Bangladesh

Question 1

Storm surges

Answer 1

40% of all recorded storm surges happen in Bangladesh

Most at risk from tropical cyclone storm surges

Question 2

Height

Answer 2

Low lying river delta (<9m)

Majority is <3m above SL

Question 3

Sediment

Answer 3

Coastline is unconsolidated delta sediment

Dynamic + more erosion

Question 4

Rivers

Answer 4

Ganges + Brahmaputra

3rd largest discharge (30770m3/s) + largest suspended sediment load (1.84bil tonnes/yr)

Question 5

Mangroves

Answer 5

Deforested mangroves

Stabilised swamps + dissipated wave energy

Question 6

Coastal shape

Answer 6

Triangular shape acts as funnel

Intense cyclone rainfall - more flooding — leads to disease (cholera/malaria)

Question 7

Tropical cyclones

Answer 7

Creates LP - less weight of air so SLR (storm surge)

Wind speed reaches 260kmh - high energy waves (more height)

Question 8

SLR

Answer 8

28-98cm SLR within the century - 65cm by 2080

40% farmland lost

Question 9

Subsidence

Answer 9

Bengal Delta subsiding 8-18mm/yr (isostatic readjustment)

Himalayas uplifting + compaction of buried sediment + humans (urbanisation + dredging)

Question 10

Cyclone Sidr, 2007

Answer 10

3m storm surge + 260kmh winds

15000 deaths + US$1.7bil damage + 3mil houses lost + 2mil lost income source

Question 11

Hypothetical

Answer 11

If 40cm SLR - 11% of Bangladesh’s coastal land submerged - 7-10mil refugees