NASA satellite images show intense flooding in Bangladesh

Satellite images from NASA have revealed the intensity of flooding in Bangladesh that has affected more than four million people and killed at least 100, mostly from drowning.

News Deskbdnews24.com
Published : 4 August 2020, 03:40 PM
Updated : 4 August 2020, 03:40 PM

Monsoon-related floods have devastated millions of people in South and East Asia since early June 2020.

One of the countries most severely affected has been Bangladesh, where at least a quarter of the country was inundated, NASA Earth Observatory said in a recent article.

Bangladesh on Jun 2 2020. NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS/LANCE and GIBS/Worldview.

To compare the floods, it provided two false-colour photos, acquired with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite on Jun 2 and Jul 25.

NASA Earth Observatory used a combination of infrared and visible light to make it easier to see the boundary between water and land. Earth Observatory also published the photo of flooding on Jul 25 in natural colour.

In the false-coloured images, water appears navy blue and black; clouds are white or cyan; and vegetation is bright green.

Bangladesh on Jul 25 2020. NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS/LANCE and GIBS/Worldview.

About 80 percent of Bangladesh’s rain falls during monsoon season 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.

As of Jul 31, the Bangladesh Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre reported water levels along the Jamuna River were at or above “danger level.”Almost a million homes were inundated, and more than 1,500 square kilometres of farmland were damaged across the country. Several areas are also isolated due flooded roads.

Government officials tried to prepare for the monsoon season, but recent disasters made planning difficult.

Bangladesh on Jul 25. Natural colour NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS/LANCE and GIBS/Worldview.

Many flood protection structures, such as embankments and dykes, were already damaged from monsoon floods in recent years while the typical recovery cycle is usually three to five years.

The country is recovering from Cyclone Amphan, which hit its coasts in May 2020. And the COVID-19 pandemic has constrained response efforts.