This paper aims to document a case study of a disaster in Bangladesh and the role of an information management system for disaster management planning.
The paper uses a methodology that considers perceptions or constructions – including the role of information systems – to be dependent on the social and cultural structures, which is helpful in reducing destruction in disaster‐prone areas.
Advances in information technology in the form of the internet, geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, satellite communication, etc. are beneficial in many aspects of the planning and implementation of hazard reduction arrangements.
Natural disasters strike countries, both developed and developing, cause enormous destruction and create human suffering, and have negative impacts on national economies. Bangladesh suffers regularly and frequently from disasters like floods, cyclone storms, tidal surges, river bank erosion and earthquakes.
Incorporating knowledge of information management system is becoming increasingly important in the derivation of management solutions for disasters.
Information systems including GIS, communication technology, other information retrieval and information management systems should be maintained during natural disasters to reduce the cost and time for contingency. In this paper, an attempt is made to highlight the role of information technology in the management of natural disasters in Bangladesh.
