The purpose of this program is to reduce the impact of disasters in at least 25 coastal communities across at least three hazard-prone districts in southwest Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal through further enhancing and connecting capacities in preparedness, early warning and early action, response components of the disaster management cycle of community, local, sub-district, district and national levels, and by strengthening the organizational and response systems of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS).
The project has three major focus areas. First, it aims to modernize the Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP), a national and early warning system run jointly by the Government of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Red Crescent Society that is credited with saving many lives but now relies on old technology and equipment.
Secondly, the project will help build the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society’s capacity at the branch and national levels by providing tools, knowledge, and systems to facilitate more decentralized, efficient responses while increasing financial self-sufficiency.
Finally, the project also aims to enhance community disaster preparedness by sustaining and expanding initiatives focused on organizing, connecting, and building the capacity of community members, raising awareness, and implementing school-based disaster risk reduction activities and Forecast based Financing.
American Red Cross believes that greater investments in national society and community capacities in Bangladesh, as well as existing network systems and infrastructure, will contribute to sustainability in preparing for and responding to disasters for years to come.
Project Overview:
Enhancing Institutional and Community Preparedness and Readiness in Coastal Bangladesh
Based on the coastal risk assessments, BDRCS Strategic Plan for 2017-2020 and specific requests made by BDRCS to support coastal disaster preparedness and readiness, American Red Cross developed the Project for Enhancing Institutional and Community Preparedness and Readiness in Coastal Bangladesh. Project development was done from June 2016 to April 2017.
This project utilizes a top-down and bottom-up approach in improving disaster preparedness and response; while community-level activities are vital in increasing disaster readiness, they can only be effective if there are essential disaster preparedness mechanisms and infrastructure in place.
Project Goal
The impact of disasters on coastal communities is reduced through sustained preparedness and response capacities of community, local, and national actors.
Objective 1:
CPP units have increased capacities to support community preparedness and response. ls and communities build their knowledge of disasters and vulnerabilities; self-organize and take individual and collective actions to establish a culture of preparedness and reinforce their networks and connectedness.
Outcome 1.1: Communities have relevant skills, knowledge, systems, and resources to reduce disaster, climatic, socioeconomic, and health risks and are able to prepare, respond, and recover from multidimensional crises in complex contexts.
Outcome 1.2: Local actors have relevant skills, knowledge, and systems to support community readiness and managing complex emergencies through collective approach.
Outcome 1.3: CPP units have increased capacities to support community preparedness and response.
Objective 2:
BDRCS has mechanisms (local and national) in place to provide accountable, efficient, effective and timely assistance to affected and at-risk populations.
Outcome 2.1: BDRCS is credible and accountable to stakeholders and humanitarian standards.
Outcome 2.2: CPP has increased capacity through sustained cooperation from BDRCS and in collaboration with MoDMR
Outcome 2.3: BDRCS develops/strengthens external strategic partnerships, with support of IFRC, to increase their capacities to deal with complex multi-dimensional threats, including climate change risks.
Project Implementing Stakeholders:
- Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP)
- Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR)
- Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD)
- American Red Cross (AmRC)
- International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
Overview of Target Area
1st Phase
- Duration- July 2017 to Dec 2019
- No of District- 02 (Bagerhat & Patuakhali)
- No of Sub Districts-02; (Sharankhola & Kalapara)
- No of Unions-03 (Southkhali, Lalua & Dhankhali)
- No of Communities-08
2nd Phase
- Duration- Jan 2020 to Dec 2021
- No of District- 03 (Bagerhat, Patuakhali and Khulna District)
- No of Sub Districts-03 (Sharankhola, Kalapara, Piakgasa)
- No of Unions-08 (Southkhali, Rayenda, Khontakata- Lalua, Dhankhali, Latachapli & Mohipur, Deluti)
- No of Communities-25
3rd Phase
- Duration- Jan 2022 to Dec 2024
- No of District- 03 (Bagerhat, Patuakhali and Khulna District)
- No of Sub Districts-03 (Sharankhola, Kalapara, Piakgasa)
- No of Unions-08 (Southkhali, Rayenda, Khontakata, Panchakaran, Lalua, Dhankhali, Latachapli Mohipur, Deluti and Lata)
- No of Communities-25
Project Objectives and Activities
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Key achievements in 1st Phase |
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Institutional Response Readiness |
Community Disaster Preparedness |
Capacity Building for Effective Service Delivery |
| Ø Conducted BOCA exercise.
Ø Conducted CEA-CRM training for staff/volunteers. Ø Trained 50 religious’ leader on DRR Ø 164 CPP volunteers awarded during IDDR 18 &19 in collaboration with MoDMR Ø 28 Union Disaster Management Committee (UDMC) Meeting Ø 12 UzDMC Meeting Ø CPP radio network upgradation |
Ø Courtyard Session (reached 8,321)
Ø Small Scale Disaster Risk Mitigation at School level (18 Projects) Ø Vulnerability Capacity Assessment (VCA) Exercise (08 communities) Ø 12 Cyclone Simulation /Mock Drills-25K+ people observed. Ø Formed and Trained 128 CDMC members. Ø Formed and Trained 200 CDRT members.
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Ø Trained 1,300+ CPP Volunteers including Leadership training.
Ø Trained 50 UDRT Ø Trained 75 Staff for Cash Level 2 training. Ø Organizing Students summit on DRR and CC (450+ Students/volunteers/teachers) Ø School Session (5500+ students) Ø Trained 40 School Teacher Ø Trained 23 CPP staff and Volunteers (ToT course) Ø Conducted Life members’ RCRC orientation. Ø Trained 600 School RCY members on DM & FA Ø Organizing technical training for 157 Radio Operators |
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Key achievements in 2nd Phase |
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Institutional Response Readiness |
Community Disaster Preparedness |
Capacity Building for Effective Service Delivery |
| Ø CPP enhancement- Vol Recruitment, Training, Equipment, Radio Communication Network Upgradation Localized capacities, and resources (14 Districts)
Ø Response capacity enhanced (Cash Readiness, FbA, IM, CEA, Mobile Water Treatment Plant) Ø Local govt. disaster management committee strengthening-DMC Ø Strengthened partnerships- CDD, ICAD, Uttaran. Ø Supported MoDMR to Develop Strategy on Lightning
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Ø Enhanced VCA & Community Action Plans-17
Ø Improved Early Warning System- Ø HH reached through DRR and HH Disaster Preparedness Plans- 3545 Ø Livelihood for Preparedness- CfT 1,565 HH & CfW-233 HHs Ø Community-based Disaster Management Committees-25 Ø Small Scale Disaster Risk Mitigation Project- 20 Ø Linkages to local govt. and partners Ø Construction of 05 CDMC meeting centres
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Ø Preparedness for Effective Response
Ø NS Strategic Plan Ø Support to BDRCS Enhance Information Management Ø Support to enhancing Community Engagement and Accountability (CEA) mechanism. Ø Enhanced Partnership with GO and relevant Stakeholders- MoDMR, DDM, Health Dept. Ø Strengthened branch leadership-03 Units. Ø Branch resource enhancement- 02 Units Ø Partnership strengthening- CDD, Uttaran, JJS Ø Unit Disaster Response capacity strengthening-100 Ø Unit-level Forecast based Action-14 Units Ø Support to organize Basic Disaster Response Training for 210 RCYs Ø Support to conduct CPP Volunteers Training-2,000 |
