Speakers in a function here yesterday said holistic approach and comprehensive efforts of the stakeholders are very crucial to minimize the risks of disaster to the people of disaster prone areas.

“As the flood, river erosion, cold wave and drought are the main natural calamities in the district and visit here every year creating untold sufferings to the people, an emphasis should be given to address it properly avoiding huge losses of properties through holistic approach and united efforts of all”, they said.

They made the comments while they were addressing an inception workshop on Climate Change and Disaster Management Programme  held at the conference room of SadarUpazilaParishad of the town here at  noon.

Sajida Foundation, a voluntary organization of the country, arranged the workshop under the programme.

Chairman of SadarUpazilaParishad Shah SarwarKabir attended the function and addressed it as the chief guest and chairman of Mollarchar Union ParishadSaiduzzamanSarker and associate director of Sajida Foundation TajwakHaque were present at the event as the special guest.

Presided over by UNO SharifulAlam, the function was also addressed among others by representative of BracMosarrof Hossain, representative of Friendship Bibacar Biswas and senior journalist Sarker Mohammad Shahiduzzaman.

The speakers in their speeches said as the district experiences different types of disaster every year there is no alternative to make the disaster-affected people adaptive with the changed climatic condition to minimize their sufferings caused by disasters.

They also emphasized for creating much awareness among the affected people about disaster and its bad effect and enhancing the people’s resilience capacity to reduce disaster losses.

Earlier, a power point presentation on overall activities of the foundation was made by senior programme manager HasiburMannan while programme development officer Zulfikar Rahman moderated the function.

In the presentation, HasibulMannan said the programme would be implemented  at Mollarchar Union of the upazilaat the initiative of the foundation and various activities would be conducted to the people of programme command area to help them adapt with the climate change in a bid to reduce the loss of lives and properties.

Upazilachairman in his speeches thanked the officials of the foundation for bringing Mollarchar union of the upazila under the programme command area.

He also assured them of proving all sorts of help and assistance from the upazilaparishad to run the programme in the union smoothly and successfully.

A good number of upazila level officials and members of upazila disaster management committee including the journalists of print and electronic media attended the function.