Bangladesh Flood 1998

Question 1

Where is Bangladesh?

Answer 1

Bangladesh is the floodplain of the rivers:
• Ganges
• Brahmaputra
• Meghna

Question 2

When was the Bangladesh flood?

Answer 2

1998 -> 75% of country flooded

Question 3

Human causes of the Bangladesh Flood (4)

Answer 3

• Deforestation in Nepal - increase surface run-off and deposition as no trees to stabilise soil
• Urbanisation - no infiltration
• Higher temperatures (global warming) melts snow and ice in the Himalayas
• Poorly maintained levées (can’t afford)

Question 4

Physical causes of the Bangladesh Flood (5)

Answer 4

• Natural monsoon climate(80% annual rain concentrated in 3 months)
• Melting of snow in the Himalayas
• Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna peaked at the same time, rather than Brahmaputra a month before Ganges
• River deposits silt near its mouth, blocks main channel and raises river beds
• 80% of Bangladesh is low-lying floodplain anyway

Question 5

Flooding evaluation of flooding in Bangladesh (1,4)

Answer 5

☑Alluvium and water allow crops like rice to grow

☒Destroys houses
☒Death
☒Disease
☒Worsen economy

Question 6

Pattern of flooding 1954-1999 in Bangladesh

Answer 6

1954-1980:
• Percentage of area flooded 20%-25%
• Pretty consistent

1981-1999:
• Unpredictable
• 1994 - 1% land flooded
• 1998 - 75% land flooded

Question 7

Social effects of the Bangladesh Flood (7)

Answer 7

• 1300+ dead
• $1.5 billion damage
• 25 million homeless
• Electricity cut off for several weeks
• No safe drinking water - diseases (cholera, typhoid)
• No transport -> food and medicine shortages
• Loss of school equipment

Question 8

Economic effects of the Bangladesh Flood (6)

Answer 8

• 7 million homes destroyed
• 2 million tonnes of rice destroyed
• Other crops (jute, sugar cane) lost
• 0.5million cattle/poultry lost
• Transport flooded (Dhaka International Airport)
• $1.5 billion in total damage

Question 9

The Flood Action Plan (4)

Answer 9

• Wing dykes
• Screens to close off streams
• Concrete mattresses to stabilise banks
• Levées - 8000km worth

Question 10

Advantages of Flood Action Plan (6)

Answer 10

• Gain 10km of land back
• Deeper so better shipping
• Protected from floods
• Fields can be specifically watered
• So high yield variety rice (5 times crop, 3 times a year)
• Without control -> hunger -> no education (80% farmers, 60% in poverty) -> no development

Question 11

Disadvantages of Flood Action Plan (4)

Answer 11

• Millions will have to move out of homes
• Don’t know if it will be successful - river engineering’s unscientific
• No stone in Bangladesh
• Dykes will be 8 times those in Mississippi

Question 12

How much will Flood Action Plan cost?

Answer 12

$10 billion

Question 13

How long will the Flood Action Plan take?

Answer 13

100 years

Question 14

How much does one dyke cost in Bangladesh?

Answer 14

$5 million

Question 15

How much more sediment does the Brahmaputra have compared to the Mississippi?

Answer 15

3x

Question 16

How much more water does the Brahmaputra have compared to the Mississippi?

Answer 16

2x

Question 17

How many homes destroyed from the Bangladesh Flood?

Answer 17

7 million

Question 18

How much rice destroyed by the Bangladesh Flood?

Answer 18

2 million tonnes (1/4 of annual rice export)

Question 19

How much cattle and poultry lost from Bangladesh Flood?

Answer 19

1/2 a million

Question 20

How many died from the Bangladesh Flood?

Answer 20

1,300+

Question 21

How much total damage by the Bangladesh Flood?

Answer 21

$1.5billion

Question 22

How many homeless from the Bangladesh Flood ?

Answer 22

25 million