R - Case study - Bangladesh

Question 1

What were the physical causes?

Answer 1

• 70% of the land is only 1m above sea level
• 10% of land is rivers, lakes and swamps
• Bad previous weather conditions
• Snowmelt from Himalayas

Question 2

What were the human causes?

Answer 2

• Deforestation
• Urbanisation
• Poorly maintained embankments
• Whole country is basically a big flood plain
• Buildings near Frakka dam

Question 3

What were the primary effects?

Answer 3

• Floods covered more than half of the country
• 760 killed
• 8.5 million homeless
• 35 million effected
• Rice growing and fishing disrupted
• Ponds and bridges destroyed and damaged

Question 4

What were the secondary effects?

Answer 4

• Over 1 million children suffered from malnutrition and disease
• Rebuilding estimated at $2-3 billion
• Food supplies needed until following harvest

Question 5

What were the short term responses?

Answer 5

• Food, medicine, clothes and blankets handed out
• Locals began to rebuild homes
• UN launched $74 million appeal but only got 20%
• Water aid supplies water purification tablets

Question 6

What were the long term responses?

Answer 6

• Building new embankments along the rivers

- Building more flood shelters on stops +more early warning systems

Question 7

What is the country like? (Population, density, rivers)

Answer 7

• Has a population of over 160 million
• Is one of the most densely populated countries
• 3 of the worlds main rivers run through it (Ganges, Megha and Brahmaputra)