DISASTER FUND BANGLADESH SUMMARY SHEET B NGLADESH FLOODING MAY 20. 2019 loods by nature are complex events caused by climate variability and a range of human activities, including in- appropriate development planning. There are different ways of classifying and categorising floods according O1 HUMANITARIAN & OPERATIONAL CONSTRAINTS to geographic and geophysical characteristics. In Bangladesh, floods are most commonly classified as: F Floods make roads impassable, destroy bridges, and increase the danger of travelling along rivers and crossing rivers. Furthermore, the cost of FLASH FLOODS RIVER/SEA FLOODING WATERLOGGING boat transportation increases when roads cannot be used. Access to all key services including health and education, as well as markets often Which are caused by heavy or excessive Also known as monsoon flooding (June Refers to stagnant river floodwaters becomes limited. Needs assessment and distribution of aid may be rainfall in a short period over a relatively to September), is the most common that are unable to recede. The difficult due to damaged infrastructure and adverse weather conditions. small area. During flash flooding, type of flooding in Bangladesh. It refers southwest costal belt across Satkhira, Every year, the number of people in need due to flooding exceeds the water levels rise and fall rapidly with little to, both, “normal” inundation of up to Jessore, Jhenaidah and Khulna amount of aid provided by the Government and development partners. or no advance warning. Typically, they 25% of the country as well as extreme Districts are primarily affected due Agencies are unable to meet the level of need due to the scale and occur in areas where the upstream basin flooding which can inundate up to 70% to unabated encroachment of canals frequency of disasters. topography is relatively steep and the of the country (WMO 2003). Bangladesh and a lack of proper drainage. Silting time needed for the water to flow from has four major river systems, with many in nearby rivers, like the Chitra and the most remote point in a watershed to tributaries and distributaries. Districts the Madhumati, as well as canals, O2 ANTICIPATED IMPACT the watershed outlet is relatively short. that have rivers running through them, have significantly reduced the water The most affected areas are in the Haor or are in close proximity to the sea, flow (The Daily Star 01/05/2017). The frequently encountered impact of widespread and prolonged Basin of the northern belt of Bangladesh, and are prone to severe flooding are It has also become an increasingly flooding and waterlogging disrupt movement and normal life. Damage which is made up of Sylhet, Sunamganj, Brahmanbaria, Barisal, Bogra, Chandpur, concerning issue in urban areas like to infrastructure, destruction of vegetation and aquatic habitats regu- Moulvibazar, Habiganj, and Netrakona Chapai Nawabganj, Comilla, Dhaka, Dhaka and Chittagong Districts due larly result in loss of income. Regular flooding exacerbates the vulner- Districts, as well as the southeast in Faridpur, Gaibandha, Gazipur, Jamalpur, to rapid urbanization and poor waste ability of the affected populations, limiting resistance and capacity to Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban Kishoreganj, Kurigram, Kushtia, management. Waterlogging can be cope with future shocks. Poor maintenance of embankments and other Districts (BWDB 2014; WMO 2003). Lakshmipur, Madaripur, Manikganj, particularly problematic at the end water infrastructure as well as natural riverbed silting has resulted in Flash floods are most common from April Munshiganj, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, of the monsoon period (August/ drainage congestion. Over time, this has caused waterlogging to become to July and from September to October Natore, Pabna, Rajbari, Rajshahi, September). a regular problem in areas that face regular flooding. Stagnant water (WMO 2003). Flash floods carry Rangpur, Shariatpur, Sherpur, Sirajganj, leads to the creation of breeding sites for disease vectors that become sediment that has eroded from hilly and Tangail. The effects of river flooding a health hazard. Flash flooding and waterlogging can also trigger such catchment areas. During heavy rainfall in on Northern Bangladesh, is often as landslides and riverbank erosion. Flash flooding inundates the Haor the hilly regions, massive erosion occurs most severe, due to the pre-existing Basin for an average of six months every year. This is in the northeast on exposed surfaces of the hills. When underlying vulnerabilities. and covers parts of Sunamganj, Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Sylhet and Ne- there is high rainfall, coarser sediment trakona districts. The Haor Basin is estimated to be sinking at between erodes and moves along the rivers. 4 mm and 2.1 cm annually because of the pressure from the Shillong During a flash flood, sediment transport l l l rates increase significantly resulting in a METHODOLOGY massif. This sinking means that annual flooding will become more disproportionate distribution of sediment This Briefing Note has been produced by Start Fund Bangladesh and has been prepared using extensive and will be exacerbated by sea level rise (IFAD 2011). In 2012, and changes in channel sizes, shapes, and an ACAPS approved methodology. The note aims to understand the overall flooding situation in an estimated 320,000 people out of 2.4 million were affected and in Bangladesh; and to inform Start Fund Bangladesh members and relevant stakeholders. The note is need of assistance due to early flash flooding in the Haor (JNA SE 2012). even location (BWDB 2014). based on a review of all secondary data available to analysts by date. The Start Fund Bangladesh thanks all those who have contributed to the note and welcomes additional information that could complement a possible update of this report. SHELTER AND NFIS Shelters/houses in the flash flood prone rural areas are not designed to withstand flash flooding, as they are mostly kutcha housing. The flash flooding season begins before the monsoon; therefore, people who experi- FUND BANGLADESH B NGLADESH FLOODING ence damage to their houses during this time are exposed during the monsoon season WASH aggravated by low wage opportunities in the lean season (September to unless repairs can be managed quickly. Many displaced people resort to living under October), along with high levels of debt post- disaster. The impact of flooding the open sky for protracted periods. Embankments have encouraged more people to Toilets are often washed away. Loss of latrines may result in open on livelihood opportunities further aggravates poverty and vulnerability. live in close proximity as the land is fertile; though this means that people are in- defecation; individuals using unimproved sanitation methods are at Livestock is an important livelihood alternative for the nomadic and for creasingly living in highly vulnerable areas, as embankments often break and allow for higher risk of health issues. The risk of disease is aggravated in densely popu- small farmers, as it provides employment opportunities and a regular inundation of the nearby areas. lated areas (WASH Cluster Technical Working Group 01/10/2017). The water monthly income through the sale of meat and dairy products (GoB 2008). becomes polluted as it mixes with solid waste, clinical waste, silt, contaminants, However, floods often damage fodder, and people are unable to properly In the Haor Basin, people live in hatis, which are the highest peaks of the basin, so domestic wastes, and other human activities that increase the risk of water- feed their livestock. that their houses will not be inundated during flash flooding season. The density borne diseases. of population of the hatis are high and houses that are located on the edge of the The Haor Basin is a saucer shaped depression, used during the dry period peaks are continually at risk of inundation and erosion, when floodwater fills up Flooding can be caused by either freshwater from the river (in the North of (December to Mid-May) for agriculture and as a fishery area during the wet the basin. Families in these homes subsequently face the on going risk of being Bangladesh) or saltwater from the sea (in the South of Bangladesh). Each pre- period (June to November) (Harvard 2013). Flash floods that come from the displaced. In 2012, it was estimated that 3,000 shelters were destroyed or partially sents specific problems: freshwater carries suspended solids, which leaves steep uplands adjacent to the region in the Assam and Meghalaya hills range destroyed as a result of the flash flooding (Haor Basin JNA 2012). In case of major mud and soil behind when the floodwaters recede, and saltwater can make in India cause immense damage to standing Boro crops (single crops), liveli- inundations, most families temporarily migrate to nearby schools where they water sources unsuitable for use because of the salinity of the floodwaters. hoods, and properties every year (BWDB 2014). often stay for several weeks. There is no simple treatment method that can be used to remove salinity from salt water (WASH Cluster). However, often people resort to drinking this water NUTRITION HEALTH as drinking water is harder to find in areas impacted by heavy flooding. People living under the open sky are especially vulnerable to the spread of Water supply in the hilly areas of the Chittagong Hill Tracts is already prob- In light of the high pre-existing rates of malnutrition across the diseases. Road-side shelters, or Beribandh, are often particularly unhy- lematic; locals ascribe the increasing water shortage to various reasons, from country (54% stunted, 56% underweight, 17% wasted), the nutrition gienic. The number of people suffering acute watery diarrhea, skin-eye-ear infections, deforestation, to inward migration, to low and erratic rainfall, as well as their own situation can easily and quickly deteriorate after a disaster (FAO 2010). Factors and other waterborne diseases, is likely to increase. Prominent causes of death and method of farming – which involves felling trees and clearing land by burning such as insufficient hygiene and inadequate shelter and safe spaces for injury are electrocutions from power lines, collapsing walls, snakebites, and drowning.