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1998 Bangladesh Flood

• Causes • Effects• Prevention

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Basic Information

• Bangladesh is a relatively poor country with GDP - per capita (PPP): $1,500 (2009 est.)

• It is basically a large floodplain & delta formed by deposition from the major rivers that flow through it.

• The fact that is floods has brought benefits such as fertile land and reliable water supplies. It is increasingly a problem though as the population increases.

• It lacks resources such as minerals & metals due to the way it was formed.

• It has a population of about 156 million.

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Human causes of Flooding

• Deforestation in Himalayan areas (N. Bangladesh, Nepal & India) – fuel, building material → ↓ interception & ↑ surface runoff, ↑ soil erosion.

• Increasing populations → ↑ urbanisation → ↑ impermeable surfaces → ↑ surface runoff & ↑ speed of runoff.

• Human influences on erosion nearer the sources of the rivers is causing increased issues from deposition in Bangladesh.

• Lack of money leads to poor investment in flood defences (building of new ones & maintenance of existing ones).

• Climate change attributed to human activity is raising sea levels which increases storm surge flooding events.

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Physical causes of flooding• Monsoon rains – wet season (May-Sep).• Snow melt from the Himalayas in the summer months.• Low lying land → storm surges cause flooding from the sea.• 3 major rivers (Ganges, Brahmaputra & Meghna) converge

in Bangladesh if they are in peak flow then they are likely to flood here.

• Bangladesh is essentially one large floodplain.• Formed by deposition from these rivers, Bangladesh is very

flat → large areas flood when a river bursts its banks.• Continued deposition ↓ river channels capacity & increases

likeliness of flooding.

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Effects

• 57% of land flooded.• Rice crops destroyed & livestock drowned →

subsequent food shortages & ↑ prices.• Drinking water supplies contaminated → spread of

cholera & dysentery. Also a severe shortage of drinkable water.

• 7 million homes destroyed & 25 million made homeless.

• Almost $1 billion of damage.• 4750 people killed.• Severe damage to infra-structure (factories,

roads, schools, water) leading to decreased economic output.

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Solutions

• In 1989  the government of Bangladesh began working with a number of international agencies to produce a Flood Action Plan.

• This huge scheme contained 26 action points which it was hoped would provide a long term solution to the country's flooding problems.

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Short Term Management• Boats to rescue people • Emergency supplies for food, water, tents and medicines • Fodder for livestock • Repair and rebuild houses, as well as services such as

sewage etc • Aid from other countries

Long Term Management• Reduce Deforestation in Nepal & Himalayas • Build 7 large dams in Bangladesh to store excess water

$30-$40 million and 40 yrs to complete • Build 5000 flood shelters to accommodate all the

population • Build 350km of embankment - 7 metres high at a cost of $6

billion to reduce flooding along the main river channels • Create flood water storage areas • Develop an effective Flood Warning Scheme