Banglasdesh 2004 Case Study Flashcards
Major flooding in Bangladesh occurs frequently with how much of the country being regularly covered?
20-30%
Bangladesh lies on the delta land of which 3 rivers?
- The Ganges
- The Brahmaputra
- The Meghna
What intensifies the monsoon rainfall?
The height of the land
What adds to discharge in Bangladesh’s spring time?
Meltwater from the Himalayas
What has increased erosion rates in Bangladesh’s rivers?
Tectonic uplift
Sediment is dumped in Bangladesh’s rivers and they become more inefficient and have reduced hydraulic radius’s. What does this make more likely?
Flooding
What percentage of Bangladesh is less than 1 metre above sea level?
20%
What does much of Bangladesh consist of?
‘Chars’ which are islands made from the mud deposited by the areas major rivers
Between which months is Bangladesh’s monsoon season?
May to September
Bangladesh lies to the south of the Bay of Bengal, what does this leave it at risk of?
Cyclones
Define a cyclone
Huge tropical storms that bring exceptional winds, intense precipitation and storm surges.
What do the gentle slopes of the Bangladesh flood plain allow flood water to do?
Spread over large distances
What does the loose unconsolidated nature of Bangladesh’s flood plain mean?
Bank erosion is very easy
What is the population of Bangladesh?
Just over 150 million
Why is Dhaka at risk of flooding?
It has experienced Rapid urbanisation, propelling its population to over 1 million. It is also at the confluence of the Ganges and the Meghna making is especially vulnerable
What does Bangladesh have which makes it even more vulnerable (human factor)
A high population density, despite improvements many are poor and ill prepared to cope with floods
What has occurred in neighbouring Nepal and Tibet, leading to an increased flood risk in Bangladesh?
Population pressures have led to increased deforestation in the Himalayas, causing increased soil erosion and therefore silting up of rivers
What have attempts to control the Ganges for irrigation meant?
They have slowed to river, leading to higher levels of silt deposition. This then builds up land inland but means that the water travelling out of irrigated areas carries a reduced sediment load, which may be speeding up erosion in vulnerable areas.
Global warming may also have an influence on flooding in Bangladesh. How much more rainfall will there be in Bangladesh by 2030?
10-15% which could be devastating according to climatologists
What has the pollution of Bangladesh’s water courses meant?
Floodwaters may be a source of disease
What is Bangladesh’s GDP per capita?
$700
What does Bangladesh rely on to finance large scale development projects?
Foreign aid
Why has the death toll from flooding in Bangladesh reduced overtime?
A combination of measures from the national government, multi national aid schemes and the work of NGOs
What measures have been put in place to prevent loss of life in Bangladesh from flooding?
- Tens of thousands of volunteers to provide warnings and supervise evacuations
- Warnings broadcast over the loud speaker from mosques
- Several thousand cyclone shelters have been built, with all new schools now doubling as shelters
- All hospitals and clinics are built to be cyclone proof
- Huge advances in meteorology allows for advanced warnings to be sent
During July and August 2004 how much of Bangladesh was covered by floodwater? Include examples of what was covered
38% including 800,000 ha of agricultural land and the capital city of Dhaka
What type of flood was the 2004 flood?
A river flood and rainwater flood, rather than a storm surge, although there were elements of flash flooding
The Meghna was swelled by heavy monsoon rains, when did it reach its peak level?
Early-July
Apart from the Meghna what was significant about early July in the 2004 Bangladesh floods?
It was when the other two rivers (Ganges and Meghna) burst their banks
Where did heavy rains in the north of Bangladesh cause floods in 2004?
There were flash floods caused in North and west-central districts
What was a factor in the flooding of the Brahmaputra?
It was swollen by a burst Himalayan dam
Where did the Brahmaputra flood and what were the results of this?
The Brahmaputra flooded huge swathes of north India and Bangladesh, killing dozens and forcing millions to seek refuge on higher ground
In September 2004 the unusually heavy rains continued in Bangladesh. What did experts suggest?
That this was the worst spell of weather in Bangladesh for 50 years
How many people were made homeless by the 2004 Bangladesh floods?
36 million (25% of the population)
By mid-September what had the death toll of the Bangladesh floods risen to and why did many of these people die?
800, many of which died due to disease from a lack of access to clean water
Who were worst affected and least able to respond to the Bangladesh floods?
The poor were worst affected, specifically landless labourers, small farmers in rural areas. In urban areas it was slum dwellers squatting on poorly drained land
What economic damage did the 2004 Bangladesh floods do?
- Damage to infrastructure- roads, bridges, railway lines etc
- Boats were afloat on the main runway at Sylhet airport and all domestic and internal flights were suspended during July
- The value of the damage was assessed to be at $2.2 billion (4% of the total GDP)
What were the environmental impacts of the 2004 Bangladesh floods?
Mainly riverbank erosion, especially on embankment areas close to main channels; soil erosion; water logging, particularly in urban areas; and water contamination
What were the short term responses to the Bangladesh floods?
- The government, working with NGOs provided emergency relief: rice, clothes, medicines, blankets, towels etc
- In July the UN activated a disaster management team to coordinate the activities of the UN agencies. They supplied critical emergency supplies and conducted a ‘damage needs assessment ‘
- Bilateral aid from individual countries was directed to the UN team
- Self help schemes were set up, local people worked together to rebuild
What was the long term response to the Bangladesh floods heavily reliant on?
Foreign aid, from both official and unofficial sources
What was the previous flood management plan in Bangladesh, when was it devised and what was it based around?
It was the Flood Action Plan and was decided after the 1988 floods, it was centred around of flood embankments on the Ganges and Meghna
Why did the previous flood action plan fail?
They paid little knowledge and many attempts at river management had failed
Recently what has resulted in lives being saved in Bangladesh?
Small scale community projects, early warning systems and flood shelters have been put in place
Which organisation granted Bangladesh financial aid for a period of 5 years to help with repairs to infrastructure, water resource management and education?
The world bank
Which 5 years have catastrophic floods recently struck in Bangladesh?
1988, 1998, 2004, 2007 and 2010
What is planned to be used for all future social and economic infrastructure projects in Bangladesh?
A flood resistant design
How much is the temperature projected to rise in the Bay of Bengal over the next 40 years and how much would this increase sea levels by?
2-4 degrees and it would increase sea levels by 50-100cm
How much would Bangladesh’s total land area be reduced by with a 50cm rise in sea level and how many people would this make homeless?
It would reduce Bangladesh’s land area by 11% and cause 5.5 million people to be homeless
How much would Bangladesh’s total land area be reduced by with a 100cm rise in sea level and how many people would this make homeless?
It would reduce Bangladesh’s land area by 20% and create over 15 million climate refugees
