Preparing ourselves for recurring cyclones is a must

This year has not been a kind one for Bangladesh. Rising inflation, frequent power outages, gas and fuel crisis have combined to paint a bleak picture of the economy. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina herself has said that the possibility of famine cannot be ruled out. As a triple whammy, cyclone Sitrang hit Bangladesh with fury.

To make matters worse Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) on Tuesday morning has warned that another cyclone may hit the country in December.

Cyclone Sitrang, slammed into densely populated, low-lying Bangladesh late Monday, killing at least 16 people as authorities fearing heavy rain and storm surge rushed to move hundreds of thousands out of the cyclone’s path.

Geographically, Bangladesh is considered to be one of the most cyclone-prone areas in the world. Low pressure forms seven to eight times in the Bay of Bengal every year. Some of these eventually turn into cyclones. The cyclone mostly hit the Odisha and Andhra coasts of India and Bangladesh.

Among the deceased, three were in Cumilla, two in Bhola, two in Sirajganj and one in Shariatpur, Barguna, Narail, and Dhaka.

The Bay of Bengal, unfortunately, is a focal point of cyclone generation. A large portion of the global storm surges are recorded in Bangladesh. Tropical cyclones from the Bay of Bengal accompanied by storm surges are one of the major hazards in Bangladesh. They occur mainly in April/May and October/November. The country is one of the world's worst sufferers of all cyclonic casualties.

Cyclone formation in the weather cycle can suddenly increase. Bangladesh has been hit by a cyclone almost every year for ten years. In the 1980s and 1990s, cyclones hit every three to four years.

The 1970 Bhola cyclone, one of the world's worst natural disasters, killed several hundred thousand people in Bangladesh — then known as East Pakistan.

After Cyclone Sidr in 2007, Cyclone Aila hit Bangladesh in 2009. Then from 2015 to 2022, we saw one or more cyclones hit every year.

In recent years, better forecasting and more effective evacuation planning have dramatically reduced the death toll from such storms.

The area hit by Cyclone Sitrang, i.e. Barisal, Noakhali and Chittagong coast, has faced very few cyclones in the last three decades. For example, the region was last hit by cyclones in 1985 and 1991. All subsequent cyclones hit the south-west coast of the country. The region has more natural defences to deal with major disasters like cyclones. Again there is the Sundarbans on this coast. As a result, wind speed and tidal height decrease. The few cyclones that have hit the region since Sidr and Aila have caused relatively little damage.

But Barisal, Noakhali, Sandwip coast, and Meghna estuary do not have extensive forests like Sundarbans. And the rivers there are very big. So the tide quickly inundated the residential areas. That is why the damage is more when a cyclone hits this area. In the cyclone of 1991, we saw extensive damage in Chittagong and Cox's Bazar areas.

This region also needs to prepare more for dealing with cyclones. The embankments are yet to be fully repaired after being damaged by cyclone Sidr and Aila. Many areas and islands do not even have seawalls. In such a situation, all the country's coastal areas may have to face cyclones every year from now on. The government should take the necessary steps because it has become a regular phenomenon for low-lying Bangladeshi people. Bangladesh has achieved a lot in terms of strengthening its disaster management facilities. Bangladesh has earned global praise for its disaster management. However, this Sitrang shows there is little room for complacency because of its geographic position in Bangladesh we have to live with cyclones. Protective measures must be maintained and updated.

The cyclone warning system unfortunately failed the nation this time around. There must be improvement in this connection. In this day and age predicting a cyclone is well-nigh perfect internationally. However, unfortunately cyclone forecasting leaves a lot to be desired as evidenced by Cyclone Sitrang.

We can learn from every natural disaster. The accumulated knowledge will hopefully help us in dealing with such future catastrophe.