 |
 Disaster Management |
 |
| Population & Health | Democracy & Governance | Anti-Trafficking | Enterprise Development | Energy |
| Environment | Food Security | Disaster Management | Education | Gender |
- Seasonal monsoons with varying degrees of associated flooding are anticipated annual events in Bangladesh.
- Bangladesh has experienced seventeen highly damaging floods in the 20th century. Since independence in 1971, Bangladesh has seen floods of a vast magnitude and required external emergency assistance in 1974, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1998 and 2004.
Current Conditions: Disaster Management
Bangladesh is Highly Vulnerable to Disasters
Bangladesh is frequently hit by disasters, particularly cyclones, floods, and drought. Its tropical monsoon climate is influenced by the Himalayan, the Assam, and the Burmese mountain ranges in the north and the northeast and the Bay of Bengal in the south. The strong monsoon rains, coupled with Bangladesh's location in the delta of the world's second largest river basin, make it extremely vulnerable to recurring floods. In addition, the country's approximately 600 kilometers of coastline leave huge tracts of land open to the destructive effects of cyclones and storm surges.
Poor are Hit Hardest
In a disaster situation, those living near the poverty line can easily slip below it. The landless and near landless may be forced to sell their limited assets for survival needs. Those who depend upon wage labor for subsistence are forced to compete with those entering the labor market. The labor market, in turn, becomes further depressed by the loss of harvests and alternative sources of employment.
Cyclone Sidr Update
USAID Bangladesh Fact Sheet #1
USAID Bangladesh Fact Sheet #2
USAID Bangladesh Fact Sheet #3
 |