Disaster Management Discourse in Bangladesh: A Shift from Post-Event Response to the Preparedness and Mitigation Approach Through Institutional Partnerships

The discourse of disaster management has undergone significant changes in recent decades
and their effects have been profoundly felt in the developing world, particularly in
terms of reduction in the loss of human lives. In this chapter, we concentrate on the evolution
of disaster management approaches in Bangladesh and the method of their implementation
by mobilizing institutions as a case in the developing world. The geographical
location of Bangladesh in South Asia, at the confluence of three large river systems – the
Brahmaputra, the Ganges, and the Meghna – and north of the Bay of Bengal, renders it
one of the most vulnerable places to floods and cyclones. Human-induced climate change
exacerbates the problem, with its already manifested effects and the predicted rise in sea
level of 0.3 m to 0.5 m by 2050 [1, 2, 3]. Climate models have revealed that the effects of
climate change are not only affecting individual countries, but resulting in increased climate
variations at regional levels [4]. Bangladesh, as part of South Asia, is likely to experience
more variations in climate regimes, as well as more extreme weather events.

Chapter in Disaster Management Discourse in Bangladesh: A Shift from Post-Event Response to the Preparedness and Mitigation Approach Through Institutional Partnerships