Cyclone Aila Flashcards
When did it occur ?
23rd to the 28th of May 2009
Where did it hit?
Southern Bangladesh, which is located in south Asia.
Neighbouring countries include Burma and India
How did it form ?
It formed over the Bay of Bengal. The sea temp. was 26.5 degrees. The air pressure was 967 mB. Due to the Coriolis effect, the winds rose and spun anti-clockwise. The cyclone formed over the sea which meant that there was more energy, which made the impacts more severe.
How many people died?
200 people
How many people lost their homes ?
750,000 people lost their homes due to flooding. This was due to houses being made out of mud so they were easily destroyed when heavy rain and tidal waves stuck.
Social impacts
Dead bodies contaminated water which meant that it wasn’t as to drink - so hundreds of people had to go without clean water
Flood embankments were destroyed and a year after the Cyclone, they were still broken. This meant that people couldn’t start to rebuild their homes / restart their life
A year after the cyclone 10,000 people were still homeless
Many schools were destroyed which meant that children didn’t get an education
Economic impacts
Bangladesh is flat (only 6+ metres above sea level.) this meant that when storm surges hit, much of costal Bangladesh east flooded.
The salt from the sea got absorbed into the land (Salinisation.)this meant that crops were unable to grow. As many rely on farming then many won’t have a way of making money
Also trees offer some protection from cyclones but without these trees , the force of the cyclone is greater
Environmental impacts
Salt from flooding couldn’t grow for months after the cyclone
Crops were destroyed by heavy rain and flooding
The heavy rain and wind meant an increased rate of soil erosion. This damaged existing vegetation and ecosystems
Responses
Dry clothes were distributed by NGOs
Water was rationed so everyone could get fresh water to drink
Government camps were set up to give people a place to stay
The government issued health workshops to explain the importance of hand washing
Oxfam am gave out grants to help people rebuild their businesses
NGOs are teaching people to design cyclone proof houses. Although these houses are low cost, they still cost around $15,000 which is more than most people can afford
The future
Neighbouring countries such as India give Bangladesh regular updates as to air pressure, wind speeds and temperature. They will warn Bangladesh is they pick up on a cyclone. Messages are send out to warn people on incoming cyclones.
However, as Bangladesh has a population of 3 x the UK, it means that it’s impossible to evacuate everyone but regular updates give people time to evacuate
