Case study of flooding in poor part of the world

Question 1

Flood, number of deaths/homeless

Answer 1

Bangladesh, 2004
C. 800 deaths
36 million homeless

Question 2

Physical causes?

Answer 2

• snowmelt from Himalayas

- monsoons = heavy rainfall = saturated soil = shorter lag time

Question 3

Human causes?

Answer 3

• deforestation in Himalayas = thin soil = easily saturated
• poor area so no river management
• high population, urbanisation

Question 4

Environmental impacts

Answer 4

• 800,000 hectares of agricultural land flooded

- river bank erosion, soil erosion, water contamination

Question 5

Economic impacts

Answer 5

• damage cost $2.2 billion
• serious damage to infrastructure
• all domestic internal flights had to be suspended during July

Question 6

Social impacts

Answer 6

-farmers and labourers suffered the most as so much damage was done to the agricultural sector

Question 7

Immediate responses

Answer 7

• rescue operations, aid from individual countries
• Government worked with NGOs to provide rice, clothing, medecine, blankets, towels etc
• the UN activated a disaster management team to organise supplies

Question 8

Long-term responses

Answer 8

• local people used a self-help scheme to rebuild
• Food shelters and early-warning systems set up by help projects
• The World Bank provided financial aid
• poor river management schemes set up