Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh: Damage, loss, and needs assessment for disaster recovery and reconstruction

240 kilometers per hour. The category 4 storm1 was accompanied by tidal waves up to five meters high and surges up to 6 meters in some areas, breaching coastal and river embankments, flooding low‐lying areas and causing extensive physical destruction. High winds and floods also caused damage to housing, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. Electricity and communication were knocked out, and roads and waterways became impassable. Drinking water was contaminated by debris and many sources were inundated with saline water from tidal surges, and sanitation infrastructure was destroyed.

Destroyed Houses at the Coast of Bangladesh The cyclone was the second natural disaster to affect Bangladesh in twelve months. Monsoon floods had previously caused extensive agricultural production losses and destruction of physical assets, totaling near US$ 1.1 billion2. The occurrence of these events in close succession is a reminder of the country's extreme vulnerability to frequent hydro‐meteorological hazards, which stand to be further exacerbated because of climate change.

The analysis of the damage and loss assessment has identified the needs and quantified financial requirements that will facilitate formulating comprehensive early recovery actions, medium‐term recovery and reconstruction plans, and a long‐term risk management and reduction strategy. These should be formulated, adopted and implemented to reduce the impact of future disasters which are likely to be more intense due to climate change. International support will be essential as domestic resources and capacities are limited.