Formulation of an action plan to reduce human and economic costs of disaster will be completed by June 1999, reports UNB.

There will be 416 separate disaster action plans for 340 unions in 60 thanas of 16 districts covering cyclone, flood and drought prone areas of the country.

This was disclosed at a workshop on "local Level Disaster Action Plan’ held at UNICEF conference room at Hotel Sheraton yesterday.

Organised by Disaster Management Bureau (DMB). Disaster Management and Relief Secretary Azad Ruhul Amin inaugurated the day-long workshop.

DMB director general Dr Kshanada Mohan Das chaired the opening session while MH Khan Chowdhury, disaster preparedness specialist, presented the draft of Local Level Disaster Action Plan at the working.session.

The disaster action plan Is

one of the parts of the 61 components of a project titled Sup-G>rt to Compreb ensive Disaster anagement.

The entire project will involve an expenditure of Tk 21 crore which wl 11 be Jointly financed by Ban gladesn government. UNDP an ti UNICEF.

Identifying the tropical cyclone. droughi and flood as major natural calamities in Bangladesh. MBi Khan said only a single cyclone can affect the whole coastal <»ne and cause a massive loss to the national economy.

Giving a data of 1947 to 1986, he said out of 4.00.000 deaths occurred due to cyclone in Asian countries 3.00.000 died in Bangladesh in 1970 cyclone alone.

About flood, the disaster specialist sa id. nearly 75 per cent land wei it under water during 1988 flood while the figure is 30 per cent during normal floods

MH Khan, said that some 42 per cent land and 43 per cent

population were affected during drought in the country in 1979.

Some 10 major tornadoes during 1969-91 had claimed thousands of life in Bangladesh.

Presenting the draft. MH Khan said the objectives of the action plan include increasing awareness of the risks during natural calamities and practical possibilities for reducing human and economic risks through action at households, community union and thana' levels.

Promoting the implementation of risk reduction (protection and proofing) rnea sures as much as possible through local initiative and resources.

The objectives are also to improve local warning dissemination system in relation to cyclone and flood, and estab fishing and practicing local plans for evacuation, rescue, relief and initial rehabilitation measures.