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1998 Bangladesh Flood. Causes Effects Prevention. Basic Information. Bangladesh is a relatively poor country with GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,500 (2009 est.) It is basically a large floodplain & delta formed by deposition from the major rivers that flow through it.
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1998 Bangladesh Flood Causes Effects Prevention www.i-study.co.uk
Basic Information • Bangladesh is a relatively poor country with GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,500 (2009 est.) • It is basically a large floodplain & delta formed by deposition from the major rivers that flow through it. • The fact that is floods has brought benefits such as fertile land and reliable water supplies. It is increasingly a problem though as the population increases. • It lacks resources such as minerals & metals due to the way it was formed. • It has a population of about 156 million. www.i-study.co.uk
Human causes of Flooding • Deforestation in Himalayan areas (N. Bangladesh, Nepal & India) – fuel, building material → ↓ interception & ↑ surface runoff, ↑ soil erosion. • Increasing populations → ↑ urbanisation → ↑ impermeable surfaces → ↑ surface runoff & ↑ speed of runoff. • Human influences on erosion nearer the sources of the rivers is causing increased issues from deposition in Bangladesh. • Lack of money leads to poor investment in flood defences (building of new ones & maintenance of existing ones). • Climate change attributed to human activity is raising sea levels which increases storm surge flooding events. www.i-study.co.uk
Physical causes of flooding • Monsoon rains – wet season (May-Sep). • Snow melt from the Himalayas in the summer months. • Low lying land → storm surges cause flooding from the sea. • 3 major rivers (Ganges, Brahmaputra & Meghna) converge in Bangladesh if they are in peak flow then they are likely to flood here. • Bangladesh is essentially one large floodplain. • Formed by deposition from these rivers, Bangladesh is very flat → large areas flood when a river bursts its banks. • Continued deposition ↓ river channels capacity & increases likeliness of flooding. www.i-study.co.uk
Effects • 57% of land flooded. • Rice crops destroyed & livestock drowned → subsequent food shortages & ↑ prices. • Drinking water supplies contaminated → spread of cholera & dysentery. Also a severe shortage of drinkable water. • 7 million homes destroyed & 25 million made homeless. • Almost $1 billion of damage. • 4750 people killed. • Severe damage to infra-structure (factories, roads, schools, water) leading to decreased economic output. www.i-study.co.uk
Solutions • In 1989 the government of Bangladesh began working with a number of international agencies to produce a Flood Action Plan. • This huge scheme contained 26 action points which it was hoped would provide a long term solution to the country's flooding problems. www.i-study.co.uk
Short Term Management • Boats to rescue people • Emergency supplies for food, water, tents and medicines • Fodder for livestock • Repair and rebuild houses, as well as services such as sewage etc • Aid from other countries Long Term Management • Reduce Deforestation in Nepal & Himalayas • Build 7 large dams in Bangladesh to store excess water $30-$40 million and 40 yrs to complete • Build 5000 flood shelters to accommodate all the population • Build 350km of embankment - 7 metres high at a cost of $6 billion to reduce flooding along the main river channels • Create flood water storage areas • Develop an effective Flood Warning Scheme www.i-study.co.uk
