Casestudy: Flooding in Bangladesh

Question 1

In what 3 ways is Bangladesh prone to flooding due to it’s geographic qualities?

Answer 1

• Bangladesh is a deltaic country, meaning it is inevitably prone to significant flooding events.
• In addition, Bangladesh faces monsoon season from June to October, which is increasing in intensity due to climate change.
• On a longer term, regional subsidence caused by plate tectonics makes the country more liable to coastal and river flooding.

Question 2

What are the 3 major rivers that dominate Bangladesh?

Answer 2

• The Ganges
• The Meghna
• The Brahmaputra

Question 3

What are the benefits of flooding in Bangladesh?

Answer 3

• The floods support a rural population, and this is significant for Bangladesh as 60% of the country lived in rural areas.
• The floods deliver 1 billion tonnes of fertile soil, being an agricultural resource - being supplied and washed down by the Himalayas.
• In all, 80% of the land area benefits from flooding - despite challenges.

Question 4

How has climate change affected floods in Bangladesh?

Answer 4

• Climate change has increased the magnitude of flooding.
• Following 2014 - Bangladesh experienced 6 CONSECUTIVE years of high-magnitude floods, in which 22 percent or more of the country was inundated.
• Since 1972, the magnitude has increased.

Question 5

Why are the rural areas of Bangladesh at higher risk?

Answer 5

• Rural areas in Bangladesh dominate the country’s low-lying floodplain landscape to receive fertile soils from the extensive river system.
• Rural areas already have associated risk with limited infrastructure in a spatial perspective, so they are at an increased risk of water borne transmission as hygiene standards are lower.

Question 6

How does flooding impact disease in Bangladesh?

Answer 6

The transmission of water-borne pathogens increases during flood events, these include diseases such as typhoid, cholera and hepatitis.

Question 7

What are the environmental factors in Bangladesh that influence the spread of disease?

Answer 7

• Climate
• Sanitation
• Water supply
• Food

Question 8

How does Bangladesh’s environmental factor of climate contribute to the spread of diseases during flooding?

Answer 8

• Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon climate, bringing heavy rainfall to complement flood activity and high humidity. This creates ideal conditions for waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid to thrive and proliferate.

Question 9

Why does flooding in Bangladesh worsen sanitation issues?

Answer 9

• Floodwaters can overwhelm sewage systems, contaminating drinking and domestic water with human waste - leading to outbreaks of diarrhoeal diseases.