General information about Bangladesh
Bangladesh is a sovereign state of in south Asia. It is a less economically developed country (LEDC), and is usually very prone to flooding. 75% of Bangladesh is less than 10m above sea level. Whilst having permanent defenses, flooding still occurs during the monsoons. The main floods are from the Himalayans, where the ice melt travelling from the Ganges river, with a significant input annually. Every year, about 18% of the country is flooded, where 7 million homes are destroyed, killing approximately 5,000 people. However, flooding in some ways has an advantage. Being an agricultural industry, the floodwaters fertilises the fields, required in agricultural plants such as rice, that may cost a lot. As an LEDC, human and natural causes are very significant and are evident in comparison to the Netherlands.
Some causes of flooding in bangladesh1. Monsoon climate- Heavy rain and snow
2. Spring Snow-melt- Soil erosion, therefore a rapid increase in river discharge 3. Deforestation in Headwater Areas due to increasing population in Nepal & Tibet. Trees cleared for fuel and grazing land. Less evapotranspiration, more surface runoff and faster soil erosion. Landslides also occur. 4. Rivers Slit-up due to the increased soil erosion. This raises the river bed and reduces the capacity of the channel resulting in increased likelihood of flooding. 5. 80% of Bangladesh lies on a huge floodplain and delta most of which is only 1m above sea level. 6. Much of the Ganges has been diverted for irrigation purposes this removes some of the slit and prevents the floodplain further downstream from being built up. 7. Cyclones frequently hit Bangladesh |