Proceedings of a workshop GARNET activities in Bangladesh: water and sanitation issues in disaster management

Abstract

A two-day workshop aimed at bringing together government and non-governmental organezations, universities, UN and donor agencies, active in water and sanitation (WS) issues in disaster mitigation programme was held on 22-23 April 1996 at ICDDR,B the Centre for Health and Population Research, to analyze the existing WS issues in disaster situations. The participants in the workshop defined disaster as events associated with flood, cyclone, and tornado. The topics of discussions were grouped into five disciplines: water, sanitation, education and dissemination, coordination, and general programme. WS actvities that received negligible attention so far but need immediate attention were identified by the participants to be: raising of latrine above flood level, dewatering of ponds, disposal of bodies, promotion of actions following signal, rainwater harvesting, standardization of WPT, quality control of WPT, school programme, appropriate management of water resources in drought, exploration of acceptable surface water sources, quality of education materials, Jatrine distribution at the household level and action-oriented education programme on water and sanitation.