Finally, f lood retention basins and shelters will soon be introduced and plans to cope with future floods have been put forward and will soon be taken further. That was essentially trying to control the flow of the rivers in Bangladesh. The report advised that we should do more in terms of preparedness and help villages to be adaptive to their situations. These were periodic floods. The U.S. government was going to be involved but didn’t have a lot of resources to offer. 10 measures that must be taken to prevent more flooding in the future. This was not at all a multi-disciplinary approach. There was a negotiating process, and there was “medium ground” adopted between the various positions. As for Wavin, we will continue to play a leading role in the development and production of forward-thinking, sustainable stormwater solutions – to diminish the challenges of urban flooding and do our part to adapt to the reality that is climate change. It’s a simple solution to a reoccurring problem. John D. Pielemeier was USAID’s Director for the Office of South Asia at the time of the disaster, and represented the United States the ensuing multi-donor effort to address the problem. In Bangladesh, the flooding of the Brahmaputra reflects the unequal pain of extreme weather. The Japanese were expected to provide a substantial part of the funds required, but they didn’t particularly have a technical view on the matter. I think that made a big difference in adopting what we saw as a more balanced approach. The board is located on the main village path outside the local madarsa, or religious school, meaning that lots of people walk past it every day. . The World Bank people that we dealt with were almost all engineers, and they were talking with Bangladeshi and French engineers, for the most part. One uses sluices, gates, and other things to allow the water, during the peak season, gradually to branch out in a way that provides water to fertilize the ground. This not only creates a scarcity of surface water in the north-west and southwest and southwest regions of the country, but it also prevents the groundwater level from refilling properly. The floods not only disrupt lives, but also isolate the village from other communities, severely affecting villagers’ livelihoods and education. Flooding solutions for Bangladesh. In recent years the frequency of abnormal floods in Bangladesh has increased substantially, causing serious damage to lives and property. Whether it’s building bridges or molding clay stoves, crafting raised platforms or teaching children how to be prepared, all these initiatives build resilience and pave the way for stronger and safer communities. . We had some social scientists working with us as well. The view of the task force was that rivers should not be controlled with major dikes. So the question was: “Are the donors going to set aside some resources and do something on a large scale to protect Bangladesh from future catastrophes?” If such a major initiative were to be taken, what should it involve? Emergency planning. Red Crescent volunteers in and around Satiantoli also promote the use of traditional disaster risk reduction related measures, which have been passed down from generation to generation, such as the preparation and storage of clay stoves, the construction of masas, or raised platforms, and the storage of seeds, dry fruit and grains. You just need some reeds, sticks, and a little bit of time, and the huts are there again. The floods began in June. Communicating about the importance of preparedness is an essential part of the BDRCS’ Risk Reduction Programme, which is funded by the British Government’s Department for International Development (DFID). At a G-7 Meeting, the [French President François Mitterrand and Madame Mitterrand], his wife, who had visited Bangladesh, wanted the G-7 countries to take a major initiative to keep these floods from happening periodically. Up to 20 million people in low-lying Bangladesh are at risk from rising sea-levels, according to new research. It has known security flaws and may not display all features of this and other websites. The floods provide the fertility for the soils in Bangladesh. “The whole community participated… some gave money, some gave bamboo and the rest worked to build it.”. major rivers, ocean by the coast) are at the greatest risk of flooding. During the 1988 G-7 Summit, France — with prompting from President Mitterand’s wife Danielle — urged concerted action to help Bangladesh develop better measures to prevent and control flooding. In most cases, heavy rains upstream in … Elsewhere in the village, a large painting adorns a wall of the community health centre, relaying a range of messages about soil erosion, grain and seed protection, shelter and the risk of snakes during floods. Pielemeier recognized that periodic flooding was part of the natural environmental cycle in Bangladesh, and necessary to support the country’s agriculture. So the country needs inventive solutions to … In Niklagopal village, the BDRCS has installed a message board to communicate simple measures that can be taken to reduce the impact of flooding, such as teaching children to swim, moving livestock to high ground and building raised toilets. The problem of flooding in Bangladeshis age-old; so is the debate about what to do about it. You May Like This Also: Causes, Effects and Possible Solutions of Air and Water Pollution in Bangladesh; Deforestation in Bangladesh: Causes, Effects, and Possible Solutions; Arsenic Pollution in Groundwater (Causes, Effect, and Possible Solution) Read John D. Pielemeier’s full oral history, “The floods would eventually end up in Bangladesh. According to village elder and BDRCS volunteer, Mr. Reazuddin, the whole community pulled together to achieve a collective goal. . The Bangladesh Government was in favor of the French approach of building dikes and canals to control the river system. Read John D. Pielemeier’s full oral history HERE. I think that made a big difference in adopting what we saw as a more balanced approach. So the World Bank was part of the problem, from our point of view. When there is no water in the Teesta river and Ganges in Bangladesh, they closed the dam. We provided technical advisers to the Government of Bangladesh. It said that the worst thing you can do is to try to control a river. Your browser (Internet Explorer 7 or lower) is out of date. . Dikes would break, there would be flooding, and villages would be wiped out, with thousands of people drowned or otherwise killed. Keep in mind that rebuilding villages costs very little. Controlling rivers is very expensive, and, eventually, those controls will break down, with even greater loss of life than we have previously seen and the loss of the capital invested in an unsuccessful effort. We formed an interagency task force, and I was the U.S. Government representative. We had a combination of engineers and environmental specialists working with our team. Up to 20 million people in low-lying Bangladesh are at risk from rising sea-levels, according to new research. To reduce the impact of the heavy floods cycle, local Bangladesh Red Crescent (BDRCS) volunteers and community members recently designed and built a bridge, ensuring uninterrupted access to the main highway. There is more bandalling in the Jinjiram now than ever before. Basically, the aid donors should try to do very little in that sense. “We understand what this message board means, and we try to follow these instructions as much as possible,” says Ameena, a 12-year-old student. change the use of the land in the flood-prone areas and the planting of flood-resistant crops. Every year, seasonal floods inundate the village of Satiantoli and surrounding low-lying areas, a devastating pattern exacerbated by climate change. . “The World Bank was part of the problem, from our point of view.”.