Assignment Topic: Global warming and its threats to Bangladesh

Abstract: Global warming turns out to be the biggest challenge to the mankind in the near
future. It is not a problem to write only theories and do research on; it is a problem which
humankind must face unless proactive measures are taken immediately. Global warming
causes the climate to change including the rise of sea-level. Recently, the IPCC
(Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), in its Fifth Assessment Report, has suggested
a 1.5 mm sea-level rise per year for Bangladesh. As a developing country, where around half
of the total population is below the poverty line, Bangladesh is going to be one of the worst
sufferers of this due to its disaster prone and low elevation geography. This paper will
explore the impacts of global warming on Bangladesh. Preparation of Bangladesh to face the
adverse effects of global warming will also be presented. At the end of the paper, few
recommendations for reducing the carbon emission have been suggested

1. Introduction
The temperature of the earth has increased significantly over the past few decades. Scientists
around the world have predicted that the average temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere will
increase by 2° to 6° Celsius by the end of the 21st century unless appropriate measures are
not taken . The Industrial Revolution has played the principal role in triggering this rise,
followed by other human activities like burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, etc. Release of
greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases trap the
heat in the atmosphere, leading to global warming. Global warming has resulted in climate
change in numerous aspects like rising in sea-levels, frequent severe storms and even the
extinction of some major species. Bangladesh, with its disaster prone geology and low
elevation, is one of the top most nations vulnerable to climate change. Though Bangladesh is
little responsible for global warming in compared to the developed countries, it is one of
worst sufferers of it. IPCC also recognizes Bangladesh as one of the most vulnerable
countries in the world to the negative impacts of climate change. Different climate change
effects like extreme hot in summer, extreme cold in winter, shifting of the seasons, recurring
floods, river bank erosion, drought in dry season, salinity increase as back water effect,
lowering ground water level etc. have been contributing to augment

2. Global Warming

Global Warming is the progressive increase in the average temperature on Earth due to the
accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide and methane,
which trap heat from the sun and prevent its escape into space .This situation , primarily
caused by human activity, leads to significant climate changes, such as glacier melting, rising
sea levels, more extreme weather phenomena, and ecosystem disruption.
 Global Warming

( Whole Earth ) ( Increase in Temperature)

Global Warming means

Increase in Average
Temperature of Earth
3. Global Warming: A Consequence of Green House Effect
Global warming refers to the continuos increase of the Earth’s climate system. It is going to
be one of the biggest environmental and humanitarian crises in the very foreseeable future. A
lot of reasons are responsible for global warming. In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations reported with more than 90% certainty that
man-made generation of CO2 is the primary cause of global warming . In 2013, the IPCC
concluded that the largest driver of global warming is carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from
fossil fuel combustion, cement production, and land use changes such as deforestation
.Tropical deforestation is another major contributor to global warming. When these forests
are burned, they release huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere and the forests no
longer available to absorb CO2.

4. Global Warming: Impacts on Bangladesh

The World Risk Index 2023 ranks Bangladesh ninth worldwide for climate disaster risk. By
2050, Bangladesh will lose 17 percent of its territory due to rising sea levels, resulting in the
loss of 30 percent of the country’s agriculture land. The rise of sea levels in coastal areas is
prompting people to migrate into cities.

5. Rise of Temperature
Now global warming is not any more a hypothetical issue. It is an issue which can be
visualized all around. Due to rapid industrialization, green houses gases (GHGs) such as
carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) have been increased
significantly over the last century. Scientists have predicted that the world will experience an
average temperature rise of 20C in the next decades. According to the Bangladesh
Meteorological Department (BMD), Bangladesh has experienced an average temperature rise
of 0.60 C over the last 100 years and the Dhaka city, the capital has got an increase of 20C
during the same period. According to the research in Bangladesh University of Engineering
and Technology (BUET), 65% of Dhaka city has a temperature 3-50C higher than the
average temperature in Dhaka.
Some of these areas have seen a temperature rise of 6 0C over a period of about 24 years .
This year in 2014 (24 April), Dhaka has the highest temperature of 40.20C in the last 54
years. This temperature is about 80C above the usual maximum temperature in Dhaka in
April . The main reasons for this unusual temperature rise in Dhaka are the unplanned
urbanization, excessive population density, and the increase of cars, and public transports in
the city. Also the use of fridges and air conditioners used by the dense city dwellers make a
huge amount of HFCs (hydrofluocarbons) contribution to the air, which destroys the
protective ozone layer of the Earth. These gases are more dangerous than CO2 as they have a
heat trapping capability of 1600 times larger than CO2 [12]. This year in 2014, the intolerable
temperature rise caused many of the city dwellers of Dhaka to install air conditioners in their
apartments. Air conditioners require too much electricity, the generation of which by
conventional methods will emit more CO2 in the atmosphere heating up the environment
even more . So the city is heating up in cyclic way.

4. Sea-Level Rise and Inundation of Low-Lying Lands

Recently, European Research Agency has revealed their research on ice melting in the
Antarctica. In those revelations, they have found that the current rate of melting of the ice in
the Western Antarctica is two times greater than what was 4 years before.

The research finds that the Western Antarctica is loosing 159 billion tonnes Recently,
European Research Agency has revealed their research on ice melting in the Antarctica. In of
ice per year which may increase the sea-level by 0.5 mm per year . According to the IPCC
Fifth Assessment Report published recently, the sea-level of the Bay of Bengal is rising at a
rate of 1.5 mm per year. Bangladesh with the Bay of Bengal on the South will be directly
affected by the sea-level rise because of its low elevation. If the sea-level rises by 45 cm, a
permanent loss of up to 15600 square kilometres of land is expected. If one meter rise
happens, around 14000-30,000 sq. km land are expected to be flooded, which means more
than 20% of Bangladesh will be under water . Scientists predict that rising sea-levels to
submerge 17 percent of Bangladesh's land area will displace 18 million people in the next 40
years by 2050.
6. Frequent Storms and Floods
Scientists believe that rising temperatures will lead to more extreme weather worldwide,
including stronger and more frequent cyclones in the Bay of Bengal. And rising seas will
make any storm more dangerous because flooding will become more likely to accompany .
Bangladesh is particularly at risk because the country, with its low elevation, is crisscrossed
by as many as 230 rivers, many of which unstably swell during the monsoon rains .
According to data from the government’s Centre for Environmental and Geographic
Information Systems (CEGIS), two-thirds of the country is only five metres above sea-level.

This geology, along with river water from the melting Himalayan glaciers in the north caused
by the temperature rise, makes the region more vulnerable to severe flooding. The situation is
worsened by the prevalence of intense storms, a marker of climate stresses. Sidr, the
Category 4 cyclone that ravaged southern Bangladesh in November 2007, killed some 3,500
people, displaced 2 million, and wiped out paddy fields. Sidr was followed by two heavier-
than-normal floods that killed some 1,500 people and damaged about 2 million tons of food.
7. Salinity of Ground Water
With the rise of seal level, the saline sea water from the Bay of Bengal intrudes to the
farmlands, which jeopardizes the food output in Bangladesh. Particularly, rice production is
significantly
affected by this saline water. A 2007 report by the IPCC estimates that the production of
staple foods could drop steeply by 2050 because of soil salinity. This would be devastating in
a country where agriculture is the key economic driver with around 65% of the total
population being employed in agriculture . This sector accounts for about 22 percent of the
nation's economic output, with an additional 33 percent derived from the rural non-farm
economy, which is also linked to agriculture, according to the World Bank. Moreover, the
salinity intrusion is gradually destroying the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the
world.

8. Effects on Agriculture and Fisheries

The three cropping seasons in Bangladesh namely Rabi, Kharif-I, Kharif-II may be
negatively affected by the climate change effects. Due to drought and lowering of ground
water, irrigation will be obstructed as the largest demand for surface and ground water is to
support the irrigation of crops in dry months. Increase in temperature may rise the irrigation
demands to 200 Mm3 in the month of March alone . Moreover, flooding causes a loss of
arable lands causing a drop in the crop yield. The IPCC estimates that Central and South Asia
can expect a 30 percent drop in yield by 2050 . Bangladesh is a land of rivers. Being so, fish
is a part of their daily meals and many people in the coastal areas have undertaken fishing as
their livelihood. Fisheries sector contribute to 3-5% of the GDP of the country . Global
warming will also affect the fisheries of the country. Since the solubility of oxygen in water
decreases with increasing temperature, it could be a problem for fisheries. Also the reduced
river flowing during the dry season worsens the problem. Besides, freshwater fishes will face
a survival problem in the south western part of Bangladesh because of increased salinity from
sea-level rise
9. Health Hazards
lobal warming has significant effects on human health. Mosquito-borne diseases like
malaria can be a threat because of warmer weather . Infectious disease like dengue fever
caused by dengue virus can be another consequence of warmer weather. According to
ICDDR,B (International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research), climate change will make
the people of Bangladesh more vulnerable to disease like Cholera, dengue, cardiovascular
and respiratory disease, and malnutrition because of reduction of food production . This year
in April (2014), there were a serious heat waves in the country that triggered illness, mainly
viral infections and gastroenteric disorders . Climate change has also an impact on mental
health. According to American Psychologist Clayton & Doherty, global climate change has
substantial negative impacts on mental health and well-being. Main victims are the
vulnerable populations and those with pre-existing serious mental illness . Apart from the
above stated consequences of global warming Bangladesh may face a lot of climate
abnormalities like unpredictable weather pattern, seasonal irregularities, food and water
insecurity etc.
 10. Global Warming: How Bangladesh Is Preparing to Face the Challenges
The major geographical location of Bangladesh and the impact of climate change
make global warming one of the most serious threats to the country. Bangladesh being a low
land country is likely to be affected by flood, cyclone and increase in water level which puts
millions of people at risk of being affected. Here’s how the country is gearing up to combat
the hurdles:

1. Coastal Defense Systems

Over the years, Bangladesh has been building, reinforcing, and improving levees and
coastal barriers to shield the country from increasing sea levels and storm surges. For
instance, the Coastal Embankment Improvement Project aims at reinforcing flood defenses as
well as enhancing resilience.

2. Cyclone Shelters
The country has constructed many cyclone shelters and is still adding to the network
of such shelters for the provision of safe places during disasters. Enhancement in deployment
of early warning systems has also seen people evacuate before the danger strikes safely.

3. Adaptation Projects
Different adaptation projects have been put in place such as the Bangladesh Climate
Change Resilience Fund (BCCRF), which finances works on developing infrastructure that is
resistant to the effects of climate change, and practices improvement of agro ecology for the
farmers’ benefits.

4. Mangrove Restoration
Bangladesh aims to rehabilitate and extend the mangrove forests, specifically the
Sundarbans, that serve as a protective barrier from windstorms and high sea levels.
Mangroves serve as ecological homes to a variety of living organisms as well.

5. Water Management and Agriculture

In the wake of altered patterns of rainfall across the globe, Bangladesh’s government
has composed efficient water manage systems and encouraged usage of crops that are
resistant to drought to avert the threat of food shortage. Farming technologies received
development to introduce floating vegetable gardens for growing crops in water inundated
regions.
 6. International Collaboration
Bangladesh is engaging with foreign organizations to mobilize resources and know-how in
dealing with climate change. G endowed projects such as this have broad external assistance
and have also provided strong internal rationale for greater state involvement in these issues.
11. Conclusion
This paper has discussed the effects of global warming on Bangladesh and its initiatives to
mitigate changes. Bangladesh received the climate change initiative award ‘Lighthouse
Activities 2013’ for its outstanding contribution to climate change adaptation .It has shown its
urgency to move towards the green sources of energy. About 2,677,896 solar home systems
(SHS) s have already been installed by the end of November 2013, which mainly covered
rural areas. The GoB has taken different initiatives to face the challenges of the global
warming. Becoming a developing country, it cannot manage the required funds for this. The
developed countries of the world should come forward to help the poor countries in this
respect. Moreover, NGOs, the GoB and the civil society should act together to raise
awareness among the mass people about global warming, its mitigation and adaptation
techniques
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