[🇧🇩] Smart Flood Management for Bangladesh

[Saif]

Flood-hit people need urgent support

Authorities must learn from past failures to improve response.

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Flood-hit people need urgent support
Authorities must learn from past failures to improve response

While people in many districts are still reeling from the fallout of the August floods—deemed by some as the worst in the country since 1988—reports say that recent occurrences of heavy rainfall and onrush of water from upstream have yet again inundated vast tracts of areas in northern districts, marooning over 60,000 people in Lalmonirhat and Kurigram as of Sunday night. Many low-lying areas in Rangpur and Nilphamari have also been flooded. As a result, many of the affected have had to leave their homes, taking shelter on roads and embankments. Moreover, thousands of hectares of croplands, including Aman and vegetable fields, have been submerged. The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre has said the situation may improve by Tuesday, but if water does not begin to recede as expected, it may damage early-winter crops. This needs immediate action from the authorities.

The question is, how prepared is the government to deal with such frequent floods and the devastations caused by them? Its response to the August flood has been often slow and ineffective, with the rehabilitation programmes for victims yet to begin. The priority now is to provide those stranded in the four northern districts with shelter, food and drinking water, and necessary medicine. They will also require help to protect their livestock and poultry as their livelihoods depend on them. Once floodwaters recede, there will be the gargantuan challenge of rehabilitation, reconstructing their homes and repairing damaged infrastructure, including roads and embankments, etc. The affected, especially those in worst-hit areas, will also need financial support to rebuild.

The government's proactive role in these endeavours is crucial. The NGOs and wider society should also come forward to support these endeavours. During the devastating flood of August, we saw how people from all walks of life came forward to support the victims. However, coordination became a big issue in conducting relief operations in remote areas with the local administrations struggling to do their part. Therefore, the government must take lessons from these shortcomings and prepare to efficiently support the victims this time. It also must build a robust flood management and rehabilitation system for dealing with such natural disasters in the future.​

 

[Saif]

Latest flood is yet another wake-up call

Can we be better prepared next time?

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Latest flood is yet another wake-up call
Can we be better prepared next time?

VISUAL: STAR

The flood situation in Sherpur, Netrokona and parts of Mymensingh is worsening, with gushing water submerging roads and entering establishments so fast that people have little to no time to escape. At least three deaths have already been reported. Images of people's desperation in trying to save themselves from the ferocity of the water highlight the immediate need to evacuate people faster. Flash floods, as their name indicates, happen suddenly, but continuous heavy rainfall can also predict them. We have been well aware that heavy rainfall was expected throughout the week in most parts of the country and the Meghalaya mountains. Could the government have been better prepared?

So far, the floods have hit three upazilas, affecting more than 163 villages. Water from melting ice in the mountains in Meghalaya keeps entering the lowlands, leaving thousands of people stranded. The army, along with volunteers and the fire service, is evacuating people. They have opened schools as shelters and arranged life-saving equipment such as speedboats and life jackets. However, thousands of people are still waiting to be rescued.

More rain will mean rising water levels, causing further suffering. Already, the floods have destroyed crops, livestock, poultry, and homes. It is, of course, after the floods that the devastation will be clearer and when people will need the most help. The interim government should take lessons from the last few floods, which have been particularly severe. In Feni, particularly, reaching relief to people stranded in remote areas proved to be extremely challenging, leaving them with little food and other necessities.

This year, Bangladesh has witnessed debilitating floods throughout the monsoon season, affecting numerous districts. Unusually heavy rainfall and filled up canals and other water bodies resulted in the water rising faster, making it more difficult for people to evacuate or save their livestock or crops. The situation in Sherpur is no different.

In addition to the immediate steps needed to evacuate people and provide relief, the government must focus on treating post-flood diseases and rebuilding people's lives and homes. The financial losses incurred by individuals are immense, and the government must provide financial and logistical support. Climate change guarantees that floods will be more frequent and more severe in the near future. The efficiency of disaster management must be improved, with proper involvement from civil administration to work alongside NGOs and charitable groups. We must free up water bodies and work together to help flood victims rebuild their lives.​

 

[Saif]

Flood situation improves in parts of Sherpur; death toll rises to eight

Three more bodies have been retrieved from several areas of flood-hit Sherpur district, raising the death toll from the natural disaster to eight. The deceased were identified as Muktar Hossain, 50, of Kurekanda village under Urpa union, Abdur Razzak, 60, of Gazaria Kingkarpur village under Ganpad

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

Flood situation improves in parts of Sherpur; death toll rises to eight
UNB
Published :
Oct 07, 2024 11:25
Updated :
Oct 07, 2024 11:25

Three more bodies have been retrieved from several areas of flood-hit Sherpur district, raising the death toll from the natural disaster to eight.

The deceased were identified as Muktar Hossain, 50, of Kurekanda village under Urpa union, Abdur Razzak, 60, of Gazaria Kingkarpur village under Ganpaddi union and Ujjal Mia, 35, of Jalalpur village, all hailing from Nakla upazila of the district.

Though the flood situation in 15 unions under Nalitabari, Jhenaigati and Sreebardi upazilas was improved, situation in some 12 unions and a municipality of Nakla upazila worsened.

People who took refuge at shelter centres are returning to their homes where the flood waters drained out.

District Water Development's Executive Engineer Md Nakibuzzaman Khan said water in Chellakhali and Bhogai rivers was flowing below danger level.

He said the rivers were flowing 77 and 133 cm below the danger level at Batkuci and Nalitabari Bazar points. Although there is no hydro measuring point, the Maharashi and Someshwari Rivers now have normal water flow.

The engineer forecast that the water level of the rivers will decrease further and the flood situation will improve in a day or two if there is no heavy rain.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, Aman paddy on 46,790 hectares of land, vegetable on 1,200 hectares and ginger cultivated in five upazilas of Sherpur were submerged, causing losses to at least 1,72,630 farmers.

District Primary Education Officer Md Obaidullah said 242 government primary schools in the district have been closed due to flooding.

Army, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), police, Red Crescent Youth Volunteers and non-government volunteers are carrying out rescue operations in the flood-hit areas of the district.

The district administration is distributing relief materials, dry food and water among the flood victims.

Sherpur Deputy Commissioner Torofdar Mahmudur Rahman said relief distribution will continue.

Work is underway to prepare a list of the affected people, he said, adding that all kinds of assistance will be provided to the flood victims.

Assistance for rehabilitation will also be provided to the victims after the water recedes completely and the higher authorities were informed, he added.

Alongside the government, several political parties have come forward to stand by the flood-hit people with dry foods and other materials.​

 

[Saif]

‘There should be a central coordinator to oversee flood management’

Mohammad Abdul Qayyum, former National Project Director of the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) and adjunct faculty at Dhaka University, talks to Naznin Tithi of The Daily Star about the weaknesses of our flood management efforts this year as well as the importance of stronger...

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‘There should be a central coordinator to oversee flood management’

Mohammad Abdul Qayyum

Mohammad Abdul Qayyum, former National Project Director of the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) and adjunct faculty at Dhaka University, talks to Naznin Tithi of The Daily Star about the weaknesses of our flood management efforts this year as well as the importance of stronger coordination and better flood forecasting.


Why have our flood management efforts been so weak this year, particularly in Sherpur, where inadequate government response was criticised?

I think the primary reason for the government's inadequate response is the instability within the administration. After the fall of the previous government, local government institutions were not functioning properly, which remains the case till now. So, during the floods, they could not engage with the affected communities properly. There were no significant efforts to visit affected areas to assess damage or coordinate relief, rescue, and rehabilitation efforts. Also, since some of the areas affected this year usually do not experience flooding, both local communities and relevant government bodies were unprepared.

However, after the experience of Feni and Noakhali floods, the government should have been more alert about the changing flood patterns and responded accordingly, but it did not. The Sherpur flood should not have caught it off guard, but it did, again indicating its unpreparedness.

In Sherpur, flood water recedes through two routes: one towards Netrakona and Mymensingh, the other to the Brahmaputra in Jamalpur. The lower riparian areas had time to evacuate people before the floods, but we saw no such action. I think the government should have given more importance to Sherpur, considering that it is one of the four key regions (along with Naogaon, Kushtia and Bhairab) that produce surplus rice and vegetables throughout the year. So, its flood vulnerability should have been a priority.

This year's floods were more destructive than in previous years, even supposedly surpassing the 1988 floods in some areas. Besides natural causes, what human factors contributed to this scenario?

Central Bangladesh is known to be vulnerable to flooding. These areas are inundated to some extent every year. But this year's floods were not the usual type. Bangladesh usually experiences river floods in which water levels rise gradually and people somehow adapt to it. But this year, the floods were caused by excessive rainfall in both Bangladesh and India, along with sudden water surges from upstream, dam failures, etc. In Sherpur, heavy rainfall, sudden hill runoff from India, and breaches in the dams exacerbated the situation. Also, while the water is meant to reach the sea via various channels, the connecting routes were not in a condition to channel it quickly.

We saw how unplanned development works such as roads and various infrastructure projects obstructed the natural flow of water, trapping it in some areas for extended periods, while the depletion of forests in both upstream and downstream areas also intensified the severity of flooding. These man-made factors made this year's floods more destructive.

I was in the region during the 1988 flood and I can tell that the damage then was considerably less. But this time, the breach in the flood protection embankments worsened the situation. The same thing happened in Feni and Cumilla as well.

What are some of the areas the government should look into to expedite post-flood rehabilitation?

Post-flood, restoring the communication network is crucial. Damaged roads need urgent repair to ensure relief supplies, such as food and medicine, can reach affected areas. Moreover, if the roads are not repaired urgently, farmers face a two-fold problem. First, if they cannot transport their produce to the market on time, they suffer financially as the prices of their products fall. Second, transportation costs for essential goods increase, which affects both farmers and eventually consumers.

Rebuilding livelihoods is another priority. During the recent floods, many people lost their livestock and poultry, while many fish farms were washed away. NGOs, which often provide livelihood support to rural communities, should collaborate with the government to offer new opportunities. Farmers need paddy saplings, vegetable seeds, and other resources to rebuild their livelihoods. Any delay in providing assistance only deepens poverty and has broader economic repercussions for the country.

For all these efforts, effective government coordination is essential. This is lacking at present. I think what the relevant ministry can do is appoint a central coordinator to guide local administrations in activating all local bodies and offices of various departments such as the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Water Development Board (WDB), and the union parishads for post-flood rehabilitation efforts. The government has disaster management funds that can be used for recovery. But they need to be deployed effectively.

What preparations are needed for future floods in newly affected areas like Sherpur?

We need more flood shelters in regions like greater Mymensingh that are typically not flood-prone but now increasingly vulnerable. We must recognise that no areas are entirely safe from flooding anymore. Also, flood protection embankments need to be built scientifically and maintained regularly. In many cases, the embankments are not built following proper designs and measurements—the top-bottom ratio is usually not maintained. Also, many embankments fail because they are built with poor-quality sandy soil which is not resistant to floods and can break easily.

Using more resilient materials like Etel soil and conducting regular inspections can prevent breaches. Moreover, resource-rich areas like Sherpur should receive more attention in national flood management planning.

How can our flood forecasting system be improved in the changed reality? The recent floods in the northern and northeastern regions have brought to the fore the shortcomings of conventional flood prediction methods...

We have an advanced flood forecasting system, but it is primarily designed to predict river floods. It does not account for localised floods caused by sudden rainfall or cloudbursts, as we saw this year. So, we definitely need to improve our flood forecasting system to address the new reality. At present, we have a flood forecasting unit under the Water Development Board that forecasts river flooding, while the meteorological department does rainfall forecast. By linking our flood forecasting unit with the meteorological department and ensuring data sharing in real-time, we can better predict localised floods such as the ones that occurred in Sherpur or Feni.

We also need better cooperation with India to ensure timely alerts when water is being released upstream, giving us more time to prepare for any eventuality. Improved coordination and technology can help us manage the increasingly unpredictable flood patterns we are now facing.​

 

[Saif]

Robust tech-based response mechanism is needed to tackle flood

The use of real-time observation to track and manage the changing climate is a crucial element lacking in the existing flood response.

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Robust tech-based response mechanism is needed to tackle flood

While flooding is not in the greater Mymensingh region, the frequency and intensity of the flood in recent times caught both residents and the local administration off guard. FILE PHOTO: MD AMINUL ISLAM

Bangladesh's Sherpur, Netrokona recently dealt with one of the worst floods after Feni. Massive regions have been swamped by consecutive floods, forcing thousands of residents to relocate and damaging infrastructure, houses, and crops. The flood in Sherpur claimed the lives of 11 persons in total. Hundreds of villages in the upazilas of Durgapur, Kalmakanda, Purbadhala, Barhatta, and Netrokona Sadar become immersed under water. Flash floods have left 67,520 people stranded in Bangladesh's Sherpur, Netrokona, and Mymensingh districts. About 20,000 hectares of Aman paddy have been damaged, and houses, highways, and several educational facilities have been inundated. According to the Sherpur district Fisheries Officer, fish from more than 2,000 fish enclosures have been washed away.

The flood caused food shortages, a lack of access to basic medical treatment, and serious damage to businesses and agricultural farms. The lack of available alleviation in the region was an issue. Despite the administration's claims of delivering aid, the aid offered was insufficient. Many people reported getting very little and frequently delayed aid. The relief measures highlighted the need for a more robust response mechanism. Local authorities have struggled to cope with the sheer scale of the disaster, and the lack of coordination among government agencies led to inefficient aid distribution. While flooding is not new to the region, the frequency of the flood in recent times and the intensity of the situation caught both residents and the local administration off guard, revealing critical gaps in flood preparedness and relief efforts.

The change in weather and climatic abnormalities necessitates reassessing disaster preparedness plans and highlights the importance of thorough risk assessments that these changes into account. The antiquated classifications for regions defined by their susceptibility to flooding or cyclones are no longer feasible as climate change continues to jeopardise weather patterns. Disasters can strike anywhere, any time as demonstrated by the changing climate, so all communities need to be ready. It is now more vital than ever to educate and raise awareness, especially in areas that were previously thought to be safe. Implementing regular drills and workshops can indeed create a culture of preparedness, ensuring that communities know how to act swiftly and effectively when disaster strikes. This not only helps in reducing panic but also ensures that the response is coordinated and efficient, ultimately saving lives. The agony experienced by those affected by the disaster is further exacerbated by the fact that it unfolded during a period of acute administrative dysfunction, after the recent fall of the Hasina government. The normal channels of coordination and communication—which are vital during emergencies—have collapsed due to the shakiness of the administrative framework.

The use of real-time observation to track and manage the changing situation is one of the crucial elements lacking in the existing flood response. Real-time information on resource requirements, impacted areas, and flood levels can offer crucial insights that facilitate speedier and more precise decision-making. Relief organisations frequently function in the dark without this knowledge, which causes resource misallocation and delayed responses in holding rescue operations and delivering critical services to those in need. In the absence of clear communication, multiple organisations may end up duplicating efforts in the same areas, while other regions remain underserved. This redundancy wastes valuable resources and time, reducing the overall impact of the relief efforts.

Right now, it is imperative to reclaim administrative functionality. Local disaster management committee restoration and strengthening must be the primary concern for the interim government. The interim government should temporarily establish an entirely distinct emergency management committee from the district to the union level. A coordinated response is contingent upon making sure these organisations have adequate resources, are staffed appropriately, and are running smoothly. By putting this decentralised approach to disaster management into practice, local authorities can react to crises more rapidly and efficiently.

Technology-based disaster management assistance may substantially enhance the efficacy and efficiency of responses, foremost when it comes to flooding. Especially in the context of floods, establishing community radio stations and setting up decentralised control rooms for emergency response are both essential stages in improving disaster preparedness and response. The government should invest in real-time flood monitoring systems, using satellite imagery, drones, and ground-level sensors to track flood levels, affected areas, and infrastructure damage. This data should be shared with all stakeholders—government agencies, NGOs, INGOs, and local communities—to ensure informed and rapid decision-making.

Decentralised control rooms allow for quicker, more responsive decision-making at the local level. These control rooms can be established in key locations across various districts and upazilas, enabling authorities to monitor the situation in real-time and respond more efficiently to the unique needs of each area. While these control rooms operate locally, they should be integrated into a national disaster management framework, allowing for a coordinated approach that can escalate support if the situation exceeds local capabilities.

Coordinating amongst various stakeholders, such as emergency services, volunteer groups, local government representatives, and non-governmental organisations, can be facilitated by each control room. This guarantees that resources are distributed effectively and that relief and rescue operations are coordinated. For imminent risk, real-time data integration is essential. Modern technology can be installed in control centres to combine information from multiple sources, including satellite photos, reports from the field, flood sensors, and weather forecasts.

Satellite data, weather radars, and predictive modeling can be used to monitor weather patterns and anticipate possible floods. Large-scale data can be analysed by machine learning algorithms to provide early warnings about flooding and rising water levels, allowing communities more time to plan and evacuate if required.

A reliable mobile alert system should be established that notifies community people in at-risk areas in real time while offering instructions. Information concerning shelter locations, evacuation routes, and emergency contacts may be included in these alerts. Drones can take sharp photos and videos, which can be used to survey areas affected by flooding in real-time, to gather important information about the extent of the flooding, the damage to the infrastructure, and the areas that require immediate attention as well as planning rescue operations and allocating resources where they are most needed.

A unified relief database that tracks real-time relief distribution can prevent overlaps and ensure that aid reaches those in greatest need. The use of real-time data in this system would allow for dynamic adjustments to the relief strategy as the situation evolves. This centralised digital platform that connects all relevant stakeholders, including government agencies, NGOs, INGOs, and local organizations, is crucial. Decentralised control rooms and community radio stations are two doable, efficient ways to improve disaster management. By emphasising local capacity building and utilising technology, these programmes can guarantee that communities are more equipped to withstand and recover from future disasters.

Indeed, Bangladesh has come a long way in the last few decades in terms of disaster management, particularly with regard to managing cyclones and riverine floods. The country has developed early warning systems, built cyclone shelters, and improved its overall preparedness, reducing the number of casualties and the impact of such disasters. However, the recent flooding in the northern regions of the country has revealed critical gaps in the current disaster management framework, challenging the notion of whether is Bangladesh fully prepared for impending disasters anywhere, anytime, anyplace.

Monira Sharmin is a columnist and a member of Jatiya Nagorik Committee.​