Stakeholders at a national-level consultation workshop on ‘Early Warning Systems (EWS) and Disaster Risk Financing (DRF)’ said timely warning service and innovative financing mechanisms can play a crucial role in reducing impacts of the climate-induced disasters and protecting vulnerable communities.
The workshop, organised by Practical Action Bangladesh (PAB) at Sheraton Dhaka on Sunday, brought together representatives from government agencies, development partners, UN organisations, financial institutions, private sector and the civil society.
State Minister for Water Resources Forhad Hossain Azad attended the programme as the chief guest, while Director General (DG) of the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) Razwanur Rahman, Additional DG of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) Engineer Md. Ruhul Amin, and Executive Director of COAST Foundation Rezaul Karim Chowdhury were special guests.
The address of welcome was delivered by Ishrat Shabnam, country director of Practical Action Bangladesh.
Palash Sarker, project manager, and Tamanna Rahman, Thematic Lead"Climate Resilience, presented a project overview.
Among others, Netai Chandra Sarkar of DDM, Prof Dr. Anisul Haque of IWFM-BUET and Rakesh Supkar, Asia Regional Head of Impact and Operations at Practical Action, among others, were present at the workshop.
During the workshop, Practical Action officially launched the Strengthening Human-Centered Innovation for Early Warning Systems and Disaster Risk Financing (SHIELD) project, which will be implemented in Feni district by COAST Foundation. The initiative builds on previous work in Khulna, Satkhira and Faridpur and is funded by the Swiss Re Foundation with co-financing from the Z Zurich Foundation.
Ishrat Shabnam said the project would use artificial intelligence, machine learning, impact-based forecasting and innovative disaster risk financing mechanisms to address climate risks in Feni. Technical support will be provided by IWFM-BUET, while COAST Foundation will lead community engagement activities.
Razwanur Rahman said Bangladesh is advancing implementation of the UN’s “Early Warnings for All” initiative by 2027 and has already approved a national strategy on anticipatory action and disaster risk financing. He added that the Ministry of Finance is exploring insurance-based protection mechanisms for disaster-affected communities.
Rakesh Supkar emphasized that early warning messages must be communicated in ways that enable people to take timely action and safeguard both lives and livelihoods.
Forhad Hossain Azad stressed the importance of simple, easy-to-understand warning messages in Bangla and stronger coordination among government agencies, NGOs and development partners. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said long-term recovery requires not only emergency relief but also access to resources, livelihood support and food security.
The workshop highlighted the growing importance of human-centered early warning systems and disaster risk financing in strengthening Bangladesh’s disaster preparedness and climate resilience.
