Bangladesh Case Study

Bangladesh

When?  July 20th 2004

Causes?

Human

• Urbanisation and rapid deforestation has had a negative effect on rates of interception resulting in more water reaching the rivers. 
• The building of dams in India has increased the problem of sedimentation in Bangladesh.
• The Ganges has been diverted for irrigation, increasing silt deposition
• Much of the slum housing has been constructed in the capital Dhaka's low lying areas which is more prone to flooding

Physical

• Low lying country, most of which lies on the flood plain delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghra. Sources of the rivers are the Himalayas mountain range so extensive snowmelt adds to the discharge. 
• Is in a region with a monsoon climate resulting in cyclones, heavy rain and storm surges. 

Impacts

Social

1. 36 million people were affected and marooned or made homeless
2. Over 1000 people died as a result of drowning, disease due to having no access to clean water, and in several cases snake bites. 
3. Damage to crops by flooding and the prevention of a second sowing caused food shortages. 
4. Few people can afford insurance and many people lost everything they owned in the floods.

Economic

1. The floods caused serious damage to roads (15,000 km destroyed), bridges (over 900 were destroyed), embankments, railway lines and irrigation systems.
2. Power supplies were suspended for several days 
3. Air travel was suspended for july due to airports being flooded. 
4. Value of damage caused by floods assessed at $2.2 billion, which represented 4% of the countries total GDP. 
5. Over a million acres of crops were devastated by the flood waters.

Environmental

1. For 6 weeks after the floods, approximately 38% of the total land area was flooded. This included 800,000 hectares of agricultural land. 
2. In many places the inadequate sewerage system failed, sending foetid water flowing into the streets.
3. Many roads and railways were washed away by the flood waters
4. The floods caused extensive river bank erosion especially on embankment areas. The floods also caused soil erosion, water logging and water contamination. 

Responses

Short term

• The government and charitable organisations ,with the help of the Armed Forces, provided emergency relief which included food (mainly rice), water purification tablets, clothing, medicines, blankets and towels. 
• Medical teams worked as hard as they could to ward off the threat of disease
• Within a few days the United Nations had coordinated a disaster management team to provide additional critical emergency supplies and to carry out a damage and needs assessment. 
• Aid both in terms of supplies but also medical care was provided by individual countries. The UK donated £21 million in aid. 
• Local people created self help schemes to help rebuild their properties and communities. 

Long term

• Embankments and infrastructure repairs were carried out and sluice gates have been installed to help close channels when flood waters rise. 
• Homesteads were raised by 2 metres to help them survive the next floods.
• Farmers were given assistance including free seeds.
• Flood shelters and some early warning systems including by radio have been put in place.
• Additional financial aid mainly in the form of a loan from the world bank has been provided to assist with repairs to infrastructure, water management and education.
• Schemes to reduce deforestation are being introduced.