1 Slow-onset and Persistent Disasters The case of the Southwest Updates for LCG DER 24 May 2012

2 A focus on the southwest A special meeting on waterlogging in September 2011 Formed a dedicated Task Force Discussions among Task Force members Discussions among UNDAF Pillar 5 members A stakeholder consultation held on April initiating a comprehensive process Process

3 Outcome: alignment and momentum The work of the Task Force has revealed an alignment among stakeholders on: –Key underlying issues –The need for a consolidated approach –Momentum to act NOW

4 Why the southwest? There is a need; persisting poverty and vulnerability to shocks There is no collective situational awareness we all ascribe to There are: Multiple causes Multiple impacts Conflicting interests Suggest a model that can be used in other vulnerable regions

5 Consultation Objectives To share experiences and knowledge relating to root causes of slow-onset and persistent disasters in the South West region of Bangladesh; To create awareness and deeper understanding of the root causes and impact of such slow onset persistent disasters To identify some feasible solutions to mitigate the situation To agree on a process and follow up actions

6 To understand What are the… likely root causes of the persistent humanitarian situation? most important impacts on the communities? good practices of Government and stakeholders in responding? key gaps to be addressed? sustainable hydro- morphological solutions? lessons and their replication?

7 Fragmented solutions Long term macro & infrastructure investment Medium term community development Short term: humanitarian response Different actors involved in each phase –Different communities –Different national government actors –Different local government actors –Different NGOs –Different development partners With limited connectivity between them

8 Gaps and Challenges No shared situational over-view Deeper understanding of key issues needed Key baseline information should be managed/available Improve inclusion of affected communities in solutions Lack of coordination between stakeholders working on different aspects of the situation Triggers that indicate the need for concern and possibly response are not defined Humanitarian needs become long term, un-noticed

9 The Challenge of Leadership A genuine challenge is identifying leadership for a situation that crosses multiple government ministries departments and entities, and a range of different non- government partners at the national and local levels.

10 Key recommendations: Short to medium term Establish DER-other LCG cross linkages Identify a coordination forum for the region (emphasize and advocate for broad participation) Develop Triggers (entry & exit) Link Infrastructure development with community participation Ensure humanitarian response is linked to ongoing programs Identify the role of local government Commission a detailed socio-economic assessment study Advocate

11 Key recommendations: long term A master plan for comprehensive solution Dedicated development authority SW issues reflected in GoB’s 5 year plan Link with Climate Change funds River linking programmes Policy on land sealing Disaster resilient structures/habitat Aquaculture development and marine based industry Diversification of livelihoods/potential eco- tourism (private sector engagement)

12 Thank you