As the monsoon season hits its peak, Bangladesh and northeast India find themselves grappling with a natural disaster of an immense scale. Deadly floods brought on by torrential rains have wreaked havoc across huge swathes of land in both regions, displacing hundreds of thousands of people and leading to devastating loss of life.
The Flood Scenario in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, a country crisscrossed by more than 230 rivers, floods are a yearly occurrence, especially during the monsoon season between June and October. However, the sheer scale of the flooding this year surpassed previous years, affecting some 21 of the country’s 64 districts. Rainfall poured down incessantly for weeks, causing the rivers to burst their banks and inundate countless villages.
Over half a million residents have been displaced, with their homes either washed away or submerged under the floodwaters. More than 50 deaths have already been reported, often due to drowning or incidents such as wall collapses. Much of the national infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and schools, has been severely damaged, making the task of relief and recovery even more challenging.
Flooding in Northeast India
Not too far from Bangladesh, in northeast India, a nearly identical disaster unfolded. The Brahmaputra River and its tributaries overflowed, affecting more than 2 million people across Assam, a state renowned for its tea production. More than 100 deaths have been reported, many due to landslides triggered by the heavy rainfall. Elephants and Rhinos in the Kaziranga National Park, home to the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinos, have also suffered due to flooding.
Relief Efforts and Challenges
In both regions, relief efforts are being challenged by the ongoing pandemic. Nevertheless, necessary measures have been activated by the local governments and several NGOs to support those who have been displaced. This includes the setup of flood relief camps to provide shelter, food, clean drinking water, and medical care for those forced to evacuate their homes.
Under such dire circumstances, maintaining social distancing proves a significant challenge. Equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE), healthcare workers and volunteers are conducting tests for COVID-19 in the temporary relief camps. Sanitation facilities have also been ramped up to mitigate any health risks from unsanitary conditions.
Environmental Factors and Climate Change
Amid all this, it’s impossible to overlook the role of environmental factors and climate change. Unregulated deforestation, silting of rivers, and rampant land encroachment are amplifying the intensity of the floods. In Bangladesh, climate change-induced sea-level rise has made coastal flooding more acute and frequent.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned that such flooding events will likely increase in frequency and intensity due to global warming. This means the long-term solution for these regions is an urgent and robust response to climate change, incorporating disaster risk reduction and enhanced resilience in flood-prone communities.
Ultimately, the current crisis in Bangladesh and northeast India underscores the urgent need for improved flood forecasting, greater infrastructure resilience, and a renewed focus on environmental restoration and climate change mitigation. Tough environmental regulations and better land use planning need to be in place to abate the consequences of such disasters. As they guard against pandemics, these countries must also prepare to grapple with the increasingly dire consequences of climate change.
