Sharmin Nipa :
Bangladesh’s northeastern districts have recently witnessed the worst floods in decades after heavy monsoon rain and onrush of water from upstream Indian states of Assam and Meghalaya.
The floods left millions of people stranded as a large swath of habitats went underwater. It also caused widespread damage to houses, roads, paddy fields, fish and agro farms and turn people into paupers overnight.
So far, the authorities have reported over 100 deaths linked to the flood. The food affected districts were- Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Kishoreganj, Netrakona, Brahmanbaria, Mymensingh and Sherpur.
Of the districts, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulivazar and Habiganj were affected most. Bangladeshi State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief, Md Enamur Rahman earlier said that the Sylhet region has been facing the worst floods in 122 years.
From early June, torrential rain and upstream water have completely submerged around 94 per cent of the town of Sunamganj and 84 per cent of Sylhet districts, which have been bordering the Meghalaya state of India.
Parts of Indian state Meghalaya have experienced the highest amount of rainfall in decades, which has led to overflowing of large river systems running between India and Bangladesh, completely submerging surrounding areas.
Around 7.2 million people have been severely affected following devastating flash floods which began in May with a second wave starting on June 15 in nine northeastern districts of Bangladesh, said a media statement from the UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh.
According to the Red Cross, more than 7 million Bangladeshis were left in need of aid and shelter due to the flood.
However, the government has already been stepped up its efforts to rebuild the lives and livelihoods of people in the flood-hit districts.
Currently, the authorities are collectively carrying out a fast-track response measure to rehabilitate the people of flood ravaged region.
Cause of the floods: Climate change
Monsoon rains in South Asia typically begin in June. But this year heavy rains lashed northeastern India ahead of the scheduled monsoons, triggering floods in the large part of Bangladesh. Experts said the monsoon, which becomes more variable in the South Asia, including Bangladesh and neighboring India, is an outcome of climate change. They also said that extreme weather in South Asia has become more frequent and warn that climate change could lead to even more serious disasters.
“Flash floods are common in Bangladesh. But the June floods, caused by record-breaking heavy rains ahead of scheduled monsoons in India is a harsh reminder that climate change is bringing more extreme weather in South Asia. The devastation caused by latest floods also highlighted the impact of climate disasters in Bangladesh,” said Ahmmed Zulfiqar Rahaman, a hydrologist and climate change expert.
Non-climatic factors also come to fore
Experts also blamed non-climatic factors, such as poorly planned infrastructure development and ineffective warning systems, for the latest floods in northeastern parts of Bangladesh.
They said roads and culverts have been constructed unplanned way in “haor” (wetlands) regions which is hampering water flow and draining of excess rainwater and absorb heavy rainfall.
Besides, land erosion due to deforestation, unsustainable land use practices and solid waste dumping help to grow rapid siltation of the river beds, reducing their water carrying capacity.
Bangladesh’s 58 rivers now becomes a bane for the country, as they overflow frequently, causing death and destruction during the flooding.
Experts also pointed out that the excess rainwater from India’s Assam and Meghalaya states that flows into Bangladesh’s Meghna and Jamuna Rivers could not drain because the wetlands were already saturated by a pre-monsoon flood in May.
Move to adopt long-term climate impact plan
It was learnt that the government has prepared a $230 billion plan to make Bangladesh less vulnerable to climate change impacts and build its resilience against the extreme weather.
The first ever long-term National Adaptation Plan (NAP) is being prepared by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Bangladesh is one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations where the poor are disproportionately impacted by frequent floods.
About 3.5 million of Bangladesh’s 160 million people are at risk of river flooding every year, a 2015 study by the World Bank Institute said.
(Sharmin Nahar Nipa is Senior News and Programme Presenter, Bangla TV).
