Bangladesh flooding

Bangladesh flooding

1. Background information

   • It is an LEDC
   • Terential rain started 23rd June 2012 and resulted in floods and landslides
   • Population of 150 million

2. Causes

   • Human
     • They built on the land of the floodplains , this means that the land thats the river was supposed to naturally supposed to flood onto was covered in impermeable surfaces so less water could be absorbed.
     • Deforestation means that transpiration was dis-enabled. This means that there was more surface run off so therefore more of the rain water that flowed straight into the river.
     • They can''t give flood warnings as there are no telephones. This means that people were not prepared for the flood and less people were able to be evacuated before the flood started.
     • The levees were poorly maintained, this meant that they were leaking and some were collapsed. This meant that the river was able to over flow more easily.
     • There has been an increase in urban areas. This means that there are more places at risk of getting flooded and damaged. It also means there are more impermeable surfaces, therefore less water can naturally be absorbed so more water flows into the river
   • Physical
     • Lots of low-lying land which is 1m above sea level.
     • Snow that melts in the Himalayas adds water into the main rivers.
     • Heavy monsoon rain can't be absorbed by saturated ground. This means that there is more surface run off so more water in the river.
     • Cyclones cause coastal flooding
     • Forms a delta from three main rivers, Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna

3. Effects

   • Human
     • It killed 139 people
     • It damaged over 360,000 houses meaning hundreds of thousands of people were left homeless.
     • There was a shortage of drinking water and dry food, this means that some people were starving.
     • Ruined shops and factories, meaning that lots of people lost money and trade. People were getting no income.
     • All schools were closed. Young people lost out on their education
     • Diseases spread quicker because water was dirty and carried water borne diseases
   • Physical
     • 230 areas of crop land were damaged. Farming is a major source of income so this damaged the economy. It also meant that there became a lack of food and nutrition.
     • Over 57% of the land area was flooded
     • Fish were swept away and fish hatcheries were destroyed. This meant that fishermen's incomes were badly affected and there was a lack of food.
     • The were landslides which causes even more damage

4. Responces

   • Long term
     • Money from transfers was shifted over to pay for schools and hygiene facilities
     • People were employed to do repairments.
     • The Flood Action Plan is funded by the world bank. It funds projects to monitor flood levels and construct flood banks/artificial levees.
   • Short term
     • Giving flood-affected families food parcels (ready to eat food/dry food items, including rice, lentils, oil, salt and sugar) and household items, including plastic sheets, soap and oral rehydration salts.
     • 7,000 people received cash transfers. They were given the freedom of what they could spend the money on. It paid for necessary item.
     • 55,778 people were evacuated