Bangladesh has been severely battered by a cyclone which smashed the country's southern coastline with winds whipping up tidal surges over five meters high. Entire villages have been flattened by the cyclone. The death toll has risen to over 2,000 and over 1.5 million people have been displaced. The death toll is expected to rise further. Rescue operations are on in full swing but work has been hampered by uprooted trees blocking roads. Army helicopters are dropping supplies and five navy ships are distributing food, medicine and relief materials along the coastline. Several countries have pledged immediate aid. India has offered to assist Bangladesh “in whatever way” to deal with the devastation caused by the cyclone. The Indian and Bangladeshi governments must quickly co-ordinate to set the relief and rehabilitation process in motion. International support must extend beyond the immediate provision of relief as the impact of the cyclone will be felt for many months. It has been reported that 95 per cent of the country’s rice crop, which was due to be harvested in a few weeks, has been damaged. This will mean severe food shortages. Outbreak of epidemics is likely and the authorities must act immediately to prevent this.The cyclone is said to be the worst hitting Bangladesh in 16 years. In 1991, a cyclone tore through the country killing 1,43,000 people.
The recent cyclone underscores yet again disaster prone Bangladesh’s vulnerability to environmental threats. Cyclones, tornadoes and floods occur every year and the impact of these is compounded by the fact that Bangladesh’s terrain is largely flat. Only a small part of the country is elevated. Most parts of Bangladesh are less than 12 metres above sea level. It is said that if the sea level were to rise by 1 metre, around 50 per cent of Bangladesh’s land would be submerged. The country is therefore among the most vulnerable to the impact of global warming and a consequent rise in sea levels.
The natural disasters that Bangladesh encounters with such regularity is a matter of concern not just for Bangladesh but for the entire region. Disasters cause displacement and this in turn pushes people to migrate. The flow of environmental refugees is likely to grow. This has implications for neighbours like India. New Delhi must therefore take the lead in improving co-operation in the region on issues like disaster management, environment security and so on.
Bangladesh has been severely battered by a cyclone which smashed the country's southern coastline with winds whipping up tidal surges over five meters high. Entire villages have been flattened by the cyclone. The death toll has risen to over 2,000 and over 1.5 million people have been displaced. The death toll is expected to rise further. Rescue operations are on in full swing but work has been hampered by uprooted trees blocking roads. Army helicopters are dropping supplies and five navy ships are distributing food, medicine and relief materials along the coastline. Several countries have pledged immediate aid. India has offered to assist Bangladesh “in whatever way” to deal with the devastation caused by the cyclone. The Indian and Bangladeshi governments must quickly co-ordinate to set the relief and rehabilitation process in motion. International support must extend beyond the immediate provision of relief as the impact of the cyclone will be felt for many months. It has been reported that 95 per cent of the country’s rice crop, which was due to be harvested in a few weeks, has been damaged. This will mean severe food shortages. Outbreak of epidemics is likely and the authorities must act immediately to prevent this.The cyclone is said to be the worst hitting Bangladesh in 16 years. In 1991, a cyclone tore through the country killing 1,43,000 people. 
