Case study geography

River Flooding 

Bangladesh 1998

Natural causes 

• all rivers have basins in other countries
• suffers from tidal flooding 

Human causes

• Densely populated 
  • 900 people per kilometre squared 
  • rapid growth 2. percent 
  • small country 
  • 3/4 live in delta.  
• Deforestation 
  • many trees in upper course removed 
• River diversion 
  • diverted for irrigation 
  • stopped river sediments 
  • Bangladesh sinking 
  • fresh water wells 
    • water level increased 
• International loans 
  • spent on repayment not defense
• overseas pressure
  • government has pressure to build factories so opportunity cost.  
• Inadequate overseas aid.  
  • many flood schemes set up by world bank been inefficient 
• …