Imminence of severe flood
The first signs of the devastation of floods in the north have started to emerge. At least 17 people died in three days, while large parts of at least 14 districts were submerged by floodwater. Heavy rains coupled with an onrush of water from upstream have raised the water levels of most rivers in the Meghna, Brahmaputra and Ganga basins. Newspaper reports carrying pictures of people moving to safer locations are filled with heart-breaking details.
The severity of the situation cannot be overestimated. Things can get a lot worse if water levels rise further, which will mean inundation of newer territories. The immediate challenge, therefore, is to reinforce flood defenses in potentially risky areas, as well as succor for those already hit by the flood. Measures should be taken to reduce human casualties to a minimum, move the victims to safety, provide them with necessary supplies, and arrange for post-flood rehabilitation.
While floodwater will eventually have retreated in a week or two, as far as predictions go, there are bigger issues that need to be addressed, especially the increasing frequency of floods in Bangladesh and our response to them. So far the government has adopted mostly narrow, short-term policies to tackle flood but we need to understand that flood is not just a product of rainfall or onrush of water from upstream anymore. It also involves complex issues such as land use, river management and flood defense mechanism. The world has moved past blaming only climate change and taking short-term measures. It's time we did the same.
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