Nasa images show how floods submerged a quarter of Bangladesh

A recent comparison of satellite images by US space agency Nasa has shown that almost a quarter of Bangladesh’s landmass was inundated by monsoon-related floods since early July of this year.

In an article published by Nasa Earth Observatory website, it said two false-colour images of northeast Bangladesh, taken on June 2 and July 25, were acquired with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on Nasa’s Aqua satellite using a combination of infrared and visible light to make it easier to see the boundary between water and land.

June 2, 2020 | NASA Earth Observatory website“Water appears navy blue and black; clouds are white or cyan; and vegetation is bright green. The image shows the flooding on July 25 in natural colour.”

It also mentioned that about 80% of Bangladesh’s rain falls during monsoon season, which stretches from June to October. 

“Monsoon rains typically cause some level of flooding, but officials said this flooding may be the worst in a decade and the longest-lasting since 1988,” the article said.

Also Read- Flood improves further in Brahmaputra basin

According to a report published on Dhaka Tribune on July 15, which the Nasa article used as a reference, Bangladesh’s Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) confirmed that a third of Bangladesh went under water after some of the heaviest rains in a decade and at least 1.5 million people were affected, with homes and roads in villages flooded.

June 2, 2020 | NASA Earth Observatory website

On July 25, the flood situation worsened further in Brahmaputra, Ganges basins as incessant rise of water in most of the rivers was triggered by heavy downpour and onrush of water from the upstream.

Water level in the existing rivers rose at 11 points and receded at two points only in most of the districts of Rajshahi division, aggravating the flood situation in the char (river bed) and other low-lying areas of Sirajganj, Bogra, Natore, Naogaon, Chapainawabganj, and Rajshahi districts.

June 2, 2020 | NASA Earth Observatory website

As of August 4, a total of 162 upazilas across the country have been affected by floods that set in during the last week of June, and is yet to subside fully, said a bulletin of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). People in Kurigram, Madaripur, Sirajganj, Tangail, Faridpur and Netrakona were the worst sufferers from the deluge.