The national plan for disaster management of Bangladesh: Gap between production and promulgation

Abstract

Disaster management planning is carried out widely around the world in different ways in developing and developed countries, but the implementation of such plans experiences challenges even in developed countries. This issue is discussed in the case of Bangladesh, a highly disaster-prone country where there is a strong institutional setup for disaster management. The National Plan for Disaster Management (NPDM 2016–2020) of Bangladesh was prepared by the author for the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR), supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and it is aligned with international frameworks including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR). The plan's development process was inclusive, involving extensive consultations with a wide range of stakeholders. While the planning process and the product itself were rigorous, its promulgation in terms of translating into implementation, institutional capacity building and uptake at different levels remains uncertain. While the plan has some key strengths, a number of constraints impede translation of the plan into action. Given Bangladesh's recent economic growth and progress in reducing disaster risk, there is the opportunity to implement NPDM 2016–2020, but this has gone unrealised, pointing to the need for a review that can identify how disaster management planning and implementation can flow seamlessly.