Disease and Water Cycle - 12 marker (Bangladesh)

Note - Bangladesh Case Study. Synoptic link between Water Cycle and Spread of Disease. Paper 3: Geographical debates. This essay got 12/12.

Q: Examine how process and flows of the water cycle affect outbreaks of disease in a named area [12 marks] 

Hazards such as flooding causes spread of water borne diseases through the contamination of drinking water facilities. Bangladesh is particularly affected by regular seasonal flooding which causes regular outbreak of disease. Due to its location in Asia on the Tropic of Cancer and with proximity to the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean, Bangladesh has a tropical climate and experiences an annual monsoon season which brings heavy rainfall and cyclones. Heavy precipitation for prolonged periods of time means that the infiltration capacity of soil is exceeded, this causes extensive flooding. Moreover, seasonal meltwater from the Himalayan glaciers means river discharge is high and flooding is increasingly likely. Flooding results in dirty infected water contaminating water supplies and effecting sanitation. This creates the conditions for infectious water-borne diseases such as Typhoid, Hepatitis and Diarrhoea to spread in expansion diffusion. Drinking water and food become contaminated by bacteria and diseases present in the flood water. Bangladesh is low…