Editorial
The capital's vulnerability to earthquakes
Put in place a management strategy
WHILE the people of Bangladesh are getting apprehensive of earthquakes, particularly the people living in the metropolis, we are getting different figures regarding the total number of buildings that are vulnerable to earthquakes. Some recent statistics given out at a roundtable suggest that 43 percent of buildings in Dhaka city, including school and hospitals, are vulnerable to moderate or strong earthquakes. The roundtable was arranged to share the lessons of the recent Haiti earthquake.
The figures have resulted from a study conducted two years ago by the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme. Numbers that one came across in the past were much higher than what we have now. Sitting as we are, on one of the most active tectonic plates, the spectre of disaster should be occupying our minds at all times, more so of those who are entrusted with disaster management. And thus there is need for a comprehensive study to ascertain the actual state of vulnerability of the capital as also other major cities and towns, to earthquakes.
Although the Capital has been divided into four zones one would need more specific data regarding other aspects of the city's infrastructure to help in formulating a management strategy in this regard. Specificity is what we emphasise upon, because around that would revolve the entire pre and post disaster management actions.
We are certain that the Haiti catastrophe has many lessons for us which the government will do well to recognise and act upon. To start with, a thorough risk analysis of the capital must commence forthwith in order to evolve a realistic post disaster plan. Reportedly, Dhaka had featured very high in the Earthquake Disaster Risk Index (EDRI), which emerged from a study at Stanford University, conducted in 20 cities around the world in 1999. Given the changes in various factors that helped develop the index it can be assumed that the risk index of Dhaka has gone up since then.
Also in this regard comprehensive disaster management standing orders should be formulated forthwith. Although we have become adept in handling calamities such as cyclones and storm surge and floods, and there are appropriate standing orders in this respect, we are not aware that there are those concerning handling of earthquakes, particularly how the medical and other essential services would function given that these would also be affected by the quake.
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