Early warning systems and disaster risk financing key to reducing disaster losses: Experts

Experts, policymakers and development practitioners on Monday stressed the importance of strengthening early warning systems and disaster risk financing mechanisms to reduce the human and economic impacts of climate-induced disasters in Bangladesh.
The observations came during a national-level multi-stakeholder consultation workshop on Early Warning Systems and Disaster Risk Financing, organised by Practical Action at a city hotel.
The workshop was attended by a wide range of stakeholders from government agencies, UN organisations, development banks, the private sector and civil society.
Speaking as the Chief Guest, Forhad Hossain Azad, State Minister for Water Resources, said Practical Action’s approach was timely and important, as access to early warning information remains limited in many vulnerable areas.
“Without timely data and warnings, communities suffer significant losses. Warning messages must be simple and delivered in Bangla so that rural people can easily understand and act upon them,” he said.
The minister noted that the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change are working together to protect people from disaster risks.
He also stressed the need for stronger coordination among government agencies, international NGOs and local organisations.
Special guests at the event included Razwanur Rahman, Director General of the Department of Disaster Management; Engineer Md Ruhul Amin, Additional Director General of the Bangladesh Water Development Board; and Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, Executive Director of COAST Foundation.
Welcoming participants, Ishrat Shabnam, Country Director of Practical Action Bangladesh, highlighted the organisation’s new project, Strengthening Human-Centred Innovation for Early Warning Systems and Disaster Risk Financing (SHIELD), which will be implemented in Feni district with support from the Swiss Re Foundation and co-financing from the Z Zurich Foundation.
She said the project would use artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve early warning services and introduce innovative climate resilience solutions. It will also promote impact-based forecasting and disaster risk financing with technical support from the Institute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM) at BUET.
“The project aims to build hope and trust among vulnerable communities while demonstrating practical solutions to address the growing impacts of climate change,” she said.
Presenting the project overview, Practical Action representatives Palash Sarker, Project Manager, and Tamanna Rahman, Thematic Lead for Climate Resilience, outlined plans to expand the organisation’s work beyond Khulna, Satkhira and Faridpur to Feni district. The project will be implemented locally by COAST Foundation.
Razwanur Rahman said the government is actively working towards the United Nations’ ‘Early Warnings for All’ initiative by 2027. He added that Bangladesh has already approved a national strategy on anticipatory action and disaster risk financing, while the Ministry of Finance is exploring insurance-based protection mechanisms for vulnerable communities.
“We hope this project will contribute to these efforts and help strengthen government engagement in disaster preparedness and risk reduction,” he said.
Rakesh Supkar, Asia Regional Head of Impact and Operations at Practical Action, said the project would ensure that early warning messages reach people in a manner that enables them to take timely action.
“Disasters do not only claim lives; they also destroy livelihoods. Strengthening early warning systems can significantly reduce those losses,” he said, recalling lessons learned from the devastating cyclone that struck India in 1999 when warning systems were inadequate.
Concluding the programme, Rezaul Karim Chowdhury emphasised that disaster response should go beyond emergency relief.
“People need support to recover and rebuild their lives. Food security after disasters must be part of the recovery process if we are to reduce risks effectively,” he said.
He expressed optimism that the SHIELD project would successfully combine innovation, early warning systems and disaster financing mechanisms to strengthen resilience and reduce disaster risks in vulnerable communities.
The workshop concluded with a renewed commitment from stakeholders to advance people-centred early warning systems and strengthen disaster risk financing frameworks across Bangladesh.