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Preface

The HCTT Nexus Strategy for Climate-related Disasters 2021-2025 is a humanitarian preparedness and response strategy developed to support the National Plan for Disaster Management (NPDM) 2021-25 and to complement the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for Bangladesh in relevant areas.

The document portrays an evidence-based estimate of humanitarian needs in the disaster situation, combining existing analysis on climate-related risks with humanitarian conditions across high-risk districts in Bangladesh. The focus is on three climate-related hazards: floods, cyclones and storm surges, and landslides. Based on this analysis and estimated humanitarian impacts, the Nexus Strategy outlines strategic objectives and key actions for 2021-2025 across the areas of risk and impact analysis, priority preparedness action, partnership for institutional capacity and action plan for response. Through these strategic objectives and corresponding actions, the Nexus Strategy provides a framework for coordinated activities for the HCTT and the wider humanitarian community, addresses gaps in current efforts, and complements the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) efforts. Particular emphasis is placed on the importance of innovative financing mechanisms at the core of effective disaster management and promoting key actions further to strengthen consistent disaster risk financing and anticipatory action planning.

The Nexus Strategy recognizes related priorities under the UNSDCF, particularly improving disaster resilience and access to inclusive social protection for vulnerable and marginalized groups. In addition, to contribute to the Humanitarian-Development Nexus, the strategy outlines critical areas where improved collaboration between humanitarian, DRR, and development stakeholders can create mutually reinforcing strategies and synergies. Accordingly, the HCTT Nexus Strategy represents the humanitarian community’s contribution to the Humanitarian-Development Nexus but does not represent the entirety of nexus-related work in Bangladesh.

This strategy is informed by the SPEED Approach, which UNRCO uses to operationalize the collective outcome of humanitarian communities in Bangladesh and the Risk and Impact Analysis study commissioned by Start Network. It has been produced through a consultative process and is defined by consensus among the humanitarian community and with the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR) agreement. Activities implemented under this strategy will uphold humanitarian principles and best practices in natural disaster response. The Nexus Strategy is supportive of the Sendai priority to enhance disaster preparedness for effective response and the Grand Bargain commitments to (1) reinforce—do not replace—national and local systems (2) transcend the humanitarian-development divide and (3) Anticipate—do not wait for—crises.

The document aims:

(1) To lay out strategic objectives to coordinate and improve the quality and effectiveness of HCTT’s interventions to climaterelated disasters and create linkages for collaboration with DRR and development stakeholders.

(2) To support the planning of mitigation, preparedness, response, and early recovery efforts to climate-related disasters by providing a solid evidence base in the form of multi-hazard risk analysis and humanitarian impact forecast from 2021 to 2025.

(3) To support inter-agency readiness for responding to the climate-related disaster in support of national government preparedness efforts- aiming at anticipating – not wait for – humanitarian crises based on the Emergency Response Preparedness.

(4) To enhance the humanitarian community’s ability to support GoB-led response efforts with speed, volume, and quality by providing evident preparedness and response activities for all clusters.

(5) To provide a costed contingency plan that can form the framework for an HCTT coordinated response plan once activated.