Bangladesh CS

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  • Created by: Qiao-Chu
  • Created on: 06-04-13 22:20

Causes (Physical)

Country has tropical monsoon-type climate.

Hot rainy summer and dry winter.

Climate - one of the wettest in the world.

Most areas 1525 mm a year.

Hilly areas - 5080 mm a year.

Most rain in monsoon season June to September.

Brahmaputra river swollen by rain and burst Himalayan dam.

Heavy monsoons swelled Meghna river, reaching peak level in July.

Deltas of large rivers from the Himalayas.

Low-lying flat land.

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Causes (Human)

Extraction of water for irrigation lowered water table and caused land to subside.

Pressure to produce more food led to more land being farmed.

Deforestation in the Himalayas increased so less interception and increased surface run-off.

No leaves to intercept, no roots to bind soil in place.

Destabilised slopes leading to landslides and soil erosion.

Soil carried by rivers, reduces channel capacity.

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Effects (Short-term)

Covered 60% of country causing disruption and damage to already poor infrastructure.

Death toll 750.

8.5 million homes destroyed.

More rural to urban migration so pressure on overcrowded cities like Dhaka.

35 million affected.

Rice and fishing industry disrupted.

Dhaka airport flooded.

Roads, bridges, transport and communications destroyed.

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Effects (Long-term)

More than 1 million children malnutrition.

Food crops destroyed so food shortages.

1000s of farmers lost fields and businesses lost in cities and town.

Water borned diseases spread, 1000s suffered from diarrhoea due to open sewage.

30 million homeless.

Rebuilding costs $2-3 billion.

Emergency aid needed for water, medicine and food until next harvest.

Flood alleviation measures planned.

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Responses (Short-term)

Food supplies, medicines, clothing and blankets distributed.

Effects of flood on transport made this difficult.

Communities began rebuilding homes.

International help.

UN launched appeal for $74 million, only 20% by September.

WaterAid supplied water purification tablets.

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Responses (Long-term)

Embankments built along river. (Less successful)

Flood warning and provision of food shelters. (More successful)

Areas of raised land where people can move temporarily to with cattle and have access to dried food and get water before contamination.

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