2017 South Asian Floods

The Forecast-based Financing (FbF) project in Bangladesh intends to support the vulnerable people of Bangladesh districts exposed to cyclones.

Recently due to cyclone induced inundation and strong winds, two communities, Hatiya and Companiganj have been supported with a cash transfer programme. This early action was activated based on forecast information, in order to support families in a timely manner to conduct mitigation and preparedness actions to minimize risks due to their vulnerability and exposure to cyclones.

Exposure data is still a challenge, as existing maps do not show clearly show where the households are located, therefore having a OSM map of the existing communities, will help us to analyze the extend of the affectation for evaluation purposes, but will also help us to upgrade the FbF mechanism for future potential activations, this will allow us to prioritize in a more effective way the most exposed and vulnerable households.

Monsoon season in South Asia has brought above average rainfall, resulting in devastating flooding across the region in Bangladesh, Nepal, and India. Over 1,200 people have died as a result, and over 30 million people have been impacted. Rise of water levels in the various rivers in the northern part of the country due to heavy rainfalls as well as water flow from the upstream hills in India have led to the inundation of the river basin areas in the northern parts of Bangladesh.

After the devastating flood of July, second time monsoon flood started on 12 August affecting 31 of the 64 districts in the country:

• none of the 6 districts in Barisal Division;
• 3 of the 11 districts in Chittagong Division: Brahmanbaria, Rangamati, Comilla;
• 7 of the 13 districts in Dhaka Division: Dhaka, Faridpur, Madaripur, Manikganj, Rajbari, Shariatpur, Tangail;
• 1 of the 10 district in Khulna Division: Jessore;
• 4 of the 4 districts in Mymensingh Division: Jamalpur, Mymensingh, Netrokona, Sherpur;
• 5 of the 8 districts in Rajshahi Division: Bogra, Joypurhat, Naogaon, Natore, Sirajganj;
• 8 of the 8 districts in Rangpur Division: Dinajpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Panchagarh, Rangpur, Thakurgaon;
• 3 of the 4 districts in Sylhet Division: Moulvibazar, Sunamganj, Sylhet.

It disrupted people’s normal life. 1200 union of 183 upazilas under 31 districts are affected and 8746 villages affected. Total 238843 people fully and 6536509 people partially affected, 50042 households fully and 1305257 households partially affected, 71628 houses fully and 548175 houses partially damaged. Total 121 people died. 15529 hectare fully and 562594 hectare partially agricultural land inundated, 34 fully and 3134 partially educational institution damaged, 403km of road fully and 4432.38 km of road partially damaged, 268 bridge and 96 km of embankment damaged.

Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) opened an emergency control room to monitor and collect the information on the ongoing floods and has already alerted its national disaster response team (NDRT) members and national disaster WATSAN response team (NDWRT) members and more NDRT and NDWRTs are on stand-by. BDRCS has deployed them in the flood affected area. Red Crescent Youth (RCY) with the support of their unit (branch) offices, executive committees and local administration, started distributing cooked and dry foods. To provide safe drinking water in Sirajganj, Tangail, Jamalpur, Bogra, Kurigram, Gainbanda districts water purification plants deployed by BDCS. RCY volunteers are assisting Government medical team in Dinajpur district. The BDRCS has requested International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to launch disaster relief emergency fund (DREF) to help the affected people in flood affected districts.

This Mapping projects in the most affected districts of Bangladesh will provide an updated road map and dataset for the the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society and the IFRC.

Read more about this activation on the Fall 2017 call for all mappers (2017-10-10).