Natural Calamities in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is the most vulnerable to several natural disasters and every year natural

calamities upset people's lives in some part of the country. The major disasters

concerned here are the occurrences of flood, cyclone and storm surge, flash flood,

drought, tornado, riverbank erosion, and landslide. These extreme natural events are

termed disasters when they adversely affect the whole environment, including

human beings, their shelters, or the resources essential for their livelihoods. The

geographical setting of Bangladesh makes the country vulnerable to natural

disasters. The mountains and hills bordering almost three-fourths of the country,

along with the funnel shaped Bay of Bengal in the south, have made the country a

meeting place of life-giving monsoon rains, but also make it subjected to the

catastrophic ravages of natural disasters. Its physiography and river morphology also

contribute to recurring disasters. Abnormal rainfall and earthquakes in the adjacent

Himalayan range add to the disaster situation. Effects of El-Nino-Southern

Oscillation (ENSO) and the apprehended climatic change have a great impact on the

overall future disaster scenarios. Since Bangladesh is a disaster prone country, it is

subject to colossal damages to life and property almost every year.

based on the intensity of monsoon rain, magnitude and time of occurrence. When

the floodwater damage resources, and disrupt communication and livelihood

systems, then it is treated as Bonna. Bangladesh gets damaging floods like that of

1988, which bring untold sufferings to millions of people, and result in human

deaths, loss of livestock, spread of diseases and hunger, damaged standing crops,

destroyed physical and economic infrastructures, damaged fish and shrimp ponds

and hatcheries, etc. Cyclone and storm surges occur frequently and cause significant

destruction in the coastal areas of the country. Nor’westers and tornadoes also

frequently hit different places. Tropical cyclones and tornadoes uproot trees,

telephone, telegraph and electricity lines, destroy bridges, culverts, and houses, kill

people and domestic animals, leaving serious and adverse effects on the economy as

well as on the whole environment. Although this country with monsoon climate has

enough rain, droughts frequently take a significant portion out of the agricultural

economy of Bangladesh, and cause hunger, instability, and insecurity. The

northwestern part of the country is vulnerable to drought. Disastrous erosions are

mainly associated with the major river systems of the country and are seen along

these river banks i.e., the Brahmaputra- Jamuna, the Ganges-Padma, the Lower

Meghna, and other rivers. The effects of a natural disaster or a combination of more

than one natural disaster may be direct loss of life, and certainly damage to physical
properties. This requires large resources for disaster management including

mitigation, recovery and preparedness. Therefore, the consequences of these natural

hazards and the resulting environmental degradation pose a serious threat to the

economic development of the country. The situation calls for an effective disaster

warning and dissemination system. A timely and accurate alert system about

impending disasters will help reduce the loss of life and property (Pramanik, 1991).

Natural disasters cannot be prevented, but the damage can be mitigated with

adequate planning and adaptation. The impacts of these disasters vary with their type

and magnitude. They also critically depend on institutional strength and response by

the different agencies that usually take measures to mitigate and eventually

overcome the losses, such as the government and other civil service organizations.

It has often been pointed out that the worst disasters in the world tend to occur

between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, which is coincidentally

the area that contains the poorer countries (Carter, 1991). This applies to Bangladesh

where the cause of natural disasters is its geographical setting. The lofty Himalayas

in the north, and the funnel-like shape of the Bay of Bengal in the south, have made

Bangladesh one of the worst victims of the catastrophic ravages of natural disasters

like floods, cyclones, storm surges, droughts, etc. Various anthropogenic activities

contribute to worsen the situation. Due to recurring disasters, the country is subject

to food shortages in spite of its fertile land, network of rivers, subtropical monsoon
climate, and hardworking people. A large part of the population is dependent on

agricultural production. But harvesting of produce is often affected by extreme

natural events and the weather patterns frequently associated with them.

Bangladesh is a land of many rivers, and heavy monsoon rains. The upstream

deforestation, heavy rainfall, melting of glaciers, and soil erosion play a vital role in

causing siltation in riverbeds. This in turn leads to natural disasters like floods, flash

floods, etc. The upstream activities also enhance the magnitude of damages caused

by these disasters. The upstream withdrawal of water due to the Farakka barrage

across the Ganges in India leads to local drought conditions in regions of

Bangladesh. Bangladesh is the largest delta in the world.

Cyclones can cause immense loss of life and destruction of property during pre-

monsoon (April- May), and post-monsoon (October-November.) periods. The Bay

of Bengal is the breeding place of catastrophic cyclones. Heavy rains accompanying

cyclones, and the tidal waves due to wind effects, called storm surges, cause most of

the damages. Storm surge heights are directly related to cyclone intensity. Besides

that, coastal configurations and bathymetry are also related to surge heights at the

time of cyclone landfall.

It is the pre-monsoon period when most of the abnormal rainfall or drought

conditions frequently occur in different parts of Bangladesh. Also there are locally

severe seasonal storms, popularly known as Nor’westers (Kalbaishakhi). Severe

Nor’wester, and moves along the direction of the squall of the mother storm.

The north and northeastern parts of Bangladesh are the most active seismic zones,

and had experienced earthquakes of moderate to high intensity in the past.

Erosion in Bangladesh is a regular and recurring phenomenon. Erosion of land

surfaces, riverbanks, and coastal areas is already causing serious problems for the

country. An increase in rainfall in summer is apprehended due to climate change,

and this would in turn increase the surface erosion. Land erosion will intensify

through current deforestation, and other land use practices.

Natural disasters have a tremendous impact on the overall economy of the country.

Apart from the instant impacts, natural disasters can also leave long term impacts.

Almost every year due to natural disasters and climatic hazards, Bangladesh is

subject to colossal loss of life and damage of property. All the national planning

efforts for development are disrupted by these calamities that leave behind damaged

infrastructure facilities, physical assets and land. The human suffering goes beyond