Bangladesh constructs hundreds of new disaster resilient structures

Bangladesh has been constructing hundreds of new disaster resilient structures in the country's cyclone prone areas coastal districts in collaboration with the World Bank.
The World Bank has been supporting the Bangladeshi government through a project to restore the livelihoods of people affected by the Cyclone Sidr (2007) and Cyclone Alia (2009), and to build long- term disaster preparedness.
The Emergency 2007 Cyclone Recovery and Restoration Project ( ECRRP) has been constructing new cyclone shelters, repairing existing shelters and building shelter access roads in cyclone prone areas.
The Washington-based lender in a statement on Wednesday, ECRRP has also been repairing embankments, making peoples' lives and livelihoods safer and more resilient.
In addition, the project has provided agricultural support to farmers through the provision of improved seeds, agricultural tools, livestock, fish fingerlings, household silos and hands on training on the use of such technology, it said.
The project is also supporting the preparation of the first phase of a fifteen year government program for disaster risk reduction, it added.
According to the statement, ECRRP has already constructed 136 new multipurpose disaster shelters that double up as primary schools during non-emergency situations. Sixty-five more new shelters will be completed by June 2015.
The target is to construct a total of 330 new shelters by the end of 2017. The project has completed the rehabilitation of 241 existing shelters, out of a target of 460 shelters to be repaired by 2017, it said.
Another 81 will be rehabilitated by June 2015, it said and added repair works for 260 km coastal embankments have been completed out of a total target of 460 km.
A recent monitoring and evaluation report shows significant improvements in the socio-economic status of ECRRP beneficiaries.