1998 Bangladesh floods

The 1998 Bangladesh floods was one of the most destructive flooding events in modern world history, where about two-third of the Bangladesh was covered by the waters of the Brahmaputra, the Ganges and the Meghna.

Causes

The physical causes of the flood were most of the country is a huge flood plain and delta, with 70% of the total area is less than 10 metres above sea level, and 10% of the land area is made up of Lakes and Rivers, snowmelt from the Himalayas takes place in late spring and summer, Bangladesh experiences heavy monsoon rains, tropical storms bring heavy rains and coastal flooding, above average and long period of heavy rain caused all three rivers to have their peak flow at the same time.

The human causes of the flood were deforestation in the mountains Himalayas, the dams built in India which increased sedimentation, the urbanisation of the flood plain, global warming (increase in snowmelt, sea level and rainfall), poorly maintained embankments that collapse in times of heavy floods.

Effects

Negative effects of the flood include over two thirds of Bangladesh covered by water, Dhaka was submerged under two metres of water, thirty million made homeless, death toll just over a thousand, contamination of crops and animals, unclean water resulting in cholera and typhoid, few hospitals functional, those that were had too many patients which resulted in everyday injuries becoming fatal, over six hundred thousand hectares of crops destroyed, 400 factories forced to close, a twenty percent decrease in production and communications became difficult.

Positive effects of the flood were deposition of fertile soil, which meant better soil for crops, and deposition of silt, which created land for houses.

Consequences

Following the 1998 floods a number of short term flood relief measures were put in place to try an minimise loss of life - these included: international food aid programmes the distribution of free seed to farmers by the Bangladesh government to try and reduce the impact of food shortages - the government also gave 350,000 tonnes of cereal to feed people; volunteers / aid workers worked to try and repair flood damage. In the long term a number of flood prevention measure are possible: the creation of embankments (artificial levees) along the river to increase channel capacity and restrict flood waters - however since 1957, 7,500 km of flood embankments have been constructed and yet many were breached in the 1998 floods; constructing flood protection shelters (large buildings raised above the ground) to shelter both people and animals emergency flood warning systems and plans made for organising rescue and relief services; providing emergency medical stores in villages building flood proof storage sheds for grain and other food supplies dam construction upstream and major embankments around Dhaka have been suggested however lack of money has meant that these suggestions have not been taken further.The floodwaters swallowed 300,000 houses, 9,700 kilometres (6,027 mi) of road and 2,700 kilometres (1,678 mi) of embankment. Around 1,000 people drowned in the flooding or died from diseases like typhoid and cholera from contaminated water. The flooding dealt a devastating blow to agriculture; 135,000 cattle and 700,000 hectares of crops were lost land.^[1] The material destruction was overwhelming: 30 million people lost their homes, 50 square kilometres (19.3 sq mi) of land was destroyed and 11,000 kilometres (6,835 mi) of roads damaged or destroyed. Most of the destruction occurred in the Ganges delta.

References

The floodwaters swallowed 300,000 houses, 9,700 kilometres (6,027 mi) of road and 2,700 kilometres (1,678 mi) of embankment. Around 2,000 people drowned in the flooding or died from diseases like typhoid and cholera from contaminated water. The flooding dealt a devastating blow to agriculture; 135,000,000 cattle and 700,000 hectares of crops were lost land.[2] The material destruction was overwhelming: 30 million people lost their homes, 50 square kilometres (19.3 sq mi) of land was destroyed and 11,000 kilometres (6,835 mi) of roads damaged or destroyed. Most of the destruction occurred in the Ganges delta.