LEDC Natural Hazard Case Study :

Bangaladesh Floods (April 1991)

The country of Bangladesh lies at the North of the Bay of Bengal and shares borders with India and Burma. Most of the country is composed of flat, fertile alluvial plains. The Ganges and Jamuna (Brahmaputra) rivers converge in Bangladesh, about 75 km to the west of the capital, Dhaka.

In April 1991, a massive cyclone struck Bangladesh causing widespread destruction. The cyclone started in the Bay of Bengal and, due to the shape of the region, it was 'funnelled' up north-west towards Bangladesh. The cyclone's effects were made worse by several factors. Firstly, the cyclone stuck at high-tide, so the sea-level was higher to start with. This was compounded with the low pressure at the time, which also made sea-levels higher. Prevailing winds caused the cyclone to be driven onto the coast. A tidal surge of 7 metres broke through the earth embankment, flooding a huge area of the country.

The damage was immense. There were an estimated 140 000 deaths and in some villages, such as Moheshkhali, 1 in 3 people lost their lives. Many millions lost their homes and all of their possessions. The total value of the damage was incalculable.

Since the 1991 floods, further efforts have been made to reduce the damage caused by floods. Embankments have been strengthened and new ones built so that they now run along all of the coastline. Mangrove forests have been planted in the shallow waters off the coast. These help to absorb some of the force of the floods and also stabilise silt banks. A total of seventeen new cyclone shelters have been built using overseas aid. However, an LEDC like Bangladesh will never have the capital or the resources to be able to predict and deal with major flood events effectively.