Syed Noor E Alam
Climate crisis is one of the major problems of the present world and day by day its impact on the world is increasing to an alarming level. A recent report by leading US climate scientists said 2021 was the warmest year for nearly a quarter of the world’s population. Climate change is destroying livelihoods, infrastructure and housing, forcing people from their homes, cities and even countries. In 2016 alone, extreme weather disasters displaced nearly 23.5 million people worldwide. And Bangladesh is in the first line of these harmful effects.
Bangladesh is one of the climate-vulnerable countries in the world due to its unfavorable geographical location. Vulnerability is greatly increased by flat and low-lying land, population density, high poverty rates, dependence of many livelihoods on climate-sensitive sectors, particularly agriculture and fisheries, and inefficient institutional arrangements. Adverse effects of climate change, such as rising sea levels, higher temperatures, increased monsoon rainfall and increased intensity of cyclones, will exacerbate existing problems that are already hampering Bangladesh’s development. In addition, adverse environmental conditions in countries with large populations reduce water and food security. These effects can be very harmful for the country’s economy, environment, national development and people.
Bangladesh is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Population density and inadequate infrastructure are putting the nation at risk of these disasters. Also, with an economy dependent on agriculture, adverse weather conditions are greatly endangering the livelihood of common people. By 2050, the temperature of Bangladesh is expected to increase by about 1.5 degrees Celsius. Between 2040 and 2059, climatologists predict that annual precipitation could increase by 74 millimeters. Consequently, as climate change conditions intensify, more people will be driven from their homes and land. Sea level rise, storms, cyclones, droughts, erosion, landslides and floods have already displaced large numbers of people.
Our economy is mainly dependent on agriculture. We had suitable temperature for agricultural production, six distinct seasons but due to day by day climate change, the six seasons are disappearing and with it there are drastic changes in rainfall, temperature. As a result, the future of Bangladesh’s agriculture is under extreme threat due to various problems such as irregular and insufficient rainfall, insufficient irrigation water, monsoon season in the coastal areas, coastal floods at different times and land being submerged in salt water due to the rise in sea level.
About 4,000 square kilometers in the northeastern part of the country and 1,400 square kilometers in the southeastern part of the country are victims of flash floods. Monsoon floods do not cause problems in coastal areas. But its impact is very high in flood prone areas. It causes extensive damage to livestock besides crops. Tidal flooding causes extensive damage to coastal areas. It causes waterlogging of saline water in the land, which is unsuitable for growing crops. Although Bangladesh is rich in water resources, the incidence of heavy rains, floods and waterlogging is continuously increasing due to climate change. Currently, about 1.5 million hectares of land in Bangladesh are affected by floods every year. The average annual rainfall of Bangladesh is 2300 mm and ranges from 1200 mm (south-west) to 5000 mm (north-east) depending on the region. A study has shown that rainfall in Bangladesh is increasing as a result of climate change and the average annual rainfall is expected to increase by 10-15 percent by 2030 and by about 27 percent by 2075.
Climate change is not a specific country or population problem, it is a global problem. In countries around the world, pollution, floods, fires, new viruses, bacterial arrivals, food for marine animals, loss of plants are all the result of rising temperatures and ecosystem imbalances. Environmental pollution has had an adverse effect on the people’s life in Bangladesh. To protect the environment, development, pollution control and mitigation should be active quickly. It is not a meeting but an effective action is needed. Plantation should be done instead of cutting trees.
