The document discusses flooding in Bangladesh. It describes how Bangladesh experiences regular flooding due to its location at the confluence of three major rivers and its low-lying delta. Flooding causes widespread damage but also replenishes soils. Proposed solutions like embankments have had limited success due to high costs and environmental impacts. A mixture of strategies like forecasting, shelters, and eco-friendly projects may better help Bangladesh adapt.

2.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=DK0dnecgSFU
 http://www.bartholomewmaps.com/physical_coun
tries.html
 Google Earth
 Major floods 1988,1998, 2004 and 2010.

3.  It is one of the world's most densely populated countries!
 It has a population of 125m inhabitants
 It is one of the poorest countries in the world with a GNP of
$200 per head
 It has three of the world's most powerful rivers passing through
its country - The Ganges, the Meghna & the Brahmaputra
 It contains virtually no raw materials or rock!
 It experiences floods and tropical storms every year.

4.  Physical Reasons  Human Reasons

5. 3 mighty rivers!
Ganges (Padma)
Meghna
Jamuna (Brahmaputra)
A confluence between the Ganges
and Jamuna to the West of Dhaka is
a flash point for flooding.
80% of the water in these rivers
falls or melts outside Bangladesh in
neighbouring countries!

6.  The monsoon is a wind
that brings with it low
pressure moist air from
over the Indian Ocean
and therefore heavy rain.

7. • Total rainfall within the Brahmaputra,
Ganges – Meghna catchment is very
high and very seasonal. 75% of
annual rainfall occurs in the monsoon
between June and September.
• Annual rainfall total in Dhaka is
almost 2000mm (Hertfordshire
900mm).
• Tropical cyclones from Bay of Bengal
bring heavy rain and storm waves in
late summer.

8.  Every spring snow begins to
melt in the Himalayas. This melt
water flows into streams and
eventually into the Ganges and
other rivers.
 Snow melts in the spring
causing river levels to rise.
 Heavier than expected snow fall
or warmer than expected
springs can lead to higher than
expected river levels.
 Snow melt is closely monitored!

9.  80% of Bangladesh is located on
the delta.
 The low level of the delta land
means that large areas are prone
to flooding.
 75% of Bangladesh is at or below
just 10 metres in height.
 http://www.bartholomewmaps.com/
physical_countries.html

10.  Tidal currents naturally force
water northwards in the
Indian ocean.
 Subtropical location (warm
seas) means cyclone
(hurricane) activity is
common!
 Incoming high tides in the
spring block water trying to
leave the river delta!

12.  Deforestation may be partly to blame, stripping the land bare of the vital top soil
which slows and drains water. This causes soil erosion which reduces the ability of
the land to absorb water.
 Irrigation for farming is a factor, because this causes river channels to silt up,
reducing their capacity to hold flood waters. According to some experts, irrigation
interferes with river drainage into the sea.
 Climate experts also believe global warming is partly to blame, by increasing
monsoon rainfall and speeding up the melting of Himalayan snows.
 Urbanisation leads to less infiltration and increased runoff.
 Dam building in India has slowed down water running through Bangladesh. This
leads to more deposition in the river channel and less room for water!

13.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=wanGCUT8FG4
 Also drought in the dry season if less
snow has fallen in the moutnains!

14.  Over 57% of the land area was flooded
 Over 1300 people were killed
 7 million homes were destroyed
 25 million people were made homeless
 There was a serious shortage of drinking water & dry food
 Diseases spread such as bronchitis and cholera/diarrhoea
 As the waters receded - it left fields of rotting crops,
wrecked roads and bridges and destroyed villages
 2 million tonnes of rice was destroyed
 1/2 million cattle and poultry were lost
 Overall the floods cost the country almost $1 billion

15. floods occurred July to Sept Airport, roads and railways
flooded
July 2004 - 40% Dhaka was under
Bridges destroyed
water
$7billion damage
60% of country was flooded Rice crop destroyed along with
food supplies – vegetables
600 reporte deaths
Cash crops – jute and sugar
20 million homeless
100,000 in Dhaka suffered from
diarrhoea as floodlwaters left mud
and sewage
35cm of rain fell in 1 day on 13th
Sept
Death toll rose to 750

17. During the monsoon, between 30% and
50% of the entire country is flooded.
The flood waters:
 Replenish groundwater reserves
 Provide nutrient rich sediment for
farming
 Provide fish
 Reduce the need for artificial
fertilisers

18.  Bangladesh GNP US$ 380 per capita
 Short term concern is always for health survival and
suffering of people affected.
 A heavy reliance is placed upon emergency aid – food, drinking
water medicines, plastic sheets, boats
 Assistance is provided from United Nations, governments,
charities
 Problem is distribution because so much of the country is
underwater.
 As flood water recedes it is easier to set up medical treatment
centres, distribute water purification tablets and provide help
with repairing homes and restarting economic activities

19. 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.
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

20. How have decision makers respond to the flooding?
The Flood Action Plan (FAP) was set up in 1990 supported by several wealthy
countries and the World Bank. Its aim was to reduce the impact of the
floods that occurred annually in Bangladesh.
The FAP’s objectives were to set up regional planning groups to study and
monitor local river processes, followed by hard engineering aproaches. This
involved the construction of 3,500km of coastal and river embankments to
protect the land and to protect from storm surges brought by cyclones.
The project included building seven large dams partly to stop water from
reaching the land and to provide up to 15 floodwater storage basins.
Millions of dollars of aid were poured into the engineering projects but the
scheme remains unfinished due to corruption and inadequate funding.
As a result the FAP is not considered to have been a complete success.
Over 3 million people have been killed by coastal flooding in the last 30 years.
The first findings of the FAP in 1995 stated that, while the flood protection
scheme was economically desirable for urban areas, it was not a good idea in
rural areas, which are dependent upon fishing and farming .

21. What issues are faced in implementing
strategies in countries like Bangladesh?
Whilst the embankments have been strengthened,
increased in height and extended in many places, the
FAP has come across several problems, such as:
1. The Bangladeshi Government cannot afford the high maintenance costs of
the scheme
2. The embankments are at risk of erosion from the rivers
3. River channelisation by FAP embankments has increased the risk of flood
damage for downstream areas
4. An estimated 8 million people were forced to move due to the FAP. These
were people who relied on farming and fishing to support themselves.
BBC Bitesize

22.  People have suggested that Bangladesh
really needs a mixture of strategies
involving flood forecasting and early
warning schemes together with more well
stocked flood shelters.
 These projects would be cheaper and
more appropriate for farming and fishing
communities in rural areas and would be
more in keeping with local knowledge,
skills and income levels and thus more
sustainable. They would also have the
advantage of being less likely to damage
the ecosystems.