Lecture 13: The Jamuna-Brahmaputra

• Geomorphology and Hydrology •Flooding, erosion and bank protection •Water quality •Ecology •Water management and policy

Length: 2900km

Peak Discharge: 72,748m3s-1

Mean Annual Water

Discharge: 33,600m3s-1

Drainage Basin Area: 0.63 *

106 km2

Current Average annual

suspended sediment

discharge: 600* 106 t

Highest population density in world : 5180/km2

• Whole infrastructure collapses during severe floods

• In 1988, floods washed away:

- 2700 schools

- 3000 km of roads

- 630 km of railway

- 45 bridges

• Loss to economy was $2billion

•24,000 km network of rivers

•On average, 20% of land floods annually

•40% in 1987, 62% in 1988

•1988 flood killed 2379 people, damaged or destroyed 7 million homes

RADARSAT: 26 August 1998

Singh, 2007

Singh, 2007

Singh, 2007

Singh, 2007

Best et al., 2007

Singh, 2007

Best et al., 2007

Rennell

1786

LANDSAT

1997

Best et al., 2007

Best et al., 2007

some Landsats

1992-2003

Channel

Change

* *

Best et al., 2007

Best et al., 2007

see links on course website

Best et al., (2007), Chapter 19 in

Large Rivers

Singh, S.K., (2007), Chapter 18 in

Large Rivers

The Jamuna (contd)