flooding - Bangladesh

Question 1

background information of Bangladesh

Answer 1

• one of the worlds most densely populated countries
• it has a population of 400 million inhabitants
• much of Bangladesh is situated on a Delta of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers
• it has three of the worlds most powerful rivers passing through its country - the river Ganges, the Meghna & the Brahmaputra

Question 2

human factors contributing to the flooding:

Answer 2

DEFORESTATION OCCURED - which resulted in the vital top soil being stripped away which slows and drains the water - resulted in soil erosion which reduces the lands ability to infiltrate.
- additionally deforestation in Nepal and the Himilayas meant that less rainfall was intercepted resulting in increased discharge

URBANISATION - of the flood plain has increased the magnitude and frequency of the floods

BUILDING OF THE DAMS IN INDIA e.g. the Faraka dam has increased the issue of sedimentation in Bangladesh

• finally flooding only becomes a problem when people are in the area, such as the presence of subsistent farmers living on the delta as they cannot afford anywhere else to live and the soil is very fertile as a result of the alluvium
• therefore the high population density exacerbates the problem of flooding.

Question 3

Physical causes of flooding in Bangladesh

Answer 3

• its subtropical location means that cyclone activity is common
• it is positioned on the edge of the monsoon belt, the area is hot, humid and a low pressure zone therefore humidity rises rapidly resulting in increased intense precipitation, winds and storm surges which contribute to the issue of flooding
• most of the country consists of large flood plain and delta, therefore it is flat land and at sea level which is made from deposits from the river Ganges and is therefore susceptible to flooding.
  . Also 70% of the total area is less than 10m above ses level, therefore the land is low lying and suscepitble to flooding.
• snow melt from the Himilayas takes place in late spring and early summer which increases the flood risk as the melt water significantly increases discharge.
• additionally, the Himilayas are positioned at a steep gradient, therefore there is increased potential energy and consequently an increase in velocity.

Question 4

social impacts:

Answer 4

• over 2000 people died - the death toll was high because of many reasons however many people were reluctant to evacuate as they would have to leave their land and livestock unattended
• wells became polluted with sewage, so there was a lack of clean drinking water - over 100 000 people caught water Bourne diseases such as dysentery and diarrhoea
• an estimated 25 million people were made homeless

Question 5

Economic impacts:

Answer 5

Debt increased, both individually as farmers had to borrow money for foods and seeds and also nationally s the government had to import food and medicine

• factories were closed around Dhaka due to the flood damage and loss of raw materials - many workers became unemployed
• widespread loss of livestock e.g cattle, and since 80% of Bangladeshis rely on agriculture, many lost their livelihoods

Question 6

Environmental impacts:

Answer 6

• Rivers were polluted with sewage resulting in water contamination this caused a reduction in species diversity
• soil erosion
• flooding deposited fertile silt on the flood plain

Question 7

Management:

Answer 7

• Government provided emergency relief in the form of rice, clothing, medicines, blankets and towels
• a group of 17 people came together voluntarily to form a community based organisation to help their community
• long term responses were dependent on foreign aid from both official and unofficial sources
• however Bangladesh is a poor country and therefore cannot afford major flood defences and therefore relies and the community and the government.