Human+and+physical+impacts+of+flooding

HUMAN IMPACTS OF FLOODING IN BANGLADESH: Increasing population in the foothills of the Hymalayas is resulting in intense deforestation in the area of the River Ganges and Brahmaputra.Its belived that the forests intercept most of the water flowing down the hill so that the river doesn't over flow. By deforesting the foot hills the water runs straight down into the river causing it to overflow and flood. Increasing population pressure in Bangladesh itself has resulted in the sinking of many new wells resulting in the lowering of the water table and the subsequent subsidence of land making it even more prone to flooding. Bangladesh is an LEDC and its lack of money and heavy national debt means that little money is available to spend on flood protection methods. PHYSICAL IMPACTS OF FLOODING IN BANGLADESH: Bangladesh is a very low lying country, with 70% of its land area being less than 1m above sea level and 80% of it being floodplain. Bangladesh receives large amounts of water passing through it with two major rivers (the Ganges and Brahmaputra) converging and forming a huge delta. Bangladesh has a monsoon climate and the annual torrential rains which result often result in the rivers exceeding their capacity and flooding. In the spring, melting snow from the Himalayas further increases the flood risks as torrents of melt water enter the rivers at their source.