Disease Dilemmas Case Study : Bangladesh

Question 1

Where is Bangladesh?

Answer 1

Southern Asia

Question 2

When were the bangladesh floods?

Answer 2

2020

Question 3

What disease broke out after the bangladesh floods?

Answer 3

• Epidemic of diarrhoea
• Water-borne diseases such as typhoid and hepatitis and cholera

Question 4

What is Bangladesh prone to?

Answer 4

Annual floods

Question 5

Why are the floods in Bangladesh important?

Answer 5

Deliver more than 1 bill tonnes of fertile soil - important to those in rural areas (in 2019 more than 60% lived in rural areas)

Question 6

Why did disease break out after the floods?

Answer 6

Drinking water became contaminated by flood water

Question 7

Why is Bangladesh prone to flooding?

Answer 7

Has a low-lying floodplain landscape and has more than 200 rivers which dominates the countries landscape

Question 8

Human influences on Bangladesh floods:

Answer 8

• Rapid urbanisation (lag time shortened and peak flow increased making it 6 times more susceptible to flooding)
• Deforestation in upstream region
• Fresh water demand
• Stability of flood defences

Question 9

Natural influences on Bangladesh floods:

Answer 9

• Monsoon climate
• Tectonic uplift
• Relief runoff
• Sea levels rising

Question 10

What are three major rivers in Bangladesh?

Answer 10

• Ganges
• Brahmaputra
• Meghna

Question 11

What % of Bangladesh was flooded within the first 2 months of the floods?

Answer 11

40%

Question 12

How many people were affected by the Bangladesh floods?

Answer 12

3.3 mill people

Question 13

How many homes were waterlogged by the Bangladesh floods?

Answer 13

750,000

Question 14

How many hectares of crops were destroyed?

Answer 14

110,000

Question 15

How many schools were destroyed by Bangladesh floods?

Answer 15

1,900

Question 16

How many people died in Bangladesh floods?

Answer 16

83

Question 17

How many people became ill from contaminated water in the Bangladesh floods?

Answer 17

4,500

Question 18

What is the increasing amount of flooding having a negative effect on stopping?

Answer 18

Diarrhoea - clean water and sanitation are vital in combatting it

Question 19

What is being done by the Bangladeshi gov and NGO’s to reduce diarrhoea (especially after flooding)?

Answer 19

• Use of oral rehydration solution (ORS)
• Promotion of breastfeeding (increases growth rates of babies as well as preventing water-borne diseases)
• Encouragement of hand washing
• Use of water purification tablets
• Improvements in female education and nutrition

Question 20

How many lives are estimated to have been saved by the new sanitation policies against diarrhoea by the Bangladeshi gov?

Answer 20

70,000 in 2015 alone

Question 21

What are factors affecting the rate of flooding in Bangladesh?

Answer 21

• Relief = Bangladesh is located on low-lying land meaning that floods happen easily and frequently
• Climate = climate change possibly increasing output of precipitation meaning more rain falling into Bangladesh rivers, shorter lag time, Bangladesh experiences monsoon rains annually
• Deforestation = increases surface run-off into rivers

Question 22

What are factors affecting the spread of disease after Bangladesh floods?