Bangladesh is a small country situated in South Asia. It is one of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change. Its proximity to three major rivers the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna adding to the fact that it is one of the most densely populated countries in the world make it particularly susceptible to the impacts of rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and other climate-related disasters.
In recent years, Bangladesh has been facing several climate-related challenges, such as increasing frequency and intensity of floods, cyclones, and droughts, rising sea levels, salinization of coastal areas, and increased temperature and humidity. These challenges have had severe impacts on the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in Bangladesh, particularly those living in rural and coastal areas.According to a report by the Global Climate Risk Index 2021, Bangladesh was ranked 4th among the countries most affected by climate change between 2000 and 2019. This is startling as you begin to picture the effect these changes would have on one of the most populus countries on the planet. The report highlighted that Bangladesh suffered 7,689 deaths and economic losses of over $11 billion during this period due to climate-related disasters.
One of the biggest challenges facing Bangladesh is the increasing frequency and severity of floods. The country's riverine geography and monsoon climate make it particularly vulnerable to floods, which have become more frequent and severe in recent years. Floods have a devastating impact on agriculture, which is the main source of livelihood for millions of people in Bangladesh. The agricultural sector of Bangladesh takes the hardest hit as they are unable to produce in these conditions.
In spite of the challenges, Bangladesh has shown remarkable resilience and has taken several steps to adapt to the impacts of climate change. For instance, the government has developed a comprehensive climate change strategy, which includes measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote renewable energy, improve disaster risk management, and build resilience in vulnerable communities. The government has also invested in infrastructure projects such as embankments and cyclone shelters to protect people from floods and cyclones.In addition, local communities in Bangladesh have developed their own adaptive strategies to cope with the impacts of climate change. As such with farmers that have started using saline-tolerant varieties of rice and shrimp farming in coastal areas, which is quite a bit less vulnerable to salinity intrusion. Women in rural areas have formed groups to collect rainwater during the monsoon season in which they use for household and agricultural purposes during the dry season.
Despite these efforts, there is still a long way to go to address the challenges facing Bangladesh due to climate change. The country needs support from the international community to build its resilience and adapt to the impacts of climate change. This support can come in the form of financial assistance, technology transfer, and capacity building.
HI Sonny - this was a really interesting topic to learn about! I was really interested in the saline-tolerant varieties of rice to help reduce risk of the crop being ruined by water with high salt content. I think this could definitely be replicated in other places that have high risks of sea water entering their rice fields. I know there is a lot of combativeness about the use GMO’s but they can be quite helpful in situations like this! It was also surprising that they were listed fourth for countries most affected by climate change from 2000 to 2019, I would be interested to see the other countries on the list.
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ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading about Bangladesh. I had no idea how much the country was affected by the climate crisis. It's hard to imagine having to deal with floods year after year while also keeping up with agricultural practices for the population's food! The saline-tolerant rice and shrimp are an interesting concept, the farmers had to change their methods to provide the most yield.
Great job! When I read the part where you say, "For instance, the government has developed a comprehensive climate change strategy, which includes measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote renewable energy, improve disaster risk management, and build resilience in vulnerable communities" I was a little discouraged because that is what most countries seem to do -- make a strategy that doesn't actually have any "teeth" or consequences for not doing the things listed. However, when you wrote about "The government has also invested in infrastructure projects such as embankments and cyclone shelters to protect people from floods and cyclones" I had more hope in the fact that they have actually done something. Great information and photos!
ReplyDeleteBangladesh really is dealing with many of the impacts of climate change will little to no outside support. I was glad to see that they have developed a climate change strategy that will hopefully help them adapt and mitigate as the climate becomes more extreme. On a side note, do you know if they have done anything for the enormous refugee camp there? I believe it was mentioned in Vince's book.
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