Bangladesh Case Study

Major rivers in Bangladesh

Ganges, Brahmaputra, Meghna

Source of Bangladesh's rivers

Himalayas

Why Bangladesh floods annually

Monsoon season and three major rivers

Effect of tectonic activity on Bangladesh

Subsidence increases flood risk

Trend in flood magnitude since 2015

Six consecutive years of high magnitude floods

Impact of climate change on Bangladesh

Increasing flood risk

% of Bangladesh's population that is rural

60%

Bangladesh population density

1,000 people per km²

Diseases linked to 2020 flooding

Diarrhoea, typhoid, hepatitis

People affected in 2020 floods

3.3 million

Deaths in 2020 floods

83

Illnesses due to contaminated water (2020)

4,500

Schools destroyed in 2020 floods

1,900

Crops destroyed in 2020 floods

110,000 hectares

Homes waterlogged in 2020 floods

750,000

Key interventions during floods

ORS, water purification tablets, handwashing, breastfeeding

Lives saved by interventions in 2015

70,000 (compared to 1980)

Role of NGOs and government in Bangladesh

Distributed aid and hygiene measures to reduce disease

Effect of breastfeeding during floods

Improves growth and prevents waterborne diseases

Promotion of female nutrition and education

Improved public health and flood resilience

Bangladesh's landscape

Deltaic and low-lying

% of Bangladesh benefiting from fertile flood soil

~80%

Amount of fertile soil delivered annually

Over one billion tonnes

Cause of river/coastal flooding increase

Climate change and tectonic subsidence

Monsoon season impact

Heavy rains cause intense annual flooding

Flooding during COVID-19

Compounded health risks and response difficulty

Largest and longest flood event

2020 flood (over 40% of nation flooded in first two months)

Use of ORS in Bangladesh

Treats dehydration from diarrhoea and saves lives

Sanitation measures encouraged

Handwashing, sanitary latrines, water purification