The floods began in June. 10 measures that must be taken to prevent more flooding in the future. 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. ©Copyright 1998-2019 Association for Diplomatic Studies & Training Dikes would break, there would be flooding, and villages would be wiped out, with thousands of people drowned or otherwise killed.”. Copyright 2020 - International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - Legal Disclaimer, مجلس إدارة الاتحاد الدولي لجمعيات الصليب الأحمر والهلال الأحمر, الحركة الدولية للصليب الأحمر والهلال الأحمر, COMMUNITY EPIDEMIC & PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS, National Society Preparedness for Effective Response. According to local residents, there are at least 50 sections in the 60-kilometre stretch of the river in Bangladesh, where it has a maximum width of 107 metres. These were periodic floods. The most crucial questions that need to be addressed are: what really causes the havoc-creating floods and is there any solution to the problem? The floods provide the fertility for the soils in Bangladesh. 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. . Three hundred meters of bamboo and a group of committed Red Crescent volunteers have transformed the lives of 15,000 people in the South Asian country of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government gave out free seeds to the farmers, who were hit hard by the flooding, after loosing all their crops and cattle. Read John D. Pielemeier’s full oral history HERE. There were major floods in Bangladesh. There was a negotiating process, and there was “medium ground” adopted between the various positions. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Government or of ADST. 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. The problem of flooding in Bangladeshis age-old; so is the debate about what to do about it. Your browser (Internet Explorer 7 or lower) is out of date. Advertisement. The floods not only disrupt lives, but also isolate the village from other communities, severely affecting villagers’ livelihoods and education. change the use of the land in the flood-prone areas and the planting of flood-resistant crops. We formed an interagency task force, and I was the U.S. Government representative. 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. Differences quickly emerged, however, between those who leaned heavily on flood control measures — like dikes and canals — and those who advocated “adaptive” measures to disperse inevitable floods more effectively and cope better with the consequences. We had a combination of engineers and environmental specialists working with our team. The more money they received, the better. We then tried to convince the Bangladesh Government of the wisdom of this position. In recent years the frequency of abnormal floods in Bangladesh has increased substantially, causing serious damage to lives and property. Community solution. . The most crucial questions that need to be addressed are: what really causes the havoc-creating floods and is there any solution to the problem? It’s a simple solution to a reoccurring problem. [World Bank] environmentalists had very little say in what the World Bank did in Bangladesh. . “We worked day and night to build this bridge,” he said. The French view was that the G-7 should finance the construction of a system of dikes and canals and control the Brahmaputra River and that part of the Ganges River that flowed through Bangladesh. This was not at all a multi-disciplinary approach. Keep in mind that rebuilding villages costs very little. It has known security flaws and may not display all features of this and other websites. major rivers, ocean by the coast) are at the greatest risk of flooding. In most cases, heavy rains upstream in … Our interagency task force decided that the worst thing that could be done would be to copy what the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had done to the Mississippi River. In Bangladesh, the flooding of the Brahmaputra reflects the unequal pain of extreme weather. John D. Pielemeier’s interview was conducted by W. Haven North on September 24, 1997. Learn how to update your browser. The Causes, Effects and Possible Solutions of Droughts in Bangladesh. 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. 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. You just need some reeds, sticks, and a little bit of time, and the huts are there again. “The World Bank was part of the problem, from our point of view.”. 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. Flooding solutions for Bangladesh. An Uncertain Future: The World Bank was involved in the water control program, but its input involved mainly engineering. Pielemeier recognized that periodic flooding was part of the natural environmental cycle in Bangladesh, and necessary to support the country’s agriculture. [World Bank] environmentalists had very little say in what the World Bank did in Bangladesh. Four villages pooled together their resources to build this bridge at a cost of just 60,000 Taka (CHF 1,064 / euro 680). 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. Building Dikes vs. “Adaptive Approaches”: Our interagency task force decided that the worst thing that could be done would be to copy what the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had done to the Mississippi River. . According to village elder and BDRCS volunteer, Mr. Reazuddin, the whole community pulled together to achieve a collective goal. According to Khalequzzaman (1994) solutions to the flood problem in Bangladesh can be divided into two basic types: structural solutions and geologic or alternative solutions. A terrible flood struck Bangladesh in 1988, killing over 6,000 people, destroying millions of tons of crops and causing millions of dollars in damages. The Bangladesh Government was in favor of the French approach of building dikes and canals to control the river system. The debate continues today. Bangladesh floods on a regular basis, RECENT notable and catastrophic floods have occurred in 1988 (return period of 1 in every 50 to 100 years), 1998, 2004, 2007 and 2010. “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. . The view of the task force was that rivers should not be controlled with major dikes. I think that made a big difference in adopting what we saw as a more balanced approach. These were periodic floods. Building raised flood shelters. 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? 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. 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