Sea Level Rise in Bangladesh Faster Than Global Average

A delta country of South Asia, Bangladesh, is now facing a severe climate scourge. Of all its problems, the most significant has now become the rise of the sea level. To the dismay of the Bangladeshi people, sea-level rise in the country is escalating at a pace faster than the global average to exacerbate the predimonitions of the inhabitans, such as coastal ecosystems and economy.

Now Let’s Take a Look at the Science behind this Acceleration of Sea Level Rise

The world ocean has been gradually warming and expanding as a consequence, while ice has melted at both poles and on mountaintops. But in Bangladesh, it is combined with regional factors like subsidence, sedimentation changes and land uses. Different studies reveal that sea levels along Bangladesh’s coastline are increasing at the rate in the range of 6-10 millimeters per year while the global rate is about 3.3 millimeters.

This has been as a result of delta subsidence that comes with natural sediment compaction coupled with human interventions in terms of extraction of ground water. At the same time the decrease of sediment yield from upper river catchment areas by construction of dams and deforestation decreased the capacity of the land to oppose the relative rise in sea level.

Impacts on Coastal Communities

For the 35 million people living in the coast line of Bangladesh this kind of accelerated rise means disaster. Now in Khulna, Barisal and Satkhira the village areas are being occupied by saline water which infests fertile land, pollutes freshwater sources and eradicates occupations which are productive farming and fishing.

“Once we grew rice but the soil has become very salty now,” said a farmer named Noor Alam who lives in Shyamnagar. “Well, now we have moved towards shrimp culture but they do not can generate enough income to support a family.”

This has also resulted in the loss of thousands of families to the sea due to physical invasion of the sea. Camps have been evicted as the waters rise, taking over parts of the villages and some building structures. They move to other areas where they live congested lives and have very limited marketable employment opportunities.

Environmental Consequences

The rapidity of sea level rise is particularly wearing on Bangladesh’s diverse ecosystems. The Sunderbans, the largest mangrove forests of the world declared as the world heritage site is in a critical condition. Flora such as the Sundari tree is disappearing due to increasing salinity and water logging that has and is threatening fauna like the Bengal tiger and Irrawaddy dolphin among others.

They act as the natural barrier against storm surges and coastal erosion; therefore, mangroves’ loss contributes to making new hurricane victims out of coastal dwellers. Zonal damages from hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones are relatively frequent and intense and have been occasioned by climate change.

Economic Ramifications

Sea level rise is not only an economic issue but exacerbates virtually every aspect of the economy. Actually, agriculture sector highly affected by climate change of Bangladesh which is most sensitive sector and provide employment to 45% of labor force. Fluvial salinity has made large portions of the land marginal for staples crops, hence lower crop productivity and vulnerability to saline tolerant types or fish farming. However, these options do not necessarily make up for that loss of per capita and food security incomes.

Fisheries, the other major sector, is affected since marine systems are upset. Fishing practices and water salinity and temperature change, therefore, have a direct impact on the livelihood rights of these coastal fishers. Moreover, the depletion of mangroves has led to reduced breeding grounds for fish thus increasing pressure in the sector.

General Protection and Resilience Initiatives

Even if the situation seems quite pessimistic, Bangladesh has acted quickly to cope with the difficulties related to the rise in sea level. In this respect, the government together with the support of the international organizations has developed a number of adaptation measures. These are; embankment construction, construction of cyclone shelters and construction of houses on raised platforms for the flood prone communities.

New technologies include the development of salt-tolerant rice and floating gardens which acts as assets to the farmers in saline soils. Another initiative also on the rise is community participated afforestation for mangroves which offers ecological as well as economic value.

But the problem has outgrown the local level, and attempts at specialization are not enough. Analysts stress that massive international assistance for adaptation – in the form of funds, technology, and technical cooperation – is required to strengthen Bangladesh’s adaptation programmes.

The Global Responsibility

However, it is painful to know that Bangladesh, which is not one of the high emitting country has been affected by the vices of climate change. Bangladesh has contributed less than 0.4% of the global green house gas emission but is on the forefront of the vulnerable list.

Therefore, it can be appreciated that the whole international community join Bangladesh in the fight against climate change since it is a right of immeasurable value for the people in the country. This concerns meeting obligations toward the contribution to the Green Climate Fund and other funding instruments, which guarantee equal access to finance for adaptation and mitigation.
However, mitigation of emissions will require significant increase at the global level if the rise in average global temperatures is to be kept at 1.5 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels as agreed under the Paris accord. If this is not achieved catastrophic effect on climate will become apparent in many ways, including a universal increase in sea levels displacing countries like Bangladesh.

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Despite the problems, there are many rays of hope coming from the Bangladeshi coastal areas. In Patuakhali, women of a Cooperative have dynamically engaged in reforestation of mangrove trees and thus minimizing effects of tidal surge in a village. Likewise, the units are uplifting people’s groups through education, human capacity development, and climate smart technologies.

‘We cannot stop the sea, we can’t stop the sea, but we can fight it,’ explained Begum Fatema Begum, a leader of the affected community of Bhola. “Together, we can save our planet and our generations.”

Conclusion

It is rather evident that accelerated rate of sea-level increases in Bangladesh is a major problem that cannot wait for solution. Its effects are relevant to the loss of lives, income sources, and the Natural environment. Alas, despite many local adaptation initiatives that are a laudable thing, they are insufficient to respond to the scale of the ordeal.

To fight climate change and help the countries most affected, the nations of the world need to unite and act intensively. The analysts argue that as waters levels continue to climb along the coast of Bangladesh, people of the world must take action, because this is not problem for the people of the Bay of Bengal only.

Read More

• Sea Level Rise and the Threat to Bangladesh