Kate-Morris-Bangladesh_Floods

=__//Bangladesh flood: 199//__ **__//8//__  **=

__** Features of the hazard. **__ Physical features of the hazard:
 * Bangladesh is a low lying country with 70% of its land being less than 1m above sea level.
 * Bangladesh receives large amounts of passing water through its two major rivers: The Ganges and Brahmaputra. Both rivers have large amounts of water flowing through to the sea as they have large drainage basins which increase the risk of flooding.
 * Bangladesh is located in a monsoonal climate and has torrential rains, which often result to the rivers overflowing(flooding).
 * In Spring, melted snow from the Himalayas, also increases the river to overflow.

//[]//   Outline the different forms of the hazard: Atmospheric conditions of the flood: Rain occurs when there is a low pressure system (Winds rotate in an anti-clockwise direction, air pressure is below 1013 hPa, generally colder and more a chance of rain). For this to happen, the cold front needs to hit the warm front. The colder air pushes under the warm air, while the warm air rises.
 * Bangladesh also has a monsoonal climate, with dangerous rains that can last for days, and maybe parts of a month.
 * Bangladesh also has large amounts of water passing through the Ganges and Brahmaputra river. Both these rivers have large amounts of water passing through the river, to the sea as they have large drainage basins, which is increasing the risk of flooding.

Human or a Natural hazard that caused the 1998 Bangladesh flood:

The 1998 Bangladesh flood was a natural hazard, but the hazard had signs of a human hazard as well. The flood was a natural flood because of these reasons:
 * Bangladesh is a low lying country with 70% of its land being less than 1m above sea level.
 * Bangladesh receives large amounts of passing water through its two major rivers: The Ganges and Brahmaputra. Both rivers have large amounts of water flowing through to the sea as they have large drainage basins which have an increase of the risk of flooding.
 * Bangladesh is located in a monsoonal climate and has torrential rains, which often result to the rivers overflowing(flooding).
 * In Spring, melted snow from the Himalayas also increasing the river overflow/flood.

The Human causes of the Bangladesh flood is:
 * Apparently the increasing population pressure in the foothills of the Himalayas, where the rain contributes to the Ganges and the Brahmaoutra river. Having this it is believed that more water is entering the rivers.
 * Deforestation in the headwaters is also believed to be a reason for why large amounts of silt (sand and clay) is entering the rivers and reducing the rivers capacity, which is increasing the flooding risk.
 * Increasing population pressure in Bangladesh has apparently resulted in the sinking of many new wells, which is lowering the water table; is also prone to flooding.

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Bangladesh flood 1998 insight. []

Urban and rural areas:
 * // Human effects: //** Human systems damaged:
 * Over two thirds of Bangladesh was covered in water. Dhaka (Capital of Bangladesh) was apparently 2 metres underwater.
 * 30 million people were homeless in the floods and many people losing all their belongings.
 * 1,070 people died in the 1998 Bangladesh flood. These deaths where resulted to people drowning in the floodwaters, the combination of dead bodies, waste, dead animals and the lack of clean water resulted in dieses (Cholera, typhoid and diarrhea). Also deaths from snake bites and other injuries, due to the lack of medical care.
 * Food supplies were also a problem, because 668,529ha of crops and rice stocks where destroyed.
 * The impact of the flooding had a significant change to Bangladesh’s economy. With 20% of a decrease in production with over 400 clothing factories forced to close.
 * Communication was hard because the roads and railways where underwater, which made it hard for aids and rescue operations to make it to the people.

Rural: The rural areas that are effect are the low flat areas made up of silt. These areas are inhabited by poor farmers who struggle to survive. Due to this problem when the flood water rises most families try to live above the water. Their beds would be raised and so would their furniture. When the water reaches the roof level they would move to high ground, within easy reach of their homes. In this area many animals would unfortunately drown. Also the flood waters tend to carry diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea. A large amount of crops were damaged, so then the farmers didn’t have enough food to survive, unless there was food supplied elsewhere. Due to the roads being flooded it made it very difficult to bring in help to these areas.

Urban: Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka was affect by the flood with its Eastern area flooded. 45% of the housing in this area had water at around roof level. In this area, the poor were badly affected by the flood. They had lose money, so they had to go and barrow money. They also suffered from diseases; diarrhoea and dysentery ( problem with the intestines). The worst problem in this area was the lack of clean drinking water and food shortages. People who left their homes tried to stay with relatives, but others had to find space on higher ground. 

Specific case study of the loss of housing, food and water. Subject: ||  What happened: || Food || 668,529ha of crops and rice stokes were destroyed in the flood. Because of this the farmers didn’t have enough food to survive, unless there was food supplied elsewhere, that they could get.  || Water || <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There was a lack of clean water. The flooded water had dead bodies, dead animals and diseases. || <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Housing – Rural || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">In the rural area it made it hard for rescuers to reach them because the roads where flooded. The flooded waters also had an impact on the rural areas because; people couldn’t get enough access to clean, fresh drinking water or enough food supplies. The flooded water carried diseases such as cholera, typhoid and diarrhea. <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> || <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Housing – Urban || In this area, the poor were badly affected by the flood. They had loss money, so they had to go and barrow money. They also suffered from diseases; diarrhoea and dysentery (problem with the intestines). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">The worst problem in this area was the lack of clean drinking water and the food shortages. <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> || <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Health || <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">1,070 people died in the 1998 Bangladesh flood. These deaths where resulted to people drowning in the floodwaters, the combination of dead bodies, waste, dead animals and the lack of clean water resulted in dieses, mainly: Cholera, typhoid and diarrhea. Also deaths from snake bites and other injuries, due to the lack of medical care <span style="color: #041384; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">. ||

<span style="color: #06068e; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 24px;">//Effects on food supplies:// Bangladesh’s food supplies were badly affected by the flooding. 668,529ha of rice stocks and crops were destroyed.

//Effects on housing:// Bangladesh had around 430,000 damaged houses. 11,000 km of roads, 500 bridge and watercourses were damaged/flowed out. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,fantasy; line-height: 24px;"> <span style="color: #0808a1; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 180%;">Responses:

1998 Bangladesh flood management:

In 1989 the government of Bangladesh began working with a few international agencies to organise a flood action plan. The huge plan, had 26 action points, which was hoped to provide a long solution to Bangladesh’s flooding problems.

Responses to the threat of the hazard.

Short term management:

Long term management: Other information on short term and long term management.
 * Short term management was:
 * Boats to rescue people.
 * Emergency supplies; food, water, tents and medications.
 * Repairing and rebuilding houses.
 * Aid from other countries.
 * Bangladesh’s long term management is:
 * To reduce the amount of deforestation in Nepal and in the Himalayas.
 * Building 5000 flood shelters to accommodate some of the population.
 * Developing a effective flood warning system.


 * There was aid from the UK government, including £21 million.
 * The World Health Organisation brought water purification tablets.
 * Food aid was given from didn’t nations.
 * The government gave farmers free seeds to plant their crops again.


 * // Flooding management: //**
 * Cheaper strategies to help people were:
 * Assistance of flooded area with food, medication and water purification tablets. In the rural areas (Where it was hard to reach people) food and water was taken by boat to areas in need.
 * Flood shelters were built with concrete and were on stilts in the low lying areas so farmers can move their family and their possessions to the shelters to keep safe from the floods until the water level drops.
 * Charities like Oxfam sent in a lot of food, medication, water purification tablets and money to help the poor survive the 1998 Bangladesh floods.
 * Many people managed their food by selling their possessions or borrowing money from members of their family.
 * There was even some effective education, relating to water safety. With people taking more care not to drink the infected water.

Financial:

To find the cost of repairs and rebuilding of houses please click on the link. http://www.fukuoka.unhabitat.org/out/siryo/project_b/11/bgdflood-e.html

My strategies of helping the Bangladesh people in the 1998 flood.
 * I think that they should of had a lot more charities, helping to re-cooperate the Bangladesh civilization from the 1998 flood.
 * They should have built a drainage system that would drain the flooded water away, before flooding happened.
 * Clean, fresh clothing should have been handed out during the flood, to keep people warm and dry.
 * The people who were affected by the flood, should have been given fresh water, in bottles, incase they decided to move to high grounds to protect themselves from the flood.



//Bibliography for videos: [] Bibliography for maps, satellite pictures,diagrams and pictures: Warm an cold fronts: http://www.fas.org/irp/imint/docs/rst/Sect14/3_warmcoldfronts.jpg Urban and rural areas: Pictures 1,2,3,4 : [|http://www.e-gfl.org/e-gfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/teacher/geography/Bangladesh98/impact.htm] // Bibliography for tables and graphs: http://www.fukuoka.unhabitat.org/out/siryo/project_b/11/bgdflood-e.html

* The rest of my bibliography is in a note making sheet, attached below.