PM for global exchange of weather information
"Although it is not possible to prevent natural disasters, disaster mitigation is possible through accurate and timely forecasts and warnings, and adequate preparedness," she said while inaugurating the 33rd session of World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)-Escap Panel on Tropical Cyclones for the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel.
Theme of this year's session is "Early Warning Systems and Disaster Management of all Meteorological and Hydrological Hazards in the Panel Region".
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The WMO-Escap Panel on Tropical Cyclones was formed in 1972 by joint initiative of World Meteorological Organisation and Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific aiming to reduce damage caused due to tropical cyclones in the countries ashore of the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
Eight countries--Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Oman, the Maldives, Myanmar and Thailand--are members of the anti-disaster forum.
The working sessions of the weeklong meet will have important discussions on professional training and research as well as formulate a plan of action for the next one year to face disaster.
Tokiyoshi Toya, WMO regional director for Asia and the Southwest Pacific, Defence Secretary Mesbah Uddin Ahmed and Md Akram Hossain, director of Bangladesh Meteorological Department, also spoke on the occasion.
Escap Director Ti Le Huu read out the message of Kim Hak-Su. UN under-secretary general and executive secretary of Escap, ministers, representatives from WMO, Escap, other international organisations and panel countries, diplomats, and senior civil and military officials were present .
Khaleda said WMO-Escap Panel on Tropical Cyclones is a regional platform, promoting and coordinating such activities in the panel area, and "we are already getting some benefit out of it".
"We have to ensure proper application of latest technology with our conventional system for upgrading existing early warning and disaster mitigation arrangements," she told the function.
Bangladesh has already associated with many international initiatives for the development of tsunami early warning system, she said.
At the same time, the government has undertaken projects to upgrade the capacity of the country's meteorological department for better performance through sharing data, information, forecast and early warnings of disaster.
Khaleda said the north Indian Ocean consisting of the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea is one of the most cyclone-prone zone of the world. More than 300 million people, their livelihood and property are therefore at risk along the vulnerable coastal zone from Oman to Thailand.
Due to its unique geographical location in South Asia, Bangladesh is visited frequently by various natural disasters like cyclones, tidal surges, floods, droughts, tornadoes and landslides.
The 1970 and 1991 tropical cyclones in Bangladesh are well known worldwide for their devastation and casualties, she mentioned, informing that around 30 to 35 percent area of the country is normally flooded every monsoon. But the devastating floods in 1988 and 1998 submerged two-thirds of Bangladesh.
"Our vulnerability is also increasing with rapid population growth and changing climate pattern,"she said, adding that the government has taken a number of steps during the last couples of years to establish an institutional arrangement from national to union levels for effective and systematic disaster management.