Disaster Risk Reduction Approaches in Bangladesh

This book outlines disaster risk reduction (DRR) approaches in Bangladesh, drawing examples and lessons from the national and community-level programs, projects, and relevant experiences of the country. The content is based on a selection of available documents, a consultative workshop with academicians from different universities undertaking DRR higher education programs, and the editors’ own knowledge and experience in the field. Special emphasis is given to analyzing field experiences from academic perspectives, and to highlighting key issues and the policy relevance of disaster risk reduction.

The book has three parts: Part I provides the outline and basics of DRR, with examples from a global review and from national policies and priorities. Part II covers seven different hazards in Bangladesh, focusing on both shocks and stresses. Part III provides examples of approaches and issues of DRR practices.

The primary target groups for this book are students and researchers in the fields of environment, disaster risk reduction, and climate change studies. The book will provide them with a good idea of the current trend of research in the field and will furnish basic knowledge on this important topic in Bangladesh. Another target group comprises practitioners and policy makers, who will be able to apply collective knowledge to policy and decision making.

Rajib Shaw

Rajib Shaw is an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies of Kyoto University, Japan. He worked closely with the local communities, NGOs, governments and international organization, including United Nations, especially in the Asian countries. He is currently the Chair of the United Nations Asia Regional Task Force for Urban Risk Reduction, and the President of Asian University Network of Environment and Disaster Management (AUEDM). His research interests are: community based disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, urban risk management, and disaster and environmental education. He has published several books in the field of disaster and environmental management. He is also the Chief Editor of Asian Journal of Environment and Disaster Management.

Fuad Mallick

Fuad Hassan Mallick is the Professor and Chairperson of Department of Architecture and Director of the Postgraduate Programs in Disaster Management (PPDM) at BRAC University. He did pioneering research on thermal comfort for Bangladesh and published extensively on it. He is the founder of the department of architecture of BRAC university and the author of its curriculum. He is also the founder director of the university’s Post Graduate Programs in Disaster Management, the first of its kind in the region. Fuad’s research background is on environmental aspects of architectural design, low income and rural housing, architectural education and in the last few years disaster management and climate change. He has written book chapters and published journal articles on disaster management and climate change issues. He has been a reviewer for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture and a member of Aga Khan Education Program’s thinking group for conceptualizing a School of Architecture and Human Settlements for the Aga Khan University. He is the Vice President of the Asian Universities Network for Environment and Disaster Management (AUEDM).

Aminul Islam

M. Aminul Islam is specialized in climate change, environment and disaster management and contributed as an academic, researcher, practitioner, manager and policy adviser. He is associated with United Nations Development Programme since 1996 and served different positions in Bangladesh Country Office started as the Sustainable Development Adviser and served as the Assistant Country Director and lead the Climate change, Environment and Disaster Management Cluster and currently Senior Adviser. Dr. Islam also served as the Senior Technical Adviser and Team Leader of the Water Disaster Risk Reduction Project in Central Vietnam supported by UNDP Vietnam. As an academic, he taught research methodology for the post graduate programme in the Institute of Bangladesh Studies in Rajshahi University, founder Director and Associate Professor of the School of Environment Science and Management of Independent University, Bangladesh and also contributed as an Adjunct Professor of the Population Science Department in Dhaka University. He was Environmental Scientist of the Flood Action Plan’s Component 16 on Environment implemented by the ISPAN (Virginia, US based) supported by USAID.