Bangladesh. A Country at Risk

Bangladesh is both a beneficiary and a victim of its climate and geography. The country receives a great deal of rainfall, brought mostly by the monsoon between mid-May and October. The far northeast region gets the most rain—as much as 250 inches (635 centimeters) a year.

Too much rainfall during the monsoon season causes large-scale flooding while too little rainfall brings drought. Cyclones, which sweep into the country from the Bay of Bengal, are also a constant threat. Between 1947 and 1988, 13 severe cyclones hit Bangladesh. These storms usually strike at the end of the monsoon season and may also be accompanied by tidal waves.

These natural disasters are a sad fact of life in Bangladesh. Floods, cyclones, and tidal waves have had an important effect on the history of the country. It was, in fact, a cyclone that helped bring the nation of Bangladesh into being.

Bangladeshis swarm across a new canal. Water-control projects are designed to reduce the effects of floodwaters on farmland and other property. With so many mouths to feed, protecting the food supply is the government's most important task.

In November 1970, a cyclone rose in the Bay of Bengal and a tidal wave swept over the countryside of what was then East Pakistan. It killed about 266,000 people and destroyed many villages.

The victims of the disaster felt that the government of Pakistan delayed rescue operations and held back relief supplies. Their bitter feelings helped trigger the civil war that led to the independence of Bangladesh.

After the war, the new government set up many programs to help rebuild the country, and a huge international relief effort was coordinated by the United Nations. In mid-1974, just as the programs were beginning to make progress, disaster struck again. The worst floods in decades swept through Bangladesh. By September, food shortages brought famine, and tens of thousands of people died.

Weather-related problems continued throughout the 1970's and 1980's. A devastating cyclone struck the coastal areas in May 1985. The storm began to develop on May 22 in the Bay of Bengal and swept onto the coast in the early hours of May 24. The cyclone's winds hit the coast at more than 80 miles (1 30 kilometers) per hour and created tidal waves 13 feet (4 meters) high.

Many Bangladeshis were unprepared for this particular cyclone. The bamboo and jute dwellings in which the villagers took shelter were no match for the storm's tremendous strength. Thousands of people were swept away by floods and tidal waves.

The 1985 cyclone killed 11, 000 people, damaged more than 94,000 houses, and killed about 135,000 head of livestock. But it was not to be the end of weather troubles for Bangladesh. The summer of 1988 brought the worst floods in the nation's history.

Caused by heavy runoff of monsoon rains in the Himalaya, the floods killed about 1,600 people and an additional 500 died from diseases resulting from the floods. The damage to land and property was far worse than the 1985 disaster. In some districts, the entire population was left homeless.

Cyclones usually strike at the end of the monsoon season. Contaminated floodwaters bring even more problems. Disease spreads quickly, and food supplies are destroyed. Floods also isolate villages from rescue operations.

About 10 million acres (4 million hectares) of crops were completely destroyed, and an additional 7.4 million acres (3 million hectares) were partly destroyed. Also, many railroad bridges and tracks, roads, schools, and other buildings were completely or partly destroyed.

The monsoon rains that bring many benefits to Bangladesh can also result in major flooding, crop destruction, and food shortages.

Only three months later, a killer cyclone struck southeastern Bangladesh. About 600 people were killed, and more than 100 ships sank or ran aground as 10- to 15-foot (3- to 4.6-meter) waves hit the coastal areas.

It is clear that Bangladesh will always suffer from weather-related problems. There are no precautions against tidal waves and cyclones, but if people get some advance warning, they can take shelter in safe public buildings.

Some scientists believe that global warming, or the greenhouse effect, will significantly raise ocean levels over the next few decades. The map shows areas of Bangladesh that would be permanently flooded if sea levels rose by 3.3 feet (1 meter) or by 1 feet (3 meters). Permanently flooded areas would mean even less space for the people to live and grow food—a disaster for this overpopulated country. Some scientists also predict that global warming will change rainfall patterns and bring more cyclones.

On average, a catastrophe that destroys 10 per cent or more of the nation's food supply is likely to occur every two or three years. This makes it even more difficult for Bangladesh to provide for its people.