Climate Change in BANGLADESH

Introduction to Environment
ASSIGNMENT on
Causes and Consequences of Climate Change
in Bangladesh
Submitted by -
Saif Saem Islam
1420659030
CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF
CLIMATE CHANGE IN BANGLADESH
Introduction
Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century and is increasingly
recognized as a public health priority (WHO, 2009; Lancet, 2011; Young et al., 2002; Yongyut,
2009). Climatic variables are vital environmental factors, which establish ecological niches of
tree species and their patterns of distribution (Avise, 2000; IPCC, 2001; Yongyut, 2009).
Species-distribution models (SDMs), and forecasted global climate data, indicated that up to
43% of a sample of tree species in Amazonia could become non-viable by 2095 (Peralvo, 2004;
Yongyut, 2009). The objective of this paper is to show the causes and real impact of climate
change and vulnerability to climate change and their negative impacts in Bangladesh.
Definition of Climate Change

Climate change is identified as an average weather condition of an area characterized by its own
internal dynamics and by changing in external factors that affect climate (Trewartha et al., 1980).
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) defines climate change as
the change resulting from long term direct and indirect activities that induces changes in the
compared time which are much more than the natural change (Daily Star, 2011u). On the other
hand, the weather is a set of all the Phenomena occurring in a given atmosphere at a given time.
Causes of Climate Change

01. The earth’s climate has always varied naturally, in the past cooler cycles due to variations in
the earth’s orbit round the sun, sunspot activity or volcanic eruptions, have altered the climate.
However, large changes have been very gradual over huge time periods; nevertheless they are
still blamed for the extinction of the dinosaurs.
02. What is new is that humans are now, due to pollution from industrial processes and wasteful
lifestyles directly influencing the climate of the earth. Human influence is now believed to be
changing the climate much faster than occurring in the past under natural processes. Scientific
evidence that humans were changing the climate first emerged in the international public.
03. The Greenhouse Effect is a natural process through which various gasses and water vapor in
the atmosphere affects the earth’s climate. It is so named because it acts like a glass greenhouse
for plants by preventing the incoming heat from the sun from leaving causing warming of the
earth just as the inside of a greenhouse warms. The Greenhouse Effect can also be likened to
being under a blanket in the sunshine; the body under the blanket will heat up and the blanket
will keep the heat from escaping causing warming.
The earth’s climate is driven by this continuous flow of energy from the sun, mainly in the form
of visible light. About 30% is immediately scattered back into space, but most of the remaining
70% passes down through the atmosphere to warm the earth’s surface. Being much cooler than
the sun, the earth does not give out energy as visible light. Instead, it emits heat in the form of
infrared or thermal radiation. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere block this infrared radiation
from escaping directly from the surface to space.
Climate Change and Bangladesh

Geographically, Bangladesh is located in the tropical region (FAO, 2011). Natural disaster is a
common phenomenon and till today Bangladesh is facing several disasters, and climate change is
the main reason behind it (Daily Star, 2011a). Bangladesh lies on a deltaic plain with five major
river systems: the Jamuna- Brahmaputra, the Padma-Ganges, the Surma-Meghna, the Padma-
Meghna, and the Karnaphuli. Although altitudes up to 105 m above sea level occur in the
northern part of the plain, most elevations are less than 10 m above sea level; elevations decrease
in the coastal south, where the terrain is generally at sea level. These geographical features make
Bangladesh vulnerable to natural disasters, such as floods and cyclones, and the high levels of
poverty increase the enormity of the challenges that the country is likely to face from climate
change (ICDDR B, 2011a). Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated nations on Earth. It
has more people than geographically massive Russia (Envoinfo, 2011). Bangladesh ranked fifth
most vulnerable country to climate change and hunger in an Action Aid research report. In the
World Risk Index 2011, jointly conducted by United Nations University (UNU), Germany and
the Institute of Environment and Human Security said that Bangladesh ranked sixth among
countries that are most vulnerable to natural disasters, while second among the Asian countries
(Daily Star, 2011z).Bangladesh is a very low energy consuming country, and it is pursuing a low
carbon growth path, while building its resilience to climate change and reducing the risk of
climate change, which shows national development (Daily Star, 2009a). Bangladesh is projected
to be 0.5 to 0.2°C warmer than today by the year 2030. The 30 years mean summer temperature
in Bangladesh is 27.5°C and the mean summer temperature is relatively higher during the
monsoon than during summer. Winter is the driest season in Bangladesh. The 30 years mean
winter rainfall amounts to about 64 mm with a variability of around 53%. By 2030, the best
estimate projection is for monsoon rainfall to increase by 10 to 15% and winter rainfall by 5 to
10% (Kafiluddin, 2005).
Impacts of Climate Change in Bangladesh
The following impacts are observed on climate change in Bangladesh:

01. Disappearing seasons of Bangladesh:
There are six seasons in Bangladesh which are disappearing due to climate change. Summer &
rainy seasons are prolonging, whereas winter season is shrinking. Autumn and Dewy seasons are
vanishing. Spring season has already been vanished.
02. Infrastructures:
In Bangladesh, 93 disasters have occurred over the period from 1991 to 2000 and incurred the
loss of US$ 590 crore in agriculture and infrastructure sectors.
03. Saline water intrusion:

About 830,000 ha cultivable land has damaged by saline water intrusion from Bay of Bengal.
04. River bank erosions:

Near about 106,300 ha river bank has eroded over the period from 1982 to 1992 due to climate
change induced hazards especially floods.
05. Drought/too little water during the dry season:

About 21.8 tons of rice damaged due to drought over the period from 1973 to 1987.
06. Floods/too much water during monsoon:
Rice, about 23.8 lack tones has damaged due to flood over the period from 1973 to 1987.
07. Natural calamities:

Every year, Bangladesh is facing various natural calamities such as Flood, Cyclone, Tornado,
Landslide, Earth quake etc.
08. Denudation of forest cover.

09. Acid rain is observed in various parts of Bangladesh.
10. Desertification in northern part of Bangladesh.
11. Massive environmental pollution mainly in urban area.
The following impacts are future projection of climate change in

Bangladesh:
01. Crop production & food security:
Rainfall patterns are changed due to climate change – crops yields are expected to drop
significantly. Crop production will decrease 30% in 2100. Production of rice & wheat will
reduce 8.8%, and 32% within 2050 respectively.
02. Salinity:
There are 13% areas are salinity at Bagerhat, Khulna & Sathkhira, the southwestern coastal
districts of Bangladesh at present which will increase 16% in 2050 and 18% in 2100.
03. Coral bleaching:

Corals are vulnerable to thermal stress. If the sea surface temperature increases 1-3° C then
corals bleaching will occur frequently.
04. Mangrove forest:

About 75% area of mangrove forest, Sundarbans (60007 Sq. km) will submerse if the sea level
will increase 45 cm. If the sea level rise 1 m then the islands of Bay of Bengal and whole
Sundarbans will destroy including its fauna & flora.
05. Fisheries:
• Death rate of shrimp’s fingerlings will increase if the water temperature is more than 32°C
(CEGIS).
• Diseases of fish may increase.
• Carps culture may reduce due to saline water intrusion in the ponds and open water bodies.
• Production of sweet water fish will shrink and extinct if the sea level rise.
06. Health:
• More floods are contaminating water. Increasing water borne diseases such as cholera, diarrhea
etc.
• More droughts are decreasing food production. Increasing malnutrition.
• More greenhouse gases are increasing air pollution. Rising respiratory diseases.
• Rise of temperature will favor for pest and pathogen that will increase dengue, malaria,
diarrhea etc.
• Injuries, disabilities, psychosocial stress and death are becoming severe for more floods, fires,
droughts, heat waves & cyclones.
• High salinity in water will affect human health.
07. Climate refugee or migration:

In Bangladesh every year, rivers engulf enormous agriculture fields and homesteads, makes the
peoples homeless. Those who have no way to live in the locality, migrate to urban areas and live
in slum with unhygienic conditions.
08. Sea level rise:

If the sea level rise -
• Low-lying non-embankment coastal area may be completely inundated.
• It will increase the risk of coastal salinity.
• Scarcity of saline free drinking water will increase highly.
• Current agricultural practices will change.
09. Increased evaporation:

Global average water vapor concentration and precipitation are projected to increase during the
21st century.
10. Biodiversity:
If the global temperature rises by 2° Centigrade, 30% of all land species will be threatened by an
increased risk of extinction.
BANGLADESH CLIMATE CHANGE STRATEGY

AND ACTION PLAN
Over the last 35 years, the Government of Bangladesh, with the support of development partners,
has invested over $10 billion to make the country less vulnerable to natural disasters. These
investments include flood management schemes, coastal polders, cyclone and flood shelters, and
the raising of roads and highways above flood level. In addition, the Government of Bangladesh
has developed state-of-the-art warning systems for floods, cyclones and storm surges, and is
expanding community-based disaster preparedness. Climate resilient varieties of rice and other
crops have also been developed. The Government of Bangladesh's vision is to eradicate poverty
and achieve economic and social well-being for all the people. This will be achieved through a
Climate Change Action Plan, which priorities adaptation and disaster risk reduction, and also
addresses low carbon development, mitigation, technology transfer and the provision of adequate
finance.
The Climate Change Action Plan is built on six pillars:

1. Food security, social protection and health to ensure that the poorest and most
vulnerable in society, including women and children, are protected from climate change
and that all programs focus on the needs of this group for food security, safe housing,
employment and access to basic services, including health.
2. Comprehensive disaster management to further strengthen the country's already

proven disaster management systems to deal with increasingly frequent and severe
natural calamities.
3. Infrastructure to ensure that existing assets (e.g., coastal and river embankments) are
well-maintained and fit-for-purpose and that urgently needed infrastructure (e.g. cyclone
shelters and urban drainage) is put in place to deal with the likely impacts of climate
change.
4. Research and knowledge management to predict the likely scale and timing of
climate change impacts on different sectors of the economy and socio- economic groups;
to underpin future investment strategies; and to ensure that Bangladesh is networked into
the latest global thinking on climate change.
5. Mitigation and low carbon development to evolve low carbon development

options and implement these as the country's economy grows over the coming decades.
6. Capacity building and institutional strengthening to enhance the capacity of

government ministries and agencies, civil society and the private sector to meet the
challenge of climate change.
After doing all this discussions, now we can realize that the Government of Bangladesh needs to
carry its people along with it to face this enormous challenge. However, we can be confident that
we can draw upon the traditional resilience, adaptability and innovativeness of our people, who
have battled natural disasters over the centuries.
References:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change_in_Bangladesh
2. http://www.ncdo.nl/artikel/climate-change-its-impacts-bangladesh
3. http://www.climateemergencyinstitute.com/bangladesh_1_affrin.html
4. http://www.climatefrontlines.org/en-GB/node/426
5. http://climate.nasa.gov/causes/

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Introduction to Environment

Definition of Climate Change

Causes of Climate Change

Climate Change and Bangladesh

Impacts of Climate Change in Bangladesh

The following impacts are observed on climate change in Bangladesh:

03. Saline water intrusion:

04. River bank erosions:

05. Drought/too little water during the dry season:

07. Natural calamities:

08. Denudation of forest cover.

The following impacts are future projection of climate change in

03. Coral bleaching:

04. Mangrove forest:

07. Climate refugee or migration:

08. Sea level rise:

09. Increased evaporation:

BANGLADESH CLIMATE CHANGE STRATEGY

The Climate Change Action Plan is built on six pillars:

2. Comprehensive disaster management to further strengthen the country's already

5. Mitigation and low carbon development to evolve low carbon development

6. Capacity building and institutional strengthening to enhance the capacity of

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