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This publication outlines a series of orientation sessions set up by the Nutrition Cluster in aid of strengthening preparedness for a predictable response; in line with envisaged and profiled natural disasters of sudden and slow onset origin in the various disaster-prone districts in Bangladesh. 

The orientation sessions were based on an Emergency Response Preparedness (ERP) approach which was aligned to Bangladesh Contingency Plans and Disaster Management Framework. 

Some of the identified gaps on preparedness included low technical capacities for Nutrition in Emergencies (NiE) across different stakeholders, weak sub-national coordination mechanisms for Nutrition, a lack of pre-crisis nutrition surveillance system and data, weak multi-sectorial integration on preparedness and the absence of a standardized reporting framework for NiE. 

The sessions found: 

• Preparedness actions should adopt a multi-sectorial approach to ensure complementarity and sustainability of actions.
• Newly constituted District Nutrition Coordination Committees would be a useful coordination platform to mainstream discussions on preparedness, however an orientation to all committee members on Nutrition in Emergencies is paramount to make it a success. 
• Strategies should be developed, implemented and scaled up to ensure preparedness actions are resourced and prioritized at all levels. 
• Capacities for NiE among Government and humanitarian actors need to be further developed and strengthened through suitable context specific and localized capacity building strategies; considering both technical and non-technical audiences. 
• A robust nutrition surveillance system is essential to provide pre-crisis data that will not only inform scale of need when a disaster strikes but will as well enable implementation of suitable actions to timely address identified gaps through the regular nutrition programmes.
•  A comprehensive review and update of the current reporting system for Nutrition to include Nutrition in Emergency indicators is essential to inform progress and identify challenges/bottlenecks around undertaking preparedness actions.