Bangladesh has made notable progress in disaster risk reduction through early warning systems, shelters, and policy reforms. However, rising climate threats, urban vulnerabilities, and weak local capacity demand urgent, inclusive, and forward-looking strategies to shift from reactive response to resilient governance.
Disasters are no strangers to Bangladesh as its geography, climate, and exponential rate of population are a few of the defining characteristics of these natural events. From the devastating cyclone of 1970 to the recent floods and earthquakes across urban and rural landscapes, we have weathered countless natural shocks. And yet, the story of Bangladesh is not only one of vulnerability; it is also a story of progress, resilience, and an evolving understanding of risk.
In the decades since its independence, this small country has undergone a major transformation in how it understands, manages, and prepares for disasters. The question we must now ask is: how much have we achieved, and where do we go from here?
A Journey of progress
Bangladesh is often cited globally as a success story in disaster management. Mortality from cyclones has plunged over the years, not because cyclones have become weaker, but because our systems have become stronger. For example, the Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP), jointly run by the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) and the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS), stands as a globally recognized model. Equipped with more than 55,000 volunteers, CPP has saved countless lives through early warnings and evacuations. Similarly, the construction of over 14,000 multi-purpose cyclone shelters has provided critical refuge for millions. However, the figure is still not sufficient for more than 30 million people. Not only the cyclones, disaster management system have also been addressing the floods, droughts, tidal surges, and other localized events by structural and non-structural measures. Additionally, Bangladesh has embraced community-based disaster risk reduction. Projects in flood-prone and char areas now include raised plinths, floating agriculture, and community emergency funds, solutions rooted in local knowledge and resilience with feasible technologies.
The legal and policy frameworks, too, have strengthened. The Disaster Management Act 2012, the Standing Orders on Disaster (SOD), and the National Plan for Disaster Management (2021–2025) collectively provide the backbone for coordinated Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) across ministries and local government bodies. Nevertheless, these strong administrative policies do not define the ways of solutions on the local level alone.
Current scenario of risks
Despite Bangladesh’s notable progress in disaster risk reduction, the landscape of vulnerability is rapidly evolving and demanding urgent, coordinated attention. Unchecked urban expansion is now at the center of this challenge. In cities like Dhaka and Chittagong, frequent fires in informal settlements and monsoon-induced drainage failures point to a glaring absence of disaster risk considerations in urban planning. Though most of the climatic events are not directly experienced in city life, unpredictable and untimely weather events (extreme heatwaves and cold waves, excessive rainfalls) contribute to imbalanced and unwanted lifestyles of these urban residents. This stands in stark contrast to the more mature preparedness systems found in many rural areas. Compounding the problem, the intensifying impacts of climate change are rendering traditional risk models increasingly obsolete. River erosion, salinity intrusion, and sudden-onset floods and flash floods are becoming more frequent and less predictable in the northern region of Bangladesh. Yet local planning and risk reduction efforts often remain anchored in historical patterns rather than forward-looking climate projections. Additionally, the coastal regions in the southern part also struggle with increasing cyclones, salinity intrusion, tidal surges, and their impending effects.
These dynamic risks place enormous stress on already fragile systems, none more so than healthcare and education, two of the basic fundamental rights of humans. In coastal and remote areas, hospitals and educational institutes often lack the capacity and contingency protocols to remain functional during disasters. Although educational infrastructures are used as emergency shelters during disasters and protect the locals, the medical and healthcare system often leaves already-vulnerable groups behind, cutting them off from essential care. Complementing that, enrolled students lose their precious time and energy in the ex-post scenarios.
Meanwhile, the country’s disaster financing remains largely reactive. Although post-crisis response mechanisms have improved, there is limited investment in anticipatory action or risk-transfer solutions like climate insurance for farmers or pre-disaster emergency funds. Without robust financial preparedness, the cost of recovery continues to rise. Most critically, the separation between disaster recovery and long-term development persists. Reconstruction efforts frequently neglect resilience standards, leading to repetitive losses and missed opportunities to ‘build back better’, a principle that should no longer be optional, but foundational.
Rethinking DRR for the next decade!
To future-proof Bangladesh’s disaster risk reduction (DRR) system, a strategic and multi-sectoral transformation is imperative. First and foremost, DRR must be deeply localized. Union Disaster Management Committees (UDMCs) need not only the legal mandates but real resources, training, and decision-making power to carry out community-led risk assessments as standard practice, not as isolated pilot projects. As local people are the first-hand victims, their needs and voices should be heard; they must be included in the participatory decision-making process. Simultaneously, DRR should no longer operate in silos within the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief. Risk reduction must be mainstreamed across all sectors, including education, health, infrastructure, and agriculture, to create a resilient national framework. In addition to that, it is time to modernize early warning systems technologically by leveraging AI, satellite data, and inclusive communication tools that reach even the most marginalized in real time. Foremost, bridging the gap between humanitarian aid and long-term development funding is crucial. Bangladesh should actively push for sustained, predictable climate finance that supports DRR efforts, aligning with the Sendai Framework and Paris Agreement. Just as charity begins at home, resilience must begin at a young age. Embedding disaster education in school curricula and engaging youth through national programs can mobilize the country’s large young population as active agents of resilience. Only by investing across these fronts can Bangladesh transition from reactive recovery to proactive risk governance.
Global attention: What we can ask and offer
As Bangladesh prepares for COP30 and deepens its engagement with global frameworks like the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework, the country must not only seek but shape the international agenda. We can call for increased access to climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity-building support, particularly for locally-led adaptation and DRR initiatives. At the same time, Bangladesh brings valuable lessons to the table: from community-based cyclone preparedness to early warning dissemination and locally rooted resilience-building. As the suffering the local people of this country always face, their firsthand local knowledge is a valuable resource. By sharing these experiences and insights, Bangladesh can contribute meaningfully to global dialogues and demonstrate how developing nations can lead with innovation, equity, and grounded solutions.
From reactive to resilient DRR
Bangladesh has come a long way, from counting death tolls after natural events to proactively planning for climate and disaster risks. But resilience is not a destination; it’s a process that must evolve as risks evolve. As global climate extremes worsen and development challenges persist, the time is now to go beyond survival. Bangladesh must lead by example, investing in systems that not only save lives but also protect futures. Because in this era of cascading risks, disaster risk reduction is no longer optional. It is our collective safeguard, our development enabler, and our moral imperative.
The story first published at The New Age.
Samiha Saleha is a Research Associate
under the Locally Led Adaptation (LLA)
Programme at the International Centre for
Climate Change and Development
(ICCCAD), Dhaka.
