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Early recovery in
Bangladesh  Residents face the aftermath of cyclone Sidr. Photo by Steven Goldfinch/UNDP Dhaka. On 15 November 2007, cyclone Sidr, a category 4 storm, struck Bangladesh. The accompanying storm surge breached coastal and river embankments. This caused flooding in low-lying lands and extensive physical destruction. Approximately nine million people were affected: 3,400 people died, more than 50,000 people were injured, and 1.5 million homes were destroyed or badly damaged. The Government of Bangladesh mounted a massive response to the disaster. Coordination groups were set up to facilitate a coordinated approach between international and national agencies and the government. The Early Recovery Cluster Coordination Group was made up of 20 UN organizations, representatives of government ministries and other coordination cluster groups, international and national non-governmental organizations, Red Crescent societies and others. UNDP was appointed lead agency for the Early Recovery Cluster Coordination Group, working closely with the Government’s Ministry of Food and Disaster Management as co-chair. The group was responsible for ensuring that early recovery was being addressed in all of the other cluster groups, such as health, food security, clean water-sanitation-hygiene, and shelter. In addition, it focused on addressing the outstanding early recovery needs not covered by the other cluster groups. Core early recovery areas were governance, community infrastructure, disaster risk reduction, livelihoods and cross-cutting issues. In the immediate aftermath of the cyclone, the Early Recovery Cluster Coordination Group, under the joint leadership of the government and UNDP, conducted a twin needs assessment: an early recovery needs assessment and an environmental rapid assessment. More than 120 experts from the government, United Nations and non-governmental organizations gathered data from the six most affected districts at the local level. Subsequently, in January 2008, a national workshop on early recovery was organized to map out the results of these assessments together with the findings of other assessments, including food security, agriculture, livelihood and transitional shelter. Approximately 200 people representing the government, United Nations, non-governmental organizations and donors participated in the workshop to share information, determine immediate priorities and strengthen partnerships for early recovery. Based on the outputs of the workshop, which resulted in an agreed way forward in identifying immediate priorities, the Early Recovery Cluster Coordination Group, together with the other clusters, worked with the Government of Bangladesh to put together a National Early Recovery Implementation Plan. The plan covers immediate needs up to 12 months after the disaster. It maps out continuing emergency needs together with early recovery interventions primarily in the form of localized and quick-yielding programmes addressing short to medium-term needs in food security, transitional shelter, restoration of livelihoods, management of environmental impact, repair of critical infrastructure, healthcare support, education services, water and sanitation, and good governance. The plan is part of a government-led integrated national recovery plan and links with findings from a World Bank and government-led damage, loss and needs assessment that focuses on macro and long-term recovery. UNDP’s lead role in the early recovery effort has helped provide leadership and coherence in the international response to the effects of cyclone Sidr. While the response to the disaster was clearly led by the government, UNDP worked closely with governmental, international and national counterparts to focus attention on early recovery from the outset. UNDP was able to forge effective links between early recovery efforts and longer-term development initiatives. Working with the government and partners, UNDP was able to frame early recovery within a disaster management system that connected emergency response with recovery, as well as efforts to build better resilience to and preparedness for future disasters. These efforts will be sustained to ensure that the momentum is not lost and that the people of Bangladesh are supported throughout the early recovery period and beyond.
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