Elsevier
Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences

Climate Vulnerability

Understanding and Addressing Threats to Essential Resources
Volume 5, 2013, Pages 347-356
Climate Vulnerability

5.22 - Hydroclimatology and Large-Scale Population Vulnerability to Cholera Outbreaks in the Bengal Delta

https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-384703-4.00520-7Get rights and content

Abstract

In this chapter, we provide a physical understanding based on the regional large-scale environmental and hydroclimatic processes of how the first outbreaks of cholera may be related to low flow discharge of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers and subsequent and salinity intrusion during spring. Cholera incidence values in this season are inversely related to streamflow volumes, that is, bigger spring cholera peaks are seen in strong drought years. On the other hand, autumn cholera outbreaks are positively correlated to peak streamflow volumes, that is, bigger autumn peaks are seen in high flood years. Evidence points to large-scale population vulnerability to biannual cholera transmission mechanisms that provide ecological and environmental “conditions” for cholera outbreaks in the Bengal Delta floodplains.

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Ali Akanda is a Post-Doctoral Scholar in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Tufts University. His academic interests include hydrology, forecasting, hydroclimatology, and water borne diseases.

Antarpreet (Antar) Jutla is Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the West Virginia University. His research interests include development of innovative methodologies for predicting water-related diseases using hydroclimatological information and satellite remote sensing data. His research findings have featured in several media outlets including the BBC World Service, Voice of America, Huffington Post, Nature, and Yale E360.

Shafiqul ("Shafik") Islam is Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the first Bernard M. Gordon Senior Faculty Fellow in Engineering at Tufts University. He also holds a joint appointment as Professor of Water Diplomacy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts. Professor Islam’s teaching and research interests are to understand characterize, measure, and model water issues ranging from climate to cholera to water diplomacy with a focus on scale issues and remote sensing. His research group WE REASoN integrates ‘theory and practice’ and ‘think and do’ to create actionable water knowledge. He maintains a diverse network of national and international partnerships including MIT, Columbia University, Purdue University, Penn State University, Princeton, BUET in Bangladesh, University of Tokyo, ETH in Switzerland, ICDDRB in Bangladesh, IIT in India, and SaciWATERs to conduct multiyear and multimillion dollar interdisciplinary collaborative research for a wide range of problems focusing on water, health, and climate. His major research sponsors include the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Health, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Dr. Islam maintains an active national and international consulting and training practice including flood forecasting in India, national water planning in Bangladesh, water policy planning for ExxonMobil, and advising South Asian Consortium of Interdisciplinary Water initiatives. He acted as consultant to the World Bank, United States Geological Survey, Proctor and Gamble, and several other governmental and nongovernmental organizations. He has published more than 100 refereed journal and other publications. His research findings have featured in numerous media outlets including the BBC World Service, Voice of America, Boston Globe, Huffington Post, Nature, and Yale E360.

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