Feature

Climate Change and Its Different Impacts In Bangladesh

Shahzerin Bashar

Climate:
Climate is known as the average weather over a period of time, at least 30 years (Climate Change and variability- A resource book, 2007). Based on statistical information, climate is a synthesis of weather variation in a specific area over a period of time.

It was found that the earth's surface temperature has increased by 0.6±0.2°C the number of hot days in a year has increased in many places and the number of cold days has decreased nearly everywhere (IPCC, 2001). This is a phenomenal change that has occurred in the twentieth century.

Besides this change there have been various changes regarding the global sea-level, rainfall pattern, temperature changes and many other impacts occurring from the past centuries till now. But, the changes in the past have also been attributed to the variations in Sun-Earth orbits, solar output, volcanic activity and ocean circulation. Therefore, climate change was one of the causes of several other reasons to these changes.

Today climate changes have caused an immense concern all over the world and scientists and researchers are finding various possibilities of climate change affecting human life. The changes in climate that are predicted are mainly considered as a result of atmospheric composition (green house gases) changing due to human activities, such as fossil fuel burning, agriculture, and animal husbandry. But, how does the climate change? This is a common question and the answer is a completely scientific explanation involving the emissions of gases, especially greenhouse gases and aerosols like, Carbon dioxide (CO2), CFCs, Methane (CH4), Nitrous Oxide (N2O) and Ozone (O3) that causes global warming- that leads to warming of our earth's surface and melting ice caps and glaciers. Eventually, the sea-level rises and this is a big threat for coastal regions, countries with low-lying and deltaic regions, such as Bangladesh. Other than sea-level rise there are other impacts occurring such as, changes in rainfall, temperature and frequency of floods, droughts and soil erosion.

Climate Change in Bangladesh:
Bangladesh, being a low-lying country and the south region consisting of coastal waters of the Bay of Bengal, is considered most vulnerable to sea-level rise.

We are in a situation that needs immediate solutions for mitigation and adaptation to impacts of climate variability. Bangladesh may get warmer and wetter in future. According to IPCC, with emissions continued, Bangladesh is projected to be 0.5 to 2°C warmer than today by 2030.

The major changes in physical parameters that have been occurring as a result of climate change are:
* Increased temperature
* Increase of weather extremes related to natural disasters (Droughts, Cyclones, Floods, Riverbank Erosion )
* Changes in rainfall pattern

As a result of these changes there have been major impacts on our natural resources, agriculture- crop patterns, growing seasons, fisheries and livestock.

Bangladesh has been affected by floods as well as river-bank erosion frequently. The north and northwestern part has been affected by droughts, while the northeast has been hit by flashfloods every year. According to reports from farmers around the country, there has been an increase in the frequency of droughts, floods and flash floods annually that has found many of them distressed and worried (Faces of Change, 2008).

Bangladesh is concerned as one of the most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change according to reports by the UNFCC. Most of our landmass lies 10 m above sea-level making it more exposed to rising sea-levels and floods. We are one of the most densely populated countries with a population of almost 150 million.

Apart from the negative impacts on physical parameters surprisingly, some findings show positive impacts. For example, a study shows that tomatoes have increased productivity due to high temperatures. But on the other hand due to increased sea-levels salinity intrusion has caused less productivity of many crops, including rice. Therefore, the effects of climate change have a twofold impact on our country's agriculture. Bangladesh's economy is based mostly on natural resources- water, agriculture, forestry, fisheries and livestock and therefore we need to explore and study further about the positive and negative impacts at the same time. If the negative impacts outnumber the positive ones then it is high time we found options for adaptation to climate changes. It is predicted that the negative impacts may cause a greater problem in future. As for agriculture, adaptation is a lengthy process and we need many years time to simply examine and understand the nature of cropping patterns in our country.

Impacts of climate change in Bangladesh
Besides the impact of climate changes on our physiographic or natural resources there are other impacts such as on women and children in regions most affected by climate. Due to increase in the frequency of disasters this particular group needs most concern. It is learned that during a disaster, most of the time women and the elderly suffers the most; children also become victims unless they follow the others to shelters. The women have to either save their belongings or just leave, along with their children. Men rarely stay back unless they are old or sick. Instead they try to look for shelters as fast as possible.

In our country adaptation techniques need to be developed immediately to help the people who are most affected by climate change. They need to cope and change their ways of living due to these changes.

Recently I have visited Chandpur, Comilla to explore the villages there, after having read a report about farmers facing different problems due to climate changes. It was amazing to find that a lot of people in rural areas have their own views regarding adaptation techniques. Some of them suggested that raising land would help solve the problems of water flow in and out of their rivers. In this way they would not lose any of their fishes due to overflowing of flood waters. Many of them have even constructed bridges with simple bamboo sticks and ropes for easier communication. These people have learned to adapt to this situation on their own.

Therefore, we do not need to search too far for introducing adaptation techniques in our country. We can simply find the answers amongst those who are directly affected in rural areas of Bangladesh.

(Research & Development Officer, School of Environmental Science and Management(SESM), Independent University of Bangladesh(IUB)