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19 TowardsEstablishingaNationalMechanism… 459 affected communities during disasters (MoDMR2014). Theministry’smain func- tions include: (i) Formulating the laws, policies and action plans for disaster risk reduction,emergencyresponseanddisastermanagement; (ii)Preparingpoliciesand plansforurgenthumanitarianassistanceandrehabilitationprogram,preparationand preservation of all social safety net program; (iii) Preparing disaster risk reduction plans, undertaking activities for training and research, and coordination, monitor- ing and evaluating activities among local, regional and international development partners; (iv)Undertaking humanitarian assistance to ensure food security through the implementation of food for work program (FFW), gratuitous relief (GR) and vulnerable group feedings program (VGF); and (v) Ensuring employment for the ultra-poorduring leanperiodof theyear to reducepoverty riskandvulnerability. The Department of Disaster Management (DDM) is the technical arm of the MoDMRwhich delivers and implements interventions on the ground. TheDDM ensures that disaster risk reduction (DRR) considerations are mainstreamed into the policies, plans and programmes of relatedministries and departments. It fur- ther coordinates research, capacitybuilding, andawareness raisingonDRRrelated activities (Shamsuddoha et al. 2013). Key development policies and plans of the government such as theBangladesh Perspective Plan 2010–2021, Sixth FiveYear Plan2011–2015andNationalSustainableDevelopmentStrategy(NSDS)emphasise implementing theNationalPlanonDisasterManagement (NPDM) in linewith the nationalplan.TheSeventhFiveYearPlan2016–2020calls forbuildingresilienceof thepoorandreducing theirexposureandvulnerability togeo-hydro-meteorological hazards, environmental shocks,man-madedisasters, emerginghazards andclimate relatedextremeevents. TheDisasterManagementAct of 2012 aims tomitigate the overall impacts of a disaster and reducevulnerability. TheAct governs post disaster rescue and reha- bilitation programs, humanitarian assistance to enhance the capacity of poor and disadvantaged, programs undertaken by various government and non-government organisations (GoB2012).TheaimofDisasterManagementPolicy is tostrengthen thecapacityof theBangladeshdisastermanagement systemto reduceunacceptable riskandimproveresponseandrecoverymanagementatalllevels.Itmakesreferences to relevant sectorpolicies, operationalguidelinesandprocedures. TheStandingOrderonDisaster (SOD)wasfirst issued in1997 toactasaguide- book during an emergency for concerned ministries, departments, line agencies, local government bodies and communities to understand and perform their duties and responsibilitiesduringadisaster.TheSODhasbeen revised in2010 to include sectordevelopmentplans,andthosehavingemergencymanagementresponsibilities topreparetheirowncontingencyplansandtraintheirstaffaccordingly.Moreover, to maintaincoordinationamongsttheconcernedministries,departments, lineagencies, localgovernmentbodies (LGD)andcommunities, thegovernmenthas formulateda setofmechanismsforcouncil andcommittees fromnationaldownto thegrass-root levels.EstablishedbytheNationalDisasterManagementCouncil, theNationalPlan for DisasterManagement 2010–2015 (NPDM) aims to reduce the risk of people, especiallythepoorandthedisadvantaged,fromtheeffectsofnatural,environmental andhumaninducedhazards.Theplanputs inplaceanefficientemergencyresponse