Climate: Flooding in Bangladesh

Question 1

What is the relief of Bangladesh?

Answer 1

low lying

Question 2

What delta is Bangladesh near?

Answer 2

Ganges delta

Question 3

What makes Bangladesh prone to flooding?

Answer 3

The majority of the country is 12m above sea level thus very prone to flooding due to rises in sea level and storm surges that funnel through the Bay of Bengal.

Question 4

What risks do the floods pose to Bangladesh?

Answer 4

• rising sea levels (1m) could reduce land area by 10%
• increased rainfalls and more cyclones.
• soil degradation, erosion, deforestation and increased risk of Earthquakes due to destabilisation of tectonic faults.
• reduced food and water security
• loss of shelter and deterioration in health standards.

Question 5

What are the impacts of flooding in Bangladesh?

Answer 5

Personal Security -

• Deaths from drowning (3 quarters of all flood victims)
• Deaths from diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid and cholera (two thirds of all deaths in any given flood)
• Loss of income
• Loss or unavailability of fuelwood, gas

Buildings and Infrastructure -

• Tin wall and mud houses washed away
• Damage to mosques, temples and churches
• Damage to garment factories

Crops and Animals -

• Loss of livestock
• Grain shortages
• Damage to vegetation

Question 6

1. How does location affect the impacts of climate change

Answer 6

• Nearly 200,000 coastal residents will be forced to migrate to inland areasto find alternative livelihoods.
• Many parts of Bangladesh are under severe threat of future sea-level submergence, but studies show the migratory response to flooding is likely to be minimal, as most farmers have already adapted their cultivation practices to cope with changes in the frequency and intensity of flooding in this deltaic region. - 140,000 coastal residents will migrate to another location within their district, and nearly 60,000 would move to alternate districts.

Question 7

Economics

How does the economic stability of the area make the place more or less resilient to climate change?

Answer 7

According to the 2015 Climate Change Vulnerability Index, Bangladesh’s economy is more at risk to climate change than any country. With a GDP of about $1,220, the economic losses in Bangladesh over the past 40 years were at an estimated $12 billion, depressing GDP annually by 0.5 to 1 percent. Economically, the coastal agricultural industry is significantly impacted by climate change. The sector already makes up 20% of the country’s GDP, along with 60% of the population being directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture for their livelihood.

Question 8

Social
How do the social differences impact a persons vulnerability to climate change? Think about age, gender, race, education etc).

Answer 8

8% of Bangladesh is over the age of 60. This is a high number. This means that 13 million people are OAP. They may be less mobile and less adaptable to change. Additionally, Bangladesh has an influx of men and thus may make it easier to mobilize the population due to the decreased chance of the probability of women being pregnant. There are 47 million young people in Bangladesh. Thus, this will make it hard to mobilize the population due to the extra needs in transport and care within the new location.

Question 9

Politics

How does the political stability or persuasion make an area more vulnerable or resilient to climate change?

Answer 9

Bangladesh’s current government consists of a republican party. This suggests that they are more pro businesses and less supportive of the people. This means that to maximize businesses productivity, firms will not care about the amount they are polluting the environment. This will eventually lead to the country’s carbon emissions increasing, contributing to the enhanced green house effecting global temperatures and negatively impacting the environment by rising sea levels and cause people to migrate.

Question 10

Perception

What is the level of risk and vulnerability?

Answer 10

This is defined as the views of different people regarding climate change. Someone’s opinion on the possible risk of a situation. Due to Bangladesh having low levels of education they are extremely vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate.
Due to Bangladesh having low levels of education they are extremely vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. Interviews with dozens of migrant families, scientists, urban planners, human rights advocates, and government officials across Bangladesh reveal that while the country is keenly aware of its vulnerability to climate change, not enough has been done to match the pace and scale of the resultant displacement and urbanization, toppling any prospect of a humane life for one of the world’s largest populations of climate migrants.