Current Conditions: Disaster Management

Bangladesh is Highly Vulnerable to Disasters

Bangladesh is frequently hit by disasters, particularly cyclones, floods, mud slides, tornados, river erosion and drought. The country’s tropical monsoon climate is influenced by the Himalayan, Assam, and 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 Hardest Hit

Frequent natural disasters destabilize the entire population of Bangladesh. However in a disaster situation, those living nearest the poverty line are most vulnerable to slip below it. The landless and near landless may be forced to sell their limited assets to meet their basic survival needs. Those who typically depend upon wage labor for subsistence are forced to compete with those newly entering the labor market due to disaster displacement. At the same time, the labor market becomes further depressed by the loss of harvests.   In turn, the poorest, most vulnerable portion of the Bangladeshi population has little or no alternative to meet their basic needs.