The challenge
Cyclones striking the low-lying coast killed hundreds of thousands of people in single storms.
The case
After the 1970 Bhola cyclone, which killed up to a million people, Bangladesh and its Red Crescent Society set up the Cyclone Preparedness Programme in 1972. Trained village volunteers relay warnings by radio, megaphone and flags, guide families to raised cyclone shelters and give first aid. The corps has grown to about 76,000 volunteers, roughly half of them women. Official tolls fell from about 138,000 deaths in the 1991 cyclone to about 3,400 in Cyclone Sidr in 2007, even though Sidr was a very strong storm. Better forecasts and more shelters also helped, and 26 volunteers have died on duty.
Why it worked
Warnings save lives only when trusted local people carry them the last mile and help people act; recruiting women volunteers helped reach women, who had died at far higher rates.
Sources
- The New Humanitarian (2021). How Bangladesh is beating the odds on climate disaster deaths.
- SAARC Disaster Management Centre. Country participant report: Bangladesh.
- PreventionWeb (2019). Bangladesh goes beyond cyclones.
Spot an error or know a better source? Tell us