Coordinated approach needed to deal with the cold wave vulnerability

A mild to moderate cold wave is currently sweeping across the country, primarily affecting the western and northwestern districts for the last few days, disrupting normal life as temperatures continue to drop nationwide. According to Met Office, the cold weather is expected to persist this week, accompanied by moderate to thick fog that may disrupt transportation.

The poor and vulnerable communities, especially in the districts of Rangpur division, have been hard hit by the cold wave accompanied by dense fog, exposing once again the seasonal vulnerability of the region’s poorest communities.

Residents of char areas along the Brahmaputra, Teesta, Dudhkumar, Gaangadhar, and Dharla rivers are facing severe hardship, accompanied by a lack of warm clothes and limited income opportunities. The intensity of the cold has remained steady, while minimum temperatures hovered between 10 and 11 degrees Celsius in the region. The daytime warmth offered only brief relief when the sun broke through for a few hours.

Reportedly, economic activities in the region, particularly in riverbank and char areas, have slowed down as many people stayed indoors. Besides, the numbers of patients in hospitals suffering from cold-related diseases have also increased in the hospitals. The impact has been most severe in those areas, where fragile housing and limited access to heating acutely expose people to winter conditions.

Although the district administrations and various voluntary organisations have started distribution of blankets, warm clothes, and relief materialsamong the cold-affected people, those are inadequate as per the demands. However, the health authorities say about adequate stocks of essential medicines. Media reports show that district and upazila hospitals, particularly those in char areas, often face a sudden increase in patients with respiratory and cold-related illnesses once temperatures fall.

Effective preparedness, therefore, requires more than supply availability. Thus, the persistence cold spell serves as a reminder of the importance of consistent preparedness in public healthcare facilities in cold-hit areas beyond the capital.

The ongoing distribution of blankets and warm clothes by government agencies and voluntary organisations remains a necessary part of the response, yet its impact is shaped by the speed, coverage and consistency of delivery. Timely health responses, adequate staffing during peak periods and outreach mechanisms needed for hard-to-reach communities.

Since the winter cold is a predictable seasonal challenge in the country’s northern region, a more structured and anticipatory approach would reduce reliance on ad hoc measures. Alongside institutional efforts, there is also space for socially and economically better-off sections of society to contribute, in an organised and accountable manner, to ease hardship during colder months.