Rivers - Flooding - South Asia 2007

Question 1

When was the flooding particularly severe in Bangladesh and India?

Answer 1

In July and August 2007

Question 2

What were the main physical factors that caused this flooding? (X4)

Answer 2

1)Monsoon came suddenly after a very dry, early summer.

2)There was heavy rainfall (infiltration excess)
(Assam recorded 169.5mm in 24 hours) on the 22nd of July, and 900mm total for July.

3) Rained for long period of time (saturation excess)
4) The peak discharges of the Ganges and Brahmaputra coincided, which increased river discharge downstream

Question 3

What human activities made the flooding worse? (X3)

Answer 3

1) DEFORESTATION
Deforestation in Nepal decreased interception and increased discharge, also added load to river.

2)URBANISATION
Growth of urban areas inc run off.

3)EARTH DAMS
Collapse of Earth dams in Madhya Pradesh, India, caused further flooding.

Question 4

What were the social impacts of the flooding (x6)?

2x death and disease
2x homes
2x facilities

Answer 4

1) 2000 people dead
Many reluctant to evacuate and leave land/livestock unattended. Children can’t swim. Slow evacuation.

2) 100 000 caught water borne diseases (e.g dysentery, diarrhoea)
Wells became polluted with sewage.

3) 25million homeless
4) 112 000 houses destroyed in India, porous mud bricks became saturated in India.
5) Dhaka (Bangladesh’s capital) was inundated.
6) Children lost education as 4000 schools were affected, 44 totally wr3cked.

Question 5

What were the economic impacts of the flooding?

2x Money
2x Farming
2x Roads and Factories

Answer 5

2x Money
The cost of flooding was estimated at US $1 billion, crop and property damage inclusive

Debt increased

• Individually (e.g farmers borrowed money for seeds and food)
• Nationally (governments imported food and medicine)

2xFarming
Loss of livestock (e.g) Cattle. 80% of Bangladeshis rely on Agriculture, many lost their livelihoods.

550 000hectares of land couldn’t be planted with rice at peak time, because of flooded fields. World price of Basmati rice rose by 10%.

Roads
10 000km of roads were destroyed. landslide blocked roads on the highlands of Nepal and Assam.

Factories
Factories around Dhaka closed due to flood damage, and loss of raw materials (e.g rice) this left many o the poores workers unemployed.

Question 6

Environmental impacts

X3

Answer 6

1)Fertile silt on flood plain

2) Rivers polluted with sewage
3) Animals and humans squeezed concentrated on few remaining dry bits of land, increased number of snake bites and human and events etc.

Question 7

Human factors made IMPACTS worse

x3

Answer 7

1) Bangladesh is poor and so very little flood defences or flood warning systems.
2) Low income, few savings and little insurance hindered people’s ability to Recover after the flood.
3) Corrupt officials diverted aid money away from areas most in need

Question 8

Why does South Asia flood most years, in late summer months?

Answer 8

1) Monsoon climate (80% of rainfall in 4months)
2) Low lying land (Bangladesh= 90%>10m)
3) Melting snow and ice from Himilayas in late summer months increases Brahmaputra river discharge