RECORD high rainfall in southeastern districts and the neighbouring Indian state of Tripura has led to an unprecedented and severe flash flooding in Comilla, Feni and many other districts in the region. Rivers like the Gumti and Muhuri are flowing above danger level. So far, fifteen deaths have been reported, millions displaced and in distress, villages submerged, homes and livelihoods destroyed. According to government reports, the floods have marooned at least 3.6 million people in 10 districts. The exact number of lives lost and the extent of the damage to resources and livelihoods are still being assessed as the situation unfolds. It seems damages to livelihoods will be devastating; nevertheless, if we remain united in it, we could overcome it.
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Our unity and shared humanity
HOWEVER, it is crucial to highlight that, along with our army and other forces, we have once again demonstrated our unwavering unity in times of national need. We are often a politically divided country; we have limitations and many challenges, but we have one thing that we can all take pride in 鈥� our unity and humanity in the face of disasters. While disaster response is typically the domain of GOs and NGOs worldwide, here we tackle it collectively through our shared humanity and individual efforts.
On August 22, a temple in Barishal generously donated a portion of Durga Puja funds for flood-affected people through the As-Sunnah Foundation, a leading Muslim-run charity in the country. It shows how we put hand in hand when needed, regardless of religion and faith.
The recent student-led mass uprising in our country has moved people worldwide, and their exemplary works like controlling traffic, cleaning roads and safeguarding religious sites have opened our eyes and have set great examples of patriotism and youth power. We remember the individual responses during the flood in the Sylhet region in 2022 and Covid responses in 2020.
While Rohingya refugees were forced to flee from Myanmar and started coming into Bangladesh in 2017, we set great examples of humanity in the world by providing them shelter and offering much-needed help in those critical moments.
Over the weekend, when calls for help such as boats for rescuing stranded people became louder in the social media, hundreds of speedboats and motorised sampans from Chittagong were taken to Feni and Cumilla. A video of trucks and lorries carrying boats from Chittagong hit millions of views in hours. They all were arranged by individual efforts and different social volunteer organisations. In that moment of urgent need for rescue operations, seeing the video brought a sense of relief and was truly heart-warming.
We have many more examples of such humanity. These events highlight our ability to come together and our resilience and unity in the face of adversity, demonstrating that when needed, we stand together regardless of our political affiliations and personal differences. We must recognise and appreciate it.
Every year we face devastating floods, cyclones and river erosion situations during monsoons. In the Global Climate Risk Index 2021, Bangladesh is ranked the seventh most disaster-prone country in the world. This Bengal delta facing natural disasters like floods and cyclones is nothing new for us, but in recent years we have seen severe and frequent floods and cyclones. Experts say, in the age of rapid climate change, weather events are becoming more extreme and less predictable. Once a country of six seasons, Bangladesh has now become a country of three seasons. Our winters are increasingly becoming warmer, summers drier and monsoons erratic. We are often called the land of rivers; we have a complex network of more than 900 rivers. Monsoons and rivers were once lifelines for us, sustaining communities and eco-systems, but now monsoons come with devasting floods.
Living in this river delta, climate change is often an existential issue for us; we cannot downplay the warnings like others. The Bangladesh Climate and Development Platform was launched last December with multilateral development banks and international aid agencies to mobilise investment in Bangladesh鈥檚 climate efforts. While this could lead us to a sustainable future, thousands of green jobs will be created for our youth. We have to keep this up even during this transitional period.听
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What more we need
WHILE climate impacts play a significant role, we cannot overlook the detrimental effects of our anti-river development policies and the unfriendly water-sharing practices by our neighbouring India, which have led many of our rivers to die. Besides that, encroachment, pollution and sand lifting are contributing to the crisis. Every flood, either in the north or south, reiterates the call for saving rivers. To ensure our survival and prevent such flooding, we have to save our rivers from dying.
We need our volunteer efforts to be more coordinated to reach out to everyone in need during floods and other disasters. A national coordination cell can be formed to coordinate and collaborate among government agencies, national forces, volunteer organisations and individual responses during crisis. Additionally, we should prioritise the development of climate-friendly infrastructure and shelters in rural areas to better prepare for and mitigate the impacts of such events.
While we have often no control over preventing adverse weather events like heavy rainfall and flash floods, our focus should be on mitigating the losses. The meteorological unit has failed to alert people this time that such a flooding may occur. Our meteorological department has to be more active in weather forecasting as advance warnings help a lot in such situations. Additionally, we have to engage and activate volunteers in mobilising public awareness when there is a flood or cyclone alert raised. It saves lives and prevents natural hazards from turning into disasters.
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Parvez Uddin Chowdhury is a development professional and climate activist.
