Natural disasters like floods, cyclones, and droughts create unequal risks across ecosystems and communities. Economic, social, and political factors determine who suffers most. While disasters strike without warning, proactive preparedness can minimize harm. This preparation must occur at all levels: individual, familial, societal, and governmental.
Disasters do not affect everyone equally. Marginalized communities often bear the brunt, and their struggles remain hidden. Social inequality and corporate markets worsen these vulnerabilities. A thorough reform of disaster management systems is essential, with a focus on inclusivity and equal participation.
Bangladesh is often praised globally for its disaster response. However, our preparedness is not uniform across regions. Coastal areas have shelters, but other regions, like drought-prone Barind or flood-prone haors, lack such facilities. The recent floods in Feni and Noakhali highlighted this disparity. Every region deserves equal attention in disaster preparedness.
We must also integrate indigenous knowledge into our national disaster framework. Over time, we have lost much of this local wisdom. Rural youth today lack the skills to predict floods or droughts, and local genetic resources that once supported disaster recovery are vanishing.
Simply providing financial aid or hybrid seeds after a disaster is not enough. True disaster recovery means preserving natural assets and indigenous crops, not turning victims into consumers of corporate solutions. To create a disaster-resilient society, we need inclusive, participatory, and sustainable management systems.
Only then can we hope to protect both people and ecosystems.