Flooding in Bangladesh, 2004

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  • Created by: AbiM
  • Created on: 23-02-14 14:49

The Causes and Effects of Flooding in Bangladesh, 2004

Causes

  • Tropical storms
  • Less than 6m above sea level - coastal flooding as well as inland flooding
  • Snowmelt in the Himalayas
  • Building on the floodplains - lack of interception
  • Deforestation - lack of interception
  • Monsoons - 90% of the rain fell in a short period of time
  • Changing rainfall patterns - climate change - unpredictable weather - less time to prepare
  • Poor communication - lack of weather warnings
  • Built on the delta of the Brahmaputra, Ganges and Meghna river

Effects

  • River channels silt up - reduces river depth
  • 352,000 houses submerged, 600,000 destroyed - people forced to live on higher ground, eg roads, embankments without shelter
  • Water pollution - spread of diseases such as dysentery and diarrhea - lack of clean water
  • Lack of food - 1.1 million hectares of crops submerged
  • Increased soil erosion and deposition - floodplains inundated
  • Men are forced to seek money away from home and family - low wages
  • Increased price of rice - 30% increase
  • After floods - land more fertile - grow more crops - no need to import food
  • Increased river discharge

Overall summary

After the floods receded the following management systems were put in place:  Building of coastal flood shelters on stilts.  Sandbags used to build up embankments.  Cluster villages - number of houses raised.  Early warning systems.  Artificially constructed banks and walls

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