Bangladesh is considered a role model in early warning systems (EWS). Bangladesh has achieved remarkable success in reducing deaths due to cyclones by building early warning systems, shelters, and organizing evacuations. For example, Cyclone Bhola killed about 300,000 people in 1970, Cyclone Sidr killed 3,500 people in 2007, while Cyclone Fani killed fewer than 10 people in 2018. The nation now has an early warning system that can evacuate millions of people in 24 hours and coastal embankment systems that safeguard over 6,000 km of vulnerable shoreline. The coastal regions of Bangladesh are at risk from natural disasters such as floods and storms. To reduce the impact of these disasters, an early warning system has been put in place to disseminate information and allow for necessary action to be taken.
The coastal regions of Bangladesh are considered high-risk zones that are frequently affected by natural disasters and calamities. These negative environmental circumstances cause floods, storms, destruction of socioeconomic conditions, livelihoods, housing, and so on. To reduce the vulnerabilities of targeted beneficiaries to increasing climate change impacts, the GCA project will strengthen awareness and understanding among the beneficiaries, value-chain actors, as well as local government institution (LGIs) staff in the use of climate risk reduction strategies to safeguard their livelihoods and assets. It will also capacitate and equip women and girls to support the last-mile dissemination of Early Warnings (EWs) and preparedness information to facilitate timely and effective response to extreme events in coordination with the ‘Cyclone Preparedness Program’ (CPP). The project will create an inundation model by estimating rainfall, embankment height, and damage through simulations. The output will be used to help in developing evacuation plans and flood risk reduction strategies for people's lives, livelihoods, and property by sending forecasts and early warning messages to those living in the project unions in Khulna and Satkhira.