COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN POST- DISASTER MANAGEMENT: BANGLADESH CONTEXT

Bangladesh is one of the most natural disaster prone countries, over the last 34 years and especially after the unprecedented floods of 1987, 1988 and 1998, the ‘super’ cyclones of 1991 and 1996; all these events had stimulated fresh management measures to reduce vulnerability of natural disaster. Today, the community participation as approach is recognized as an essential tool to both developed and developing countries. Like other approaches, participatory approach has been also adopted by the Bangladesh government for the post-disaster management sector. For proper utilization of the approach, it is required to assess the post-disaster public needs, expectation, and priorities, and to convey these to program designers, decision-makers for sustainable development. In this regard, the main theme of this paper is to review the significance of community participation as tool of post-disaster management for reduction of sufferings, losses and damages in collaboration with the government and non-government organizations.

Keywords:

Disaster , Participatory approach , Vulnerable , Sustainability