Water vs flood
We know that excess of anything is dangerous. Let us take the example of water. Water is life and excess water is flood. Because we live in a climatically vulnerable country like Bangladesh, we do not need to be told about the ferocity of floods. People of Bangladesh know very well how disastrous the consequences of monsoons, flash floods, torrential downpours, and weeks of downpour can be. We have been suffering badly due to floods for many years and the future looks overcast.
75% of Bangladesh is less than 10 metres above sea level and 80% is flood plain, which makes Bangladesh a nation very much at risk of further widespread damage. Every year, about 26,000 km2 (around 18%) of the country is flooded, killing over 5,000 people and destroying 7 million homes. During severe floods the affected area may exceed 75% of the country, as was seen in 1998. This volume is 95% of the total annual inflow.
I had the opportunity to talk with some of the extreme poor families living in Shatkhira, Tala upazila, who faced floods in August 2011. All their belongings were lost in the water. While fighting with the flood, people could not even have a glass of water. (Not to mention the trouble they faced when trying to find a glass of clean drinking water!)
Around 963,538 people from approximately 241,763 households were affected. Of them, 22,919 households were able to take refuge in 282 temporary shelters. 25,314 homes were damaged, leaving around 68,315 people homeless. They are now living on roadsides and embankments, passing sleepless nights under the open sky in squally weather. 80% of latrines were washed away. Victims, especially children, are suffering from diarrhoea and other water-borne diseases. Women and girls are suffering the most.
There are some interventions from international and national organisations. WFP provided food support to 11,000 flood affected families of southwest region of Bangladesh. A local NGO distributed 120 sanitary latrines, plastic sheets, dry food and medicines in the most affected villages. Another NGO provided food package support to 950 families. Still another distributed plastic sheets to 8,500 families, and installed 80 tube wells and 200 latrines with its own funds.
An NGO with long-standing development work in the affected areas mobilised its disaster volunteers and primary organisation group leaders to support disaster affected families to move to shelters. Staff and group leaders were engaged in shelter management. Senior staff and a forum of civil society working on water management in southwest costal region of Bangladesh participated in a meeting to assess the situation and make plans to respond to the humanitarian needs of the affected people. The participants shared their experience of flood situations.
What about sustainability? Bangladesh is one of the most climate vulnerable countries in the world and will become even more so as a result of climate change. Floods are a common natural disaster in Bangladesh because of our geographic location. They used to be a blessing for us but due to unsustainable ways of controlling floods and climate change, they have become a major problem for the growing population living in flood-prone areas.
Does the government have a plan? Do NGOs and donor organisations have a plan? Does the private sector have a plan? Who will assure us about sustainable flood controlling systems? Who will take the responsibility of affected people in next phase? Next time the floods may be more ferocious. Please do not let tears be part of the water overflow anymore!
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