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Assessing the Impact and Responses of Flash Flood in Haor Areas of Bangladesh

Authors:
  • Network on Climate Change in Bangladesh (NCC,B)
  • Center for People & Environ (CPE)

Abstract and Figures

Heavy rainfalls, as well as an onrush of water from the upstream Meghalaya hills in India, have resulted to the inundation of a considerable area of croplands of haors and the low-lying regions of the north-eastern Bangladesh. The flood started at the end of March 2017 and ended up in mid to end of April 2017. It has affected six districts namely Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Sunamganj, Habiganj, Netrokona, and Kishoreganj. The devastating flood has breached embankments in many places and inundated large areas of croplands and caused loss and damage to enormous life and properties. The current study explores the impact of flash floods occurred in 2017 in different sectors including agriculture, livestock, fisheries, livelihood, infrastructure, transportation system, water, sanitation, and health, etc. Besides, the analysis considered the measures taken by the government and non-government agencies in response to the flash flood in the haor region. Finally, it discovered the gaps in response against a flash flood situation and way forward with suggestions and recommendations. However, both primary and secondary data were utilized in the current study. The study reveals that the flood has destroyed nearly-ready-for-harvesting Boro rice in about 219,840 hectors areas. Flash flood happened in nearly all unions under the six haor districts and affected about one-third of the households in these communities. It had destroyed the potential Boro crop entirely. Also, the affected families suffered due to loss of aquaculture, livestock, and poultry. Furthermore, some houses have lost their residences wholly or partly. The response from the government of Bangladesh and other development agencies was prompt and significant, but in some cases, it was insufficient
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PRESENTATION ON
ASSESSING THE IMPACT AND RESPONSES OF FLASH
FLOOD IN HAOR AREAS OF BANGLADESH
Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman*1, Mizanur Rahman Bijoy1, Md. Hamidur
Rahman1 & Muhammad Abdur Rahaman2
1Network on Climate Change, Bangladesh (NCC,B) Trust
Dhaka, Bangladesh
2Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation, Experiment & Training (CAMET) Park
Noakhali, Bangladesh
*Corresponding Author: mmrahman.ju39@gmail.com
BAPA-BEN Special Conference on “Flood, Water logging, and Landslides in
Bangladesh-Search for Effective Indigenous Solutions”
12-13 January, 2018
BACKGROUND
Heavy rainfalls, as well as an onrush of water from the upstream
Meghalaya hills in India, have resulted to the inundation of a
considerable area of croplands of haor region of Bangladesh.
The flood started at the end of March 2017 and ended up in mid
to end of April 2017.
It has affected six districts namely Sylhet, Moulvibazar,
Sunamganj, Habiganj, Netrokona, and Kishoreganj.
The current study explores the impact of flash floods on Haor
region, discovered the gaps in response against a flash flood
situation and way forward with suggestions and recommendations.
STUDY AREAS… (AFFECTED DISTRICTS)
From March 27, 2017 the northeast parts of the
country, known as Haor area, experienced severe
flash floods due to Pre-monsoon heavy rainfall
AVERAGE MONTHLY RAINFALL OVER SYLHET
REGION (SOURCE: BMD)
Average Monthly Rainfall Over Sylhet Region during Pre-Monsoon
Season ( In Millimetres)
Rainfall / Month (In MM)
Year
GEOGRAPHICAL
COVERAGE..........
13
11
87
10
13
9
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Number of Affected upazillas in different districts
(Source: DDM, 2017)
Number of Upazilla
Affected Upazilla
AFFECTED HOUSEHOLDS
212570
321633
87880 85359
167180
203573
0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
300000
350000
Affected HHs in different Districts (Source:
DDM, 2017)
Affected HH
AFFECTED POPULATIONS
24
52
15 21
30
50
10
20
30
40
50
60
0
500000
1000000
1500000
2000000
2500000
3000000
3500000
4000000
Total Population
Affected Population
Percentage (%)
AFFECTED AGRICULTURAL LAND
DAMAGED HOUSE
DAMAGED FISHES
LOSS OF LIVESTOCK
RESPONSE COMMITTED FROM
THE GOVERNMENT OF
BANGLADESH
Provide food and fodder to the affected households.
Open Market Sale (OMS) of rice at subsidized rate.
Monthly cash grant for the affected households.
Moratorium of loan repayment and waive interest of bank loan
Distribute fertilizers, seeds and other agricultural components
among the farmers at free of cost.
Subsidize electricity to the people in the affected localities.
Plan for long term development of the haor areas .
SUPPORT FROM GOVT..............
The government announced a relief programme for 100 days in the
affected areas.
The Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme will cover 1,50,000
families in the district. Each household is to get 30kgs of rice and Tk
500 per month.
The allocation of rice and flour at the Open Market Sell (OMS)
outlets in Sunamganj has been doubled.
Farmers would get free seeds and fertilizer and other agri-inputs for
the next crop.
GAPS
Chairman of Kurban Nangar........
I got only 200 VGF cards for distribution against nearly 50,000
flood-affected people in my union”.
There was no Open Market Sale (OMS) dealer for the union. Two
unions together are supposed to get subsidized food grain from one
dealer but this union didn't even get that facility.
Chairman of Tahirpur upazila..........
each day 1,800 people were supposed to get OMS services in the
upazila. But there are about 2.5 lakh people who failed to harvest
Boro crops this season.
Inadequate VGF cards & OMS service
NCC,B TEAM AT HAOR
Boram Haor at Derai Upazila under Sunamgonj District
RECOMMENDATIONS
Construction of rubber dams depending on the topography and
sediment load of the river in the area to save Boro crops.
Dredging of rivers and canals before pre-monsoon to improve their
water carrying capacity.
Introducing crop insurance to reduce the flash flood related risks in
Haor areas.
Introducing short cycle varieties of rice there.
Inclusion of economic importance of Haor areas in national
curriculum.
RECOMMENDATIONS (CONTD…)
Building eco-tourism in the Haor areas.
Engaging community-based organizations to push local economy
around Haor.
Leasing water bodies to social organizations instead of individuals
by revising the water body regulations.
Building better coordination among government agencies for facing
this types of disaster.
Initiating new programmes to diversify agricultural products.
THANK YOU
Chapter
Situated within the Ganges–Brahmaputra-Meghna basin, Bangladesh's geographic location, punctuated by numerous rivers, exposes it to a range of natural disasters. Despite grappling with recurrent calamities, Bangladesh has made remarkable advancements in fortifying its resilience against disasters over time. This research endeavored to evaluate the existing state of disaster resilience within the rural-agricultural sector of the country and appraised the effectiveness of strategies that have positioned it as a model for successful disaster management. The chapter delved into the significant natural disasters affecting agriculture, highlighting efforts by governmental and non-governmental organizations to combat these challenges. It examined how technological innovations, water resource management, and institutional support have propelled the nation towards agricultural resilience in the face of persistent disasters. A noteworthy case study underscored the government's initiatives in sustainable water management, agriculture, and biodiversity. Undertaking such analyses will aid in discerning the factors underpinning Bangladesh's achieved success and inform endeavors to bolster its current standing, thereby fostering sustainability for the future.
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