Bangladesh and Climate Change

The beautiful tropical weather, the picturesque natural forests, the longest beach in the world, and the committed hospitality of the people are just a few reasons among many why Bangladesh is such an inviting place to be in. Furthermore, the existence of a diverse culture that consists of many traditional practices, most of which have a long history, is a delight that is worth experiencing not just for foreigners but also those who are born and brought up here. However, the other side of the coin reveals that Bangladesh is a country with a lot of problems. These problems encompass various social, economic, and political issues. The poor economic stability, high population number, and high illiteracy rate are just a few of the problems. But it can be safe to say that the recent concern with climate change and global warming is all set to overshadow most other problems that can bring about dire consequences to the country as a whole.

Before going over the effects of climate change on Bangladesh, it would be appropriate to concisely explain the reason for Bangladesh’s vulnerability to global warming. Bangladesh is a low lying deltaic country with over 200 rivers. These rivers are a source of vital natural resource but are also susceptible to slight climatic changes. Thus the problem of flooding and drought already exists. The country’s geographical position makes it a magnet to tropical cyclones and hence the problem of a vulnerable coastline is also already there. Moving on to social vulnerability, approximately fifty percent of the 144 million population lives below the poverty line. This indicates that people can barely gather their own food let alone owning a house or adapt to tackle a disaster. This makes them most vulnerable to any natural disasters. Under these circumstances, the last thing needed is the deepening of the crisis.

Global Warming is causing a rise in sea level. A predicted increase in sea level of 1 meter will inundate 17% of Bangladesh coastline. The intruding saline water will halt agriculture production in massive areas and cause food shortages. The relocation of coastal people will be difficult, extremely expensive and virtually impossible. It is likely that such problems will have a ‘chain effect’ on the social, economic, and environmental dimension. To put it shortly, they would add fuel to the fire and deeply aggravate the existing poverty issue. What this means is that millions of poor people barely hanging on to their lives will no longer survive, literally speaking.

On the global scene, there have been important developments regarding the global warming issue. The climate conferences involving the developed and developing countries have tried to work towards collective mitigation and adaption measures. There has also been talk about compensation to least prepared countries. Diplomatic efforts from Bangladesh have been made to highlight the fact on its vulnerability to climate change. One such interesting and a vital point that has been raised, is the liability of the richer nations. Based on scientific studies, Bangladesh’s contribution to global warming is very insignificant, yet it is set to bear the worst effects.  This introduces an ethical aspect to the debate. So far, progress has been made on paper only. Unless this is translated into actual work, millions of people are looking at a bleak future.

Written by: Shah Mohammad Raiaan

WSU International Student

Bangladesh