Flooding in South Asia (LEDC)
- Created by: Hayley Barker
- Created on: 04-05-13 12:50
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- Flooding of South Asia, 2007
- Physical Factors
- Monsoon came suddenly after a very dry early summer
- peak discharge of the river Ganges and Brahmaputra coincided - increased river discharge downstream
- heavy Rainfall - assam= 169.5mm in 24 hours on 22nd July and 900mm for july total
- Human activities
- Deforestation in Himalayas and Nepal = less interception of rainfall = increase discharge
- growth of urban areas due to migration = increased surface runoff
- collapse of old earth dams in madhya, pradesh and india = further flooding
- Environmental Impacts
- Flood deposited fertile silt on flood plain
- Rivers polluted with sewage
- Social Impacts
- 2000+ people died. death toll was high for many reasons e.g many people reluctant to evacuate (have to leave land and livestock unattended), children drowned couldnt swim, poor transport links = slow evacuation
- wells polluted with sewage= lack of clean drinking water. 100000+ people caught water borne diseses
- 25 million people left homeless
- 112000 houses destroyed in india = pourous mud bricks saturated by floodwater
- dhaka inundated especially poorer districts and shanty towns near the river
- children lost out on education 4000 schools affected, 44 schools destroyed
- Economic Impacts
- cost of flood= $1 billion including damage to crops and property
- Factories closed around dhaka due to flood damage and loss of raw materials
- poorest workers became unemployed
- widespread loss of livestock
- many people lost their livelihoods due to 80% of bangladeshis relying on agriculture
- 550000 hectares land couldnt be planted with rice at peak times due to flooded fiels
- lower rice crop= world price of basmati rice + 10% increase
- 10000km roads destroyed. Landslides blocked roads in highlands of Nepal and assam
- debt increased both individually and nationally
- General facts
- south asia= monsoon climate - 80% rainfall in 4 months
- low lying land particular;ly bangladesh- 90% land is only 10m above sea level
- increased snowmelt from himilayas - increase in the brahmaputra river discharge
- july and auguat 2007 flooding severe in bangladesh and india
- Physical Factors
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