A workshop was held on 21 September, 2011 at Disaster Bhaban, Dhaka on the issue and strategy related to Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change adaptation .The workshop was jointly organized by Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) under Ministry of Food & Disaster Management of Bangladesh and Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC).
The workshop was started with welcome speech from Mr.Aminul Islam, Asstt.Country Director and Mr.Ahsan Zakir, Director General, Disaster Management Bureau. The speakers discussed about the purpose of organizing such a workshop. The main purpose of organizing the workshop was to find the strategy to link up the community Radio in disaster risk reduction.
In his speech, Mr.AHM Bazlur Rahman, Chief Executive Officer, BNNRC highlighted the role of community radio in combating disaster risk and climate change phenomena. He presented the latest status, preparation and progress in broadcasting of 14 CR stations (all of those were getting preparation to come on-air by the end of October’2011 at the latest.)
In discussion session, Mr.Puji Pujiona, Project Director of CDMP initiated the discussion on developing a possible working strategy for Community radio and DRR issues.
He mentioned that the community people, threatened to be the victims of disaster incidents and climate change hazards lacked the relevant information most. They do not have adequate access to traditional and commercial mass media. On this backdrop, Community Radio could be the effective linkage between the community and Climate change adaptation and disaster management issues. He has identified 03 focus areas to work on priority basis, which he mentioned as Community Radio in 3-D: Content development, capacity Development and access to development .He proposed that these could be the potential CDMP activities to support in 3-D.
After Puji’s presentation, basing it as a guideline – 03 groups were formed among the participants, to discuss and to find out the recommendations for future work in groups. The group works were coordinated by Mr. Suman Alam, Advocacy and Communication Analyst, CDMP.
13 representatives from Community Radio Stations of Radio Chilmari,Radio Mukti, Barendra Radio, Radio Mahananda, Radio Padma, Radio Zhinuk,Radio Nalta, Lokobetar, Radio Naf, Radio Sagar giri, Radio Pally kantha and Krishi Radio attended the program.
