COMPREHENSIVE DISASTER MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME PHASE II

“SUPPORT TO GoB COMPREHENSIVE DISASTER RISK REDUCTION SYSTEM”

DRAFT DESIGN DOCUMENT

25 August 2008


CDMP PHASE II – FULL DRAFT DESIGN DOCUMENT

Table of Contents

Preface 3

Acknowledgements 3

1. Background to Disaster Risk Reduction in Bangladesh and CDMP 3

2. Overview of CDMP II and issues informing the design process 3

2.1 Design approach and strategies 3

2.2 Donor support for disaster risk reduction in Bangladesh 3

2.3 Convergence between Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change 3

2.4 Disaster risk reduction and social inclusion 3

2.5 Improving Knowledge Management 3

2.6 Reform and re-structuring of MoFDM 3

2.7 Inter-ministerial coordination and mainstreaming 3

3 CDMP II structure, design and planning 3

3.1 Goal, outcome, outputs and beneficiaries 3

3.2 Project content and design 3

3.3 Project cross-cutting services 3

3.4 Project governance and structure 3

3.5 Project staffing and administration 3

3.6 Project phases and indicative work plan 3

3.7 Transition between CDMP Phase I and CDMP Phase II 3

3.8 Monitoring framework 3

3.9 CDMP Phase II budget 3

Acronym List 3

Annex 1: Mapping of DRR initiatives in Bangladesh 3

Annex 2: Summary of users of knowledge generated by CDMP 3

Annex 3: Summary of recommended institutional reform scenarios 3

Annex 4: MoFDM organisational strucures and proposed reform options 3

Annex 5: Detailed programme design by output areas 3

Annex 6: Detailed activities for the CDMP Phase II Project Support Unit 3

Annex 7: Profile of key staff required for CDMP phase II 3

Annex 8: Indicative logical framework for CDMP phase II 3

Annex 9: Indicative budget framework for CDMP Phase II 3

Annex 10: Bibliography 3

Preface

This document has been prepared by the design team for the second phase of the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP II). It draws on a series of consultations with the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management (MoFDM), other Government of Bangladesh ministries and departments, as well as existing CDMP programme staff, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), donors and the NGO community over a period of approximately four months from May to August 2008.

The document presents the first full draft of the proposed goals and outputs, project structure and staffing requirements for the second phase of CDMP for the period from 2010 to 2014. This draft is based on an earlier working design draft and the Concept Note prepared by the design team in June 2008.

The primary purpose of this document is to present the draft project design for CDMP Phase II and to allow for a broad stakeholder validation exercise to take place in September of 2008. It is anticipated that a high-level workshop will be held with key officials from the MoFDM and its directorates, other line ministries, the Planning Commission, Economic Relations Division, donors, NGOs and other concerned stakeholders.

Following this validation exercise the draft design will be finalized with UNDP in preparation to submit to the Government of Bangladesh during the last quarter of 2009. Because of the nature of this process, it is important to note that this document is not yet complete in its entirety. Some elements such as the global project budget, staff profiles and the details of mainstreaming activities with other line ministries will be developed subsequently.

25 August 2008

CDMP Phase II Design Team

Harold Lockwood Team leader, DRR Expert

Mozahrul Huq Institutional Expert

Keith Cundale Institutional Expert

Tahera Yasmin Social Development Expert

Stephanie Hodge Knowledge Management and M&E Expert

Muhammad Taher Donor Mapping Expert

Acknowledgements

The team wishes to gratefully acknowledge the assistance and invaluable inputs of a wide range of individuals and staff from various organizations who have given freely of their time and expertise to inform the process of the design. In particular we would like to thank the staff of the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management and its departments, and especially the DG Disaster Management Bureau and the entire CDMP professional team for all of their inputs.

We would like to specifically acknowledge the inputs, advice and generous logistical support of the CDMP Chief Technical Advisor, as well as the support, guidance and enthusiasm of the UNDP Assistant Country Director, Disaster Management.

1.  Background to Disaster Risk Reduction in Bangladesh and CDMP

Bangladesh is commonly cited as a country that is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters. Given the combination of its geographic location, topography, dense population and levels of poverty (approximately one third of its population or some 57 million people live in chronic poverty[1]), natural hazard events unfortunately often result in disasters with high loss of life and economic damage. The Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters estimates that close to 229 million people have been directly affected by natural disasters during the thirty year period from 1979 to 2008, with over 7,700 killed and economic damage in the order of US$5.6 billion[2].

Table 1: Total numbers affected by event 1979 to 2008

Type of Disaster / Date / Total Affected
Flood / 01/06/1988 / 45,000,000
Flood / 20/06/2004 / 36,000,000
Flood / 01/05/1984 / 30,000,000
Flood / 22/07/1987 / 29,700,000
Drought / 01/07/1983 / 20,000,000
Storm / 29/04/1991 / 15,438,849
Flood / 05/07/1998 / 15,000,050
Flood / 21/07/2007 / 13,771,380
Flood / 16/06/1995 / 12,656,006
Flood / 01/07/1993 / 11,469,537
Source: "EM-DAT: The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database
www.em-dat.net - Université Catholique de Louvain - Brussels - Belgium"

At the same time, Bangladesh is one of countries most at risk from the impacts of climate change, therefore it is likely that both acute (such as flooding or cyclonic events) and chronic hazards (such as drought, sea level rise and saline intrusion) will increase in frequency and severity in the coming decades. The nature and scope of the hazards are well-documented in a range of existing literature[3]. Table 2 on the following page provides a summary of the main types of hazards to which Bangladesh is most vulnerable, including both those relating to climate change and others[4].

Table 2 / Summary of most common hazards in Bangladesh
Natural hazards / §  Floods: Floods occur annually, reaching their most severe in the months of July and August. 20% of the country is affected by regular river floods, a figure that can increase to 68% causing large scale destruction and loss of lives. The flooding that occurs in Bangladesh can be categorised into four types: flash floods; rain flood; monsoon floods and coastal floods.
§  Cyclones and Storm Surges: Bangladesh is amongst the countries hit hardest by Tropical cyclones from the Bay of Bengal accompanied by storm surges. In an average year, the country’s coast is hit by 1.3 cyclones, the more severe of which can cause devastation and large scale loss of life. Most recently, in November 2007 Super cyclone Sidr hit the Bangladesh coast causing the deaths of about 3406 people and costing the economy approximately US$1.6 billion.
§  Nor’westers and Tornadoes: Occurring most commonly during the pre- and post-monsoon (the months of March to May and October to November respectively), Nor’westers bring the much-needed pre-monsoon rain, but can also can cause devastation and destruction. These periods are also associated with tornadoes, which are suddenly formed and are extremely localized in nature and of brief duration.
§  River Bank Erosion: Approximately 8,700 hectres of land are lost and around 180-200,000 people displaced annually due to river erosion in Bangladesh. Kurigram, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Bogra, Sirajganj, Tangail, Pabna and Manikganj districts along Jamuna River and Rajbari, Faridpur, Manikganj, Dhaka, Munshiganj, Shariatpur and Chandpur districts are along Padma River are the most erosion prone zones of the country.
§  Earthquakes: Despite having not experienced any large scale earthquakes in the last one hundred years, Bangladesh remains one of the seismically active regions of the world.
§  Drought: Bangladesh is at high risk from droughts. 24 droughts occurred in the country between 1949 and 1991, with very severe droughts hitting the country in 1951, 1957, 1958, 1961, 1972, 1975, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1984 and 1989. Typically, droughts affect approximately 47% the country’s landmass and 53% of the population (WARPO, 2005). Bangladesh is affected by three types of drought: permanent; seasonal and unpredictable.
§  Arsenic Contamination: In around 61 of the 64 districts in Bangladesh, Arsenic contamination in the ground water is considered to be a serious environmental threat and a serious health risk for Bangladesh.
§  Salinity Intrusion: Salinity intrusion affects the coastal districts of Bangladesh, with the problem reaching its most severe during the dry season. During this period, agricultural production, fisheries, livestock, and mangrove forests are affected by higher salinity.
§  Tsunamis: The Geological Survey of Bangladesh has divided Bangladesh coastal belt into three zones: Most vulnerable Zone- I -Chittagong-Teknaf coastline; Moderately vulnerable Zone- II - Sundarban-Barisal coastline and Low vulnerable Zone III – Barisal-Sandwip estuarine coastline.
§  Landslides: Landslides represent a major hazard for Bangladesh, as the events of June 2007 in Chittagong, in which more than 120 people died, demonstrated. Causes of landslides include: earthquakes; volcanic eruptions; sustained rainfall; heavy snowmelt; unregulated anthropogenic developments; mining; and, as is most common in Bangladesh, heavy rainfall (typhoons, hurricanes). Deforestation, hill cutting, unregulated development work can contribute to the likelihood of landslides, whilst slides can often most severely affect the poorer sectors of the population as poverty and landlessness force poor people to live on the slide-prone hill-slopes.
Human-induced hazards / §  Fire: Fires in urban settings are common in Bangladesh, causing huge loss of lives and damage to properties every year. Fire incidents in the country are increasing at an alarming rate. In 2004 alone, a total of 7,140 fire incidents occurred.
§  Infrastructure Collapse: Incidents of infrastructure collapse are on the rise, and Bangladesh has witnessed the collapse of a number of industrial buildings in recent years.
§  Chemical or toxic spills or contamination: Poor regulation and location of manufacturing processes that include the use of chemicals pose an increasing threat to human populations and the environment, particularly in urban areas.
§  Traffic Accidents: Fatalities and injuries from road accidents are a growing concern. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, in 2006 there were 3,193 killed and 2,409 injuries resulting from traffic accidents.

Policy, legal and institutional context


Recognising the significance of shocks caused by natural disasters, the Government of People’s Republic of Bangladesh’s (GoB) first Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) from 2005[5] contained a discrete policy matrix on comprehensive disaster management as a contributing factor towards poverty reduction and sustainable economic growth. The current planning for the second PRSP for the period 2009 to 2011 also recognises recurrent natural disasters – accentuated by climate change – as a major factor in vulnerability. The new PRSP is designed around five strategic blocks and supporting strategies, with strategic block IV including disaster management and social safety nets.

As well as being a country with high vulnerability to natural disasters, Bangladesh is also recognised as a leader in responding to natural disasters and in adopting a more holistic approach to risk reduction. In line with the global shift in thinking on approaches to disasters, and most specifically with the strategic priorities of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), the stated vision of the GoB is to "reduce the risk of people, especially the poor and the disadvantaged, from the effects of natural, environmental and human induced hazards, to a manageable and acceptable humanitarian level[6]". Bangladesh is actively committed to achieving the strategic objective of the HFA and currently chairs the South Asia Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Disaster Management Centre.

Despite concerted efforts during the first phase of CDMP to promulgate a Disaster Management Act, national policy and national plan[7], currently the only legal frameworks addressing disaster risk reduction in Bangladesh are:

§  The Standing Orders on Disasters (SOD, January 1997): provides a detailed institutional framework for disaster risk reduction and emergency management. It outlines detailed roles and responsibilities of Ministries, divisions, departments, various committees at different levels, and other organizations involved in disaster risk reduction and emergency management; and

§  The Allocation of Business: for the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management (MoFDM) setting out the mandate and roles for the ministry in relation to all tasks pertaining to ensuring food security and disaster risk reduction[8].

The Government of Bangladesh through the Standing Orders on Disaster issued in January 1997 created a well-defined disaster management institutional mechanism. The Ministry of Food and Disaster Management (MoFDM) is the institution in Bangladesh with overall responsibility for coordinating national disaster management efforts across all agencies. The MoFDM was created in 2003 from the amalgamation of the Ministry of Food and the Ministry of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief. The MoFDM is responsible for setting policy and planning for issues relating to the overall food system, food policy, disaster risk reduction and emergency response management[9]. Under the SoD a series of inter-related committees, at both national and sub-national levels have been created to ensure effective planning and coordination of disaster risk reduction and emergency response management at all levels; these are summarized in table 3 below.

Table 3 / Summary of Institutional Mechanisms and Committees for Disaster Risk Reduction
National level bodies / §  National Disaster Management Council (NDMC) headed by the Hon'ble Prime Minister to formulate and review the disaster management policies and issue directives to all concerns.
§  Inter-Ministerial Disaster Management Co-ordination Committee (IMDMCC) headed by the Hon'ble Minister in charge of the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management (MoFDM) to implement disaster management policies and decisions of NDMC / Government.
§  National Disaster Management Advisory Committee (NDMAC) headed by an experienced person having been nominated by the Hon'ble Prime Minister.
§  Cyclone Preparedness Program Implementation Board (CPPIB) headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Food and Disaster Management to review the preparedness activities in the face of initial stage of an impending cyclone.
§  Disaster Management Training and Public Awareness Building Task Force
(DMTATF) headed by the Director General of Disaster Management Bureau (DMB) to co-ordinate the disaster related training and public awareness activities of the Government, NGOs and other organizations.
§  Focal Point Operation Coordination Group of Disaster Management (FPOCG)
headed by the Director General of DMB to review and co-ordinate the activities of various departments/agencies related to disaster management and also to review the Contingency Plan prepared by concerned departments.
§  NGO Coordination Committee on Disaster Management (NGOCC) headed by the Director General of DMB to review and co-ordinate the activities of concerned NGOs in the country.
§  Committee for Speedy Dissemination of Disaster Related Warning/ Signals
(CSDDWS) headed by the Director General of DMB to examine, ensure and find out the ways and means for the speedy dissemination of warning/ signals among the people.
Sub- national bodies / §  District Disaster Management Committee (DDMC) headed by the Deputy Commissioner (DC) to co-ordinate and review the disaster management activities at the district level.
§  Upazila Disaster Management Committee (UZDMC) headed by the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) to co-ordinate and review the disaster management activities at the Upazila level.
§  Union Disaster Management Committee (UDMC) headed by the Chairman of the Union Parishad to co-ordinate, review and implement the disaster management activities of the concerned union.
§  Pourashava Disaster Management Committee (PDMC) headed by Chairman of Pourashava (municipality) to co-ordinate, review and implement the disaster management activities within its area of jurisdiction.
§  City Corporation Disaster Management Committee (CCDMC) headed by the Mayor of City Corporations to co-ordinate, review and implement the disaster management activities within its area of jurisdiction.

The Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) is a five-year donor-funded project running from 2004 to 2009, with the overall aim of taking a multi-hazard approach to disasters and to generate a ‘paradigm shift’ in disaster management, away from relief and rehabilitation and towards a more holistic approach to reducing risk and vulnerability[10]. Significantly, CDMP was also designed to institutionalise the adoption of disaster risk reduction (DRR) approaches, not only in its host ministry (MoFDM), but more broadly across mainstream sector ministries. Lastly, CDMP was conceived, and has been developed, as a multi-donor framework in an attempt to harmonise development assistance across the field of disaster risk reduction.