011.

The islands of Hatiya and Nizum Dwip are located in the Bay of Bengal, in Noakhali district in southern Bangladesh. The area is known as a high risk zone, threatened by different hazards, especially cyclones and floods.

By establishing various community-based groups of volunteers and training them for disaster risk reduction, the project significantly increased the population's awareness of local risks and appropriate protective action. Specific trainings were supplemented with basic equipment for early warning purposes, search and rescue activities, and for first aid to casualties. Cyclone shelters were renovated to provide a physical basis to prepare for emergencies. By having the volunteers coordinate with each other and with various civil defence actors on the basis of contingency plans worked out for this purpose, the project communities were empowered to help themselves and could already prove their ability to do so during several floods which occurred during the project period.

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Hazards Cyclone Flood
Country and region Bangladesh
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