Flood is a regular natural
disaster occurring in Bangladesh and thus entailing huge damage to the economy.
On average, approximately one quarter of the country is inundated. Once in
every 4-5 years, however there is a severe flood that may cover over 60% of the
country and cause loss of life and substantial damage to infrastructure,
housing, agriculture and livelihoods. In the last 25 years, Bangladesh has
experienced five severe floods (Table 2.1), the most damaging one being in 1998
covering more than two-thirds area of the country.
Table 2.1: Severe floods in
last 25 years
Event
|
Impact
|
1987 flood
|
Inundated over 50,000 sq.
km, estimated damage US$ 1 billion, 2055 deaths.
|
1988 flood
|
Inundated 61% of the
country, estimated damage US$ 1.2 billion, more than 45 million homeless,
between 2,000-6,500 deaths.
|
1998 flood
|
Inundated nearly 100,000
sq.km, rendered 30 million people homeless, damaged 500,000 homes, heavy loss
to infrastructure, estimated damage US$2.8 billion, 1,100 deaths
|
2004 flood
|
Inundation 38%, affected
nearly 3.8 million people, estimated damage over US$2 billion, 700 deaths.
|
2007 flood
|
Inundated 32,000 sq. km,
over 85,000 houses destroyed and almost 1 million damaged, approximately 1.2
million acres of crops destroyed or partially damaged, estimated damage over
US$ 1 billion, 649 deaths.
|