Comprehensive approach needed for reducing risks of natural disasters

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RAJSHAHI, May 16 (BSS): Speakers at a daylong participatory workshop here Saturday underscored the need for a comprehensive approach for reducing the prevailing risks of natural disasters.
They also noted that need-oriented and realistic plan should be formulated through wide-ranging survey and importance should be given to timely implementation of the time-fitting programmes to face the risks as early as possible.
"Enriching the surface water resources through re-excavating the existing derelict beels, ponds and canals could be the means of preventing the desertification process in the region including its vast tract of Barind area to ensure a sustainable livelihood in both rural and urban area in the face of climate change"," they added.
Directorate of Relief and Rehabilitation (DRR) under its Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) organised the validation workshop styled "Risk Reduction Action Plan (RRAP): Compilation of Rajshahi District" at the conference hall of Deputy Commissioner (DC). DFID and UNDP are jointly extending financial support to implementing the programme.
The speakers recommended an effective step as soon as possible to protect the groundwater table for maintaining ecological balance and viewed that the groundwater in the Barind region has been extracted massively for irrigation purposes to the croplands, which may cause an acute disorder in the irrigation sector.
Additional Commissioner of Rajshahi division Asit Kumar Mukut Moni and DRR Director General Fazlul Haque addressed the workshop as the chief and special guests respectively with DC Shefaul Karim in the chair. CDMP Senior Programme Specialist Autin Dewan and Project Implementation Officer of Durgapur Aminur Rahman presented two concept papers on the activities of CDMP and RRAP.
Some 74 delegates from different government and non-government organisations attended the workshop and took part in its four separate group discussions on various risk reduction issues.
The participants viewed that the climate change has now caused a major concern to agriculture, environment, ecology, bio- diversity, climatic patterns and even existence of the habitation and civilisation in the dried Barind area.
Besides, because of the adverse impacts, they said droughts, flood, nor'wester, river-erosion, water-logging, heat-wave, abnormal lowering of groundwater, arsenic contamination in the tubewell water, pest attacks in the crop fields and many other natural calamities have been causing major damages in the area too.