Floods in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is built over maree drew the flood plains of four major rivers, the Brahmaputra, Meghna, Wange and Ganges Rivers. The three rivers converge in Bangladesh and empty into the Bay of Bengal through the largest river delta in the world. [ [http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images_topic.php3?topic=land&img_id=17066] NASA Newsroom] . Floods help make the cultivable land in Bangladesh fertile and this help the agriculture sector of the country. But, excessive flood is considered a calamity. The floods have caused havoc in Bangladesh throughout history, especially during the recent years: 1987, 1988, and 1998. The most recent one occurred in 2007. According to government statistics 298 people died and a total of 10,211,780 people are badly affected by it. 58,866 houses are completely damaged for the flood up to 13 August 2007. [Prothom Alo, 14 August 2007] they caused serious winds from the south that caused the water to come down to Bangladesh.

Bangladesh is a very low lying country, (only 3-7 feet in most parts). The rise in sea water levels, the narrow north tip to the Bay of Bengal, tropical storms that whip up wind speeds of up 140 mph (225 km/h) send waves (up to 26 feet tall) crashing into the coast, the shallow sea bed , the fact that water coming down from the rivers Ganges and Brahmaputra can not escape when the water level rises and the monsoons ,all contribute to the severe flooding of the Bangladesh coastline.

To further increase the risk of flooding, Bangladesh is a frequent receiver of cyclones. These fierce winds create chaos in the water, and often, destroy banks and dams. Since Bangladesh is adjacent to a warm ocean, cyclones are a common occurrence.

The population density on the flood plains is so great due to the fertility of the soil that many people are forced to farm on the slopes. Deforestation and agricultural practices loosen the soil, causing it to flow into the rivers when it rains. As a result, the depth of the river bed decreases and flooding is more likely to occur. [http://www.ccds.charlotte.nc.us/History/Asia/03/gould/gould.html]

ee also

* 2007 South Asian floods
* Brahmaputra River
* Gangees Delta
* Gangees River
* Jamuna River
* Padma River

Notes

References

* [http://www.ccds.charlotte.nc.us/History/Asia/03/gould/gould.html "The Annual Flooding of Bangladesh By Derek Gould"]

This flood happened in Bangladesh

and im Ivo Evans-Storrie