Standing Orders on Disaster.

These Standing Orders, consisting of five Parts and completed by 19 Appendixes, have the objective of making the concerned persons understand their duties and responsibilities regarding disaster management at all levels. All Ministries, Divisions/Departments and Agencies shall prepare their own Action Plans in respect of their responsibilities under the Standing Orders for efficient implementation. The National Disaster Management Council (NDMC), Inter-Ministerial Disaster Management Coordination Committee (IMDMCC) and Cabinet Committee on Disaster Response (CCDR) will ensure the coordination of disaster-related activities at the National level. Coordination at District, Upazila and Union levels will be done by the respective District, Upazila and Union Disaster Management Committees. The Disaster Management Bureau will render all assistance to them by facilitating the process. Historical statistics would suggest that Bangladesh is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, with great negative consequences being associated with various natural and human-induced hazards. The geophysical location, land characteristics, multiplicity of rivers and the monsoon climate render Bangladesh highly vulnerable to natural hazards. The coastal morphology of Bangladesh influences the impact of natural hazards on the area. Especially in the south eastern region, natural hazards increase the vulnerability of the coastal dwellers and slow down the process of social and economic development. Significant country features include: A vast network of rivers and channels; An enormous discharge of water, heavily laden with sediments; A large number of islands in between the channels; A shallow northern Bay of Bengal and funneling to the coastal area of Bangladesh; Strong tidal and wind action; Effects of climate change.
The Standing Orders on Disaster in the current format was first published in 1997 in Bangla. It was modified and translated in English in 1999. Since then, many events have taken place at national, regional and global levels. Nationally, three catastrophic disaster events have taken place in Bangladesh: 1) the 2004 flood, 2) the 2007 flood and 3) Cyclone SIDR in 2007. The aftermath of the 2004 flood resulted in the organization of the National Workshop on “Options for Flood Risk Reduction in Bangladesh”. About 900 representatives from all government ministries, divisions and departments as well as representatives of NGOs, the private sector, media and development partners participated in the workshop, which dealt not only with flood risks but also overall disaster risk reduction issues in Bangladesh. The workshop produced more than 300 recommendations for implementation. In the same manner, the Disaster Management Bureau organized national lessons learned workshops after Flood 2007 and Cyclone SIDR in 2007. All of these exercises have emphasized the importance of disaster risk reduction as well as strengthening of the emergency response system in the country.