River Flashcards
River
The ganges Bangladesh
Opportunities: fertile land (3)
For growing of rice and jute
for agriculture
Deposition annual of alluvium soil
Irrigation in unsuitable weather
Water supply (5)
For drinking, cooking, washing
Irrigation
Enough for dense population of over 1000 per km square
Fish supply (3)
Sell to help economy
To feed dense population
Jobs for locals
Building
Flat land used for building for dense population
Economy (2)
4th largest in world for rice and first for jute`
Causes of flooding (7)
Human: deforestation means less interception
Poor people live on flood plains
Farming creates silt which deposits in river causing less carrying capacity
urbanisation leading to impermeable sufaces
May- September 1 metre a day
Frequent tropical cyclones
1.7 million km2 of drainage so large area affected
Very flat land about 50% of country 12m below sea level
Impacts of flooding (10)
in 1980
physical impacts
•670,000 hectares if crops destroyed
•2 million tonnes of rice destroyed
- social impacts
* 1000 killed; 30 million refugees; 50 million without resources; damaged hospitals;
* water mixed with sewage, creating cholera
* 2 million tonnes of rice destroyed - economic impacts
* land washed away; can’t invest in infrastructure; chars (poor housing) washed away
* $1 billion of damage
* 400 factories closed; 20% decrease in production- higher food prices due to major loss
management of the River Ganges (9)
- Dhaka Flood Protection Project
* embankment along the western side in response to 1998, increasing water capacity
* pump stations and drainage systems in Dhaka to move water back into the river
* problems: $100 million project; expensive to build and maintain
- Dhaka Flood Protection Project
- Flood Preparedness Programme
* cluster villages: raised land with houses and facilities for 30 families in each
* food shelters: 2 hectares of raised land with livestock and facilities for 100 families
* rescue boats: located at flood points and new flood shelters
* raised homestead: home raised 2 metres; grass planted to prevent erosion
- Flood Preparedness Programme
- radios: flood warnings, given to the ‘preparedness committee’