Flood Preparedness Drill Held in Faridpur’s North Channel Union

Under the Zurich Climate Resilience Programme Phase-3, Practical Action in Bangladesh on Monday organised a day-long flood preparedness simulation drill based on a flag-based early warning system at Padma Char High School in North Channel Union of Faridpur Sadar Upazila.

The initiative aimed to strengthen advance flood response at the local level, improve coordination among stakeholders and further enhance community resilience to disasters.

Faridpur is recognised as one of Bangladesh’s most flood-prone districts, where low-lying areas and particularly the riverine char regions are inundated almost every year. Homes, livelihoods and essential services routinely suffer severe damage. Climate change has added to the uncertainty surrounding the timing, depth and intensity of floods, making risk management increasingly complex.

While national-level early warning systems have advanced, a persistent challenge remains: translating technical forecasts into simple, clear and actionable guidance for ordinary citizens. River water level data and forecast information are often too technical for the public to interpret quickly, leaving many unable to take timely protective measures.

To address this gap, the Dynamic Flood Risk Model developed by the Institute of Water and Flood Management at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) is being piloted in Faridpur. The model simplifies complex flood predictions into five easy-to-understand risk levels, each represented by one to five flags. Every level is paired with specific pre-defined actions, enabling residents to know exactly what preparation is required and when.

The full-day drill brought together local government bodies, the Department of Disaster Management, Bangladesh Water Development Board, Bangladesh Meteorological Department, Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence, the District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer, technical experts, volunteers and local residents. Through realistic simulations of different flood scenarios, participants rehearsed their roles and responsibilities and practised coordinated decision-making.

Ishrat Shabnam, Country Director of Practical Action in Bangladesh, delivered the opening address. She stressed the importance of making early warnings more accessible and effective. “Practical Action works to improve the lives of the most vulnerable and neglected communities in remote parts of the country,” she said. “By delivering timely early warnings, we are helping them prepare for floods. Reaching at-risk populations with simple, understandable alerts is vital to saving lives and protecting assets, and we remain committed to strengthening early action systems in the long term.”

A community representative from North Channel Union then shared first-hand experiences of past floods and highlighted the critical need for timely, straightforward warnings, especially for people living in the char areas.

Professor Anisul Haque of the Institute of Water and Flood Management at BUET led the technical session. He explained how the Dynamic Flood Risk Model converts complex risk data into clear, visual flag-based warnings. He demonstrated the direct link between each flag level and corresponding water depth, expected flood timing and potential damage, showing how communities can take appropriate advance action.

The simulation exercise involved active participation by personnel from the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, Fire Service and Civil Defence, Practical Action staff and local volunteers.

Also present were Md Nuruzzaman, Deputy Director of the Department of Disaster Management, and Syed Ariful Haque, Faridpur District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer. Both officials emphasised the value of strong national-local coordination, evidence-based decision-making and effective early warning dissemination. They noted that simulation drills play an essential role in rehearsing practical responses to potential large-scale disasters. They added that while disaster management in the past focused heavily on post-event relief, greater attention must now be given to pre-emptive preparedness to reduce losses.

Such drills bridge the gap between scientific forecasts and locally relevant, actionable information. By fostering integrated preparedness, these efforts are expected to play a key role in reducing damage and building long-term resilience in flood-prone areas across Faridpur and the rest of the country.