Experts have said the country needed to take more initiatives to support the disaster prone people in increasing their awareness and capacity to cope with natural calamity more effectively and sustainability, reports BSS.According to official sources, not even one percent of the total aid was spent for capacity building in the last two decades. They said most of the aid received after disasters was spent on relief and rehabilitation, structural reconstruction projects and for covering the costs of highly paid international and national consultants.
| The international banking community thanks you. Did you get the Christmas card from the Caymans? |
Over US dollar 150 million dollar was spent for research, studies and piloting of some of the components of the flood action Plan (FAP), designed mainly by expatriates, after the floods of 1988. The structural measures for capacity build up requires billions of dollars of investment in the form of infra-structural development like construction of embankments, dykes, raising of roads, construction of shelters and private houses. Bangladesh has invested quite a substantial amount of money in these constructions which is still too little compared to the huge need.
| And even if you did spend the money properly, your entire country is a flood plain for the Indian Ocean. |
The experts said to integrate awareness building initiatives into structural measures to ensure active participation of people with the infrastructures maintenance and use of cyclone shelter and embankments. They said the term Disaster Management covers both pre- disaster preparedness and post-disaster response and reconstruction activities.
The experts said it is a complete misconception that the victims of disasters in the Third World countries, mostly from lowest economic and social strata of the society, are incapable of helping and supporting themselves.
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