Banglasdesh 2004 Case Study

Question 1

Major flooding in Bangladesh occurs frequently with how much of the country being regularly covered?

Answer 1

20-30%

Question 2

Bangladesh lies on the delta land of which 3 rivers?

Answer 2

1. The Ganges
2. The Brahmaputra
3. The Meghna

Question 3

What intensifies the monsoon rainfall?

Answer 3

The height of the land

Question 4

What adds to discharge in Bangladesh’s spring time?

Answer 4

Meltwater from the Himalayas

Question 5

What has increased erosion rates in Bangladesh’s rivers?

Answer 5

Tectonic uplift

Question 6

Sediment is dumped in Bangladesh’s rivers and they become more inefficient and have reduced hydraulic radius’s. What does this make more likely?

Answer 6

Flooding

Question 7

What percentage of Bangladesh is less than 1 metre above sea level?

Answer 7

20%

Question 8

What does much of Bangladesh consist of?

Answer 8

‘Chars’ which are islands made from the mud deposited by the areas major rivers

Question 9

Between which months is Bangladesh’s monsoon season?

Answer 9

May to September

Question 10

Bangladesh lies to the south of the Bay of Bengal, what does this leave it at risk of?

Answer 10

Cyclones

Question 11

Define a cyclone

Answer 11

Huge tropical storms that bring exceptional winds, intense precipitation and storm surges.

Question 12

What do the gentle slopes of the Bangladesh flood plain allow flood water to do?

Answer 12

Spread over large distances

Question 13

What does the loose unconsolidated nature of Bangladesh’s flood plain mean?

Answer 13

Bank erosion is very easy

Question 14

What is the population of Bangladesh?

Answer 14

Just over 150 million

Question 15

Why is Dhaka at risk of flooding?

Answer 15

It has experienced Rapid urbanisation, propelling its population to over 1 million. It is also at the confluence of the Ganges and the Meghna making is especially vulnerable

Question 16

What does Bangladesh have which makes it even more vulnerable (human factor)

Answer 16

A high population density, despite improvements many are poor and ill prepared to cope with floods

Question 17

What has occurred in neighbouring Nepal and Tibet, leading to an increased flood risk in Bangladesh?

Answer 17

Population pressures have led to increased deforestation in the Himalayas, causing increased soil erosion and therefore silting up of rivers

Question 18

What have attempts to control the Ganges for irrigation meant?

Answer 18

They have slowed to river, leading to higher levels of silt deposition. This then builds up land inland but means that the water travelling out of irrigated areas carries a reduced sediment load, which may be speeding up erosion in vulnerable areas.

Question 19

Global warming may also have an influence on flooding in Bangladesh. How much more rainfall will there be in Bangladesh by 2030?

Answer 19

10-15% which could be devastating according to climatologists

Question 20

What has the pollution of Bangladesh’s water courses meant?

Answer 20

Floodwaters may be a source of disease

Question 21

What is Bangladesh’s GDP per capita?

Answer 21

$700

Question 22

What does Bangladesh rely on to finance large scale development projects?

Answer 22

Foreign aid

Question 23

Why has the death toll from flooding in Bangladesh reduced overtime?

Answer 23

A combination of measures from the national government, multi national aid schemes and the work of NGOs

Question 24

What measures have been put in place to prevent loss of life in Bangladesh from flooding?

Answer 24

1. Tens of thousands of volunteers to provide warnings and supervise evacuations
2. Warnings broadcast over the loud speaker from mosques
3. Several thousand cyclone shelters have been built, with all new schools now doubling as shelters
4. All hospitals and clinics are built to be cyclone proof
5. Huge advances in meteorology allows for advanced warnings to be sent

Question 25

During July and August 2004 how much of Bangladesh was covered by floodwater? Include examples of what was covered

Answer 25

38% including 800,000 ha of agricultural land and the capital city of Dhaka

Question 26

What type of flood was the 2004 flood?

Answer 26

A river flood and rainwater flood, rather than a storm surge, although there were elements of flash flooding

Question 27

The Meghna was swelled by heavy monsoon rains, when did it reach its peak level?

Answer 27

Early-July

Question 28

Apart from the Meghna what was significant about early July in the 2004 Bangladesh floods?

Answer 28

It was when the other two rivers (Ganges and Meghna) burst their banks

Question 29

Where did heavy rains in the north of Bangladesh cause floods in 2004?

Answer 29

There were flash floods caused in North and west-central districts

Question 30

What was a factor in the flooding of the Brahmaputra?

Answer 30

It was swollen by a burst Himalayan dam

Question 31

Where did the Brahmaputra flood and what were the results of this?

Answer 31

The Brahmaputra flooded huge swathes of north India and Bangladesh, killing dozens and forcing millions to seek refuge on higher ground

Question 32

In September 2004 the unusually heavy rains continued in Bangladesh. What did experts suggest?

Answer 32

That this was the worst spell of weather in Bangladesh for 50 years

Question 33

How many people were made homeless by the 2004 Bangladesh floods?

Answer 33

36 million (25% of the population)

Question 34

By mid-September what had the death toll of the Bangladesh floods risen to and why did many of these people die?

Answer 34

800, many of which died due to disease from a lack of access to clean water

Question 35

Who were worst affected and least able to respond to the Bangladesh floods?

Answer 35

The poor were worst affected, specifically landless labourers, small farmers in rural areas. In urban areas it was slum dwellers squatting on poorly drained land

Question 36

What economic damage did the 2004 Bangladesh floods do?

Answer 36

1. Damage to infrastructure- roads, bridges, railway lines etc 2. Boats were afloat on the main runway at Sylhet airport and all domestic and internal flights were suspended during July 3. The value of the damage was assessed to be at $2.2 billion (4% of the total GDP)

Question 37

What were the environmental impacts of the 2004 Bangladesh floods?

Answer 37

Mainly riverbank erosion, especially on embankment areas close to main channels; soil erosion; water logging, particularly in urban areas; and water contamination

Question 38

What were the short term responses to the Bangladesh floods?

Answer 38

1. The government, working with NGOs provided emergency relief: rice, clothes, medicines, blankets, towels etc 2. In July the UN activated a disaster management team to coordinate the activities of the UN agencies. They supplied critical emergency supplies and conducted a 'damage needs assessment ' 3. Bilateral aid from individual countries was directed to the UN team 4. Self help schemes were set up, local people worked together to rebuild

Question 39

What was the long term response to the Bangladesh floods heavily reliant on?

Answer 39

Foreign aid, from both official and unofficial sources

Question 40

What was the previous flood management plan in Bangladesh, when was it devised and what was it based around?

Answer 40

It was the Flood Action Plan and was decided after the 1988 floods, it was centred around of flood embankments on the Ganges and Meghna

Question 41

Why did the previous flood action plan fail?

Answer 41

They paid little knowledge and many attempts at river management had failed

Question 42

Recently what has resulted in lives being saved in Bangladesh?

Answer 42

Small scale community projects, early warning systems and flood shelters have been put in place

Question 43

Which organisation granted Bangladesh financial aid for a period of 5 years to help with repairs to infrastructure, water resource management and education?

Answer 43

The world bank

Question 44

Which 5 years have catastrophic floods recently struck in Bangladesh?

Answer 44

1988, 1998, 2004, 2007 and 2010

Question 45

What is planned to be used for all future social and economic infrastructure projects in Bangladesh?

Answer 45

A flood resistant design

Question 46

How much is the temperature projected to rise in the Bay of Bengal over the next 40 years and how much would this increase sea levels by?

Answer 46

2-4 degrees and it would increase sea levels by 50-100cm

Question 47

How much would Bangladesh's total land area be reduced by with a 50cm rise in sea level and how many people would this make homeless?

Answer 47

It would reduce Bangladesh's land area by 11% and cause 5.5 million people to be homeless

Question 48

How much would Bangladesh's total land area be reduced by with a 100cm rise in sea level and how many people would this make homeless?

Answer 48

It would reduce Bangladesh's land area by 20% and create over 15 million climate refugees