Geography of Bangladesh:

Modified from: http://www.exportinfo.org/worldfactbook/maps/bangladesh_map.gif

Bangladesh is a low-lying South Asian nation east of India. It is the most densely populated non-island nation in the world. The Ganges River delta is located on the southern coast and is responsible for the deposition of very fertile soil. Bangladesh is vulnerable to extreme events such as monsoons, cyclones, etc. The erosion of wetlands and soil make these events worse due to higher storm surges making flooding even more pronounced. Coastal erosion is responsible for several socioeconomic and biological problems that the country currently faces.

Human Factors Contributing to Erosion:

Source:http://www.informaction.org/images/graph_soil-degradation.jpg

In Bangladesh land degradation occurs due to both natural and human activities. Poor land management is a leading contributor to the erosional problems in the region. Things such as excessive deforestation and poor agricultural practices have led to high susceptibility to degradation. As the soil becomes less stable it is more likely to be carried away due to events such as floods and high intensity rainfall. Sustainable human policies are necessary in these situations to slow soil loss and reduce the potential of future hazards.

Natural Climate Factors Contributing to Erosion:

Bangladesh lies in an area of immense precipitation due to monsoon rainfalls and typhoon activity. The figure above illustrates how monsoon flooding affects the landscape. Millions of citizens are forced to migrate yearly due to excessive flooding. Soil erosion has only made this problem more devastating. Floods and other extreme weather events pose severe health hazards to the nation. Over a million people have died in Bangladesh in the last fifty years due to floods and extreme weather. This is expected to increase as the soil degredates.

Economic Effects of Erosion:

Sources: http://www.ramsar.org/pictures/bangladesh-sundarbans09.jpg and http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Spring04/Paquet/images/saltw.jpg

The economic consequences of erosion in Bangladesh are diverse and profound. The coastal area of the country is important for both tourism and transportation. As Bangladesh loses land it threatens these industries. Loss of land will also increase salinity intrustion. As salinity increases it has an adverse effect on the important fishing industry in Bangladesh. Salinity intrusion also cuts down agricultural growth due to the destruction of crops. In addition, the costs associated with poor flood abatement techniques and damage to homes and buildings is also a major issue.

Biological Effects of Erosion:

Source: http://www.siliconeer.com/past_issues/2000/may_00_arsenic_3.jpg

In addition to the economic consequences there are also biological problems plaguing Bangladesh. Over thirty million people in Bangladesh are exposed to drinking water that contains harmful concentrations of arsenic caused by chemical runoff from rock and soil erosion. This arsenic poisoning is aquired from drinking contaminated groundwater. The aresenic pandemic has been recognized as the largest mass poisoning of a population in history. The middle figure above shows the effects of arsenic poisoning.

Source: http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/images/profiles/terrestrial/im/lg/im1406a_lg.jpg

Another major problem concerns the Sundarban mangrove forest. (above right) The Sundarbans make up the largest mangrove forest in the world. It is the home of a multitude of exotic varieties of fish, plants and other animals. The forest is also important for economic reasons due to large quantities of natural resources. At the current rate of destruction, questions are arising whether the forest can survive. Saltwater intrusion and increasing water levels threaten the biolife of the region. Species such as the Bengal tiger (above left) are in serious danger of extinction; it is estimated that less than 400 remain.