Bangladesh Flooding Responses

Question 1

Ministry of Flood and Disaster (after flood)

Answer 1

Emergency shelters at approx 5.5K locations for 1.7 million homeless
3,400 medical teams mobilised
800 temporary health centres established
VGF programme set up

Question 2

UN (after flood)

Answer 2

Provided critical emergency supplies to support government ministries involved in emergency responses
Deployed team to assist in recovery effort

Question 3

Flood Action Plan (also hard engineering included)

Answer 3

After 1988 flood project by world bank to attempt to control folds in Bangladesh

1995 cost $150 million & second stage $500 million

Led to construction of embankments for major cities so roads & railway protected

Also protects farmland, fields & villages

Question 4

Criticisms of Flood Action Plan (4)

Answer 4

1. Benefits richer people in cities rather than poor
2. Narrow floodplains so increase height of rivers
3. Deprive many areas of fish & fertile silt during annual flood
4. Very expensive

Question 5

Forecasting

Answer 5

Measurement of rainfall, river flows & satellite images of weather problems no possible to predict flooding so people can be warned & made safe

Food & medicine delivered earlier by UN

Question 6

Cheaper strategies used to manage effects (5)

Answer 6

1. Flood shelters
2. Food, water purification tablets, medicines
3. Education on water safety
4. Many manage with own resources (selling possessions or borrowing from family)
5. Charities like Oxfam send large quantity of food, medicines, water purification tablets & money for the poor