Ganges Drainage Basin

• Where is the river Ganges source?

  Eastern Himalayas
• The Gange drainage basin is an international basin. Name countries that it covers:


  Bangladesh, India, Nepal,
• How many people live within the Ganges drainage basin?

  More than 500 million
• During what season does the ice from the Himalayans melt into the drainage basin?

  Summer
• How many hectares of fertile plains are around the river Ganges?

  255 million hectares
• Gangetic plains are intensely populated due to what?

  flat fertile land (farming opportunities)
• Due to the intensity of farming near the river Ganges what happened to groundwater supplies?

  they have been over-abstracted (reduced)
• Why is monsoon season important for people around the drainage basin?

  provides vital rainfall
• Many areas of the drainage basin suffer from regular floods
• While dry seasons near the basin lead to low water levels and droughts
• When outside monsoon season water accessibility issues arise particularly because of agriculture why?

  because irrigation reduces water levels further
• Where is the mouth of the Ganges River?

  Bay of Bengal
• At the end of the river, the delta distributes provide very fertile land for farmers. However, this puts these farmers in danger because of?

  • floods
  • cyclones
  • sea levels rising 3m (climate change causing flooding)
  • salt intrusions