THE colonial, age-old, early warning system, unfortunately still in vogue in our country, has had its focus on safety of ports and river and marine vessels. This is for the first time that the Disaster Management Bureau (DMB), awakened by the huge losses wreaked on human life and property by disasters, is thinking outside the box. It wants to place protection of man, material and means of livelihood at the top of the disaster forecasting and management agenda.

In this effort, the UNDP has come forward to assist the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) adopted by the DMB. At the operative level, the Met office and the flood forecasting authority will have to coordinate with the DMB. The Meteorological Department issues warning signals on the basis of calculated landfall, right and left directions of an imminent cyclone. Signal numbering 10 is hoisted or broadcast indicating the place where the cyclone will have a landfall and course through; to its right the danger signal no 9 and towards the left signal no 8 apply respectively. Such technicalities would be understood by the knowledgeable people, but otherwise, these would have gone over the head of the ordinary citizens. Add to this, the changes in the signalling within a short span that only tended to compromise the state of alert among people, as experienced during the last devastating Sidr. Signals should be limited in number now and, more importantly, people will be warned about the rise of the water-level, the wind speed and the overarching need to move themselves, their cattle head and other handy articles to the safety ofshelter homes or other specified elevated places.

In fact, the DMB takes upon itself the responsibility of issuing a package of instructions to people in easily intelligible and doable terms in place of the rather trite and bland statements of forecast and early warning. True, the DMB with its present level of equipment and manpower is hard put to deliver the goods. The modernisation of the disaster preparedness system certainly calls for infusion of logistical inputs; but equally if not more important, is the need for community involvement.

We already have a model in the cyclone preparedness programme (CPP) with its 40,000 volunteers who relay messages through bicycles, something that has been internationally acclaimed. We must do all it takes to expand the programme vastly in the coastal areas; eventually but sooner than later, we should try and include the urban areas in response to apprehensions held about earthquakes.