The hidden danger of climate change

Climate change is just one of the destructive forces to blight south-western Bangladesh. Naturally occurring events (which are independent of climate change), and poor governance, are also weighing heavily on this troubled region. In order to effectively combat the destructive processes that combine to shape this corner of South Asia it is crucial that we gain a proper understanding of the issues at hand. We can begin by acting to distinguish between the causes of the impacts we see, and not settling for the use of ‘climate change’ as a one-size-fits-all explanation. The southwest corner of Bangladesh is not an easy place to live in. If you speak with villagers in districts like Satkhira (who count the Bengal tiger as a neighbour) you quickly realise you are talking with some of the most resilient people on the planet. The scale of problems they face can be difficult to comprehend: extreme poverty pervades the lives of many, the seasons are changing and rains are coming later, agricultural yields are decreasing, flooding and water-logging is decimating livelihoods, freshwater is becoming scarce as salinity increases and powerful cyclones demolish homes and erase lives. People don’t cite Bangladesh as the frontline of climate change for nothing. By the year 2050 sea levels here are expected to rise by up to 40 centimetres. Average temperatures, which have risen 0.74°C in the past 60 years, are predicted to jump up to a further 4°C by the close of the century. There is little doubt that climate change will have a profound effect in Bangladesh. Experts anticipate further decreases in food security and the availability of freshwater and increased flooding. One model predicts that by the year 2100 climate change will displace a staggering 16-20 million people in Bangladesh; a group roughly twice the current population of the Dhaka city!