Impact of the 2024 Flood in Feni District and
Mitigation Measures
Prepared by:
Engr. Uday Kumar Das
MSc in Civil & Environmental Engineering
Fellow, Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (MIEB – Civil)
November 2024, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Executive Summary
In 2024, Feni District faced severe flooding triggered by prolonged monsoon rainfall and
upstream water surges. The flood caused extensive damage to agriculture, fisheries,
livestock, infrastructure, and livelihoods across several upazilas. This report presents an
overview of flood impacts, economic losses, and mitigation measures to strengthen
resilience in Feni District.
1. Background
Feni District, located in southeastern Bangladesh, is highly vulnerable to seasonal flooding
due to its river systems—particularly the Muhuri, Silonia, and Kohua rivers—and low-lying
floodplains. In 2024, continuous heavy rainfall, combined with overflow from upstream
regions, resulted in extensive flooding. Upazilas such as Fulgazi, Parshuram, Chhagalnaiya,
Feni Sadar, and Daganbhuiyan were among the worst affected.
2. Findings
2.1 Agricultural Damage
• Total damaged cropland: approximately 5,564.61 hectares.
• Major affected crops included Aus paddy (845 ha), summer vegetables (537 ha), chilli (14
ha), ginger (7 ha), turmeric (2.5 ha), and tomato (0.11 ha).
• Aman seedbeds (689 ha) and stored ginger (3,470 ha) were also damaged.
• Around 28,835 farmers were affected.
• Estimated financial loss in agriculture: Tk 38.07 crore.
2.2 Fisheries and Aquaculture Impact
• Total estimated loss: Tk 8.71 crore.
• Around 276.20 metric tonnes of fish lost (Tk 5.90 crore).
• Fish fry loss: approximately 128 metric tonnes.
2.3 Livestock and Poultry Losses
• Approximately 64,000 cattle and 23 lakh poultry birds perished in six upazilas.
• Total estimated loss: Tk 391.11 crore.
• Additional losses included damaged feed, fodder, and pasturelands.
2.4 Infrastructure and Displacement
• Embankments along the Muhuri, Silonia, and Kohua rivers suffered breaches, worsening
the inundation.
• Roads, bridges, educational institutions, homes, and public facilities were heavily
damaged.
• Thousands of residents were displaced and required temporary shelter.
• Combined losses in agriculture, fisheries, and livestock sectors exceeded Tk 146.43 crore.
3. Causes and Risk Drivers
• Heavy and prolonged rainfall during the monsoon season.
• Overflow and backflow from upstream rivers.
• Breaches in flood protection embankments.
• Poor drainage and river siltation reducing conveyance capacity.
• Overlap of cropping and flood seasons.
• Limited capacity for livestock evacuation and feed storage.
4. Mitigation and Adaptation Measures
4.1 Infrastructure and Structural Measures
• Strengthen and raise embankments along the Muhuri, Silonia, and Kohua rivers.
• Improve urban and rural drainage networks for faster water discharge.
• Construct retention ponds and flood buffers upstream.
• Design roads and bridges with flood-resilient standards.
4.2 Agricultural Adaptation
• Promote flood-tolerant and short-duration crop varieties (Aman, Aus, and vegetables).
• Adjust crop calendars to minimize exposure during peak flood periods.
• Introduce floating and raised-bed farming for flood-prone areas.
• Provide rapid post-flood support with seeds, fertilizer, and technical guidance.
4.3 Livestock and Poultry Protection
• Construct elevated livestock shelters in vulnerable zones.
• Maintain feed reserves and fodder banks in secure locations.
• Strengthen veterinary response and vaccination campaigns post-flood.
4.4 Institutional, Policy, and Community Measures
• Enhance early warning systems and flood forecasting.
• Provide flood insurance and compensation mechanisms.
• Raise community awareness and disaster preparedness training.
• Incorporate flood risk mapping into land use and development planning.
5. Conclusions and Recommendations
The 2024 Feni flood underscores the urgent need for integrated flood management
combining infrastructure, policy, and community-level measures. Priority actions include
embankment reinforcement, improved water management, and diversification of
agricultural systems. Sustainable adaptation, coupled with institutional strengthening, can
significantly reduce future flood-related losses and enhance community resilience.
