Coastal heritage sites and installations are at particular risk due to the effects of climate change in Bangladesh
Rainfall, floods, temperatures, and tidal surges are increasing worldwide due to global climate change. In a recent report, Germanwatch , a leading think tank on climate change risk indicators, ranked Bangladesh among the top 10 countries affected by climate change from 2000 to 2019.
Every year, Bangladesh loses 1.8 percent of its GDP due to natural disasters, and if the adverse effects of climate change continue, it could rise to 2 percent by 2030. Although nature, people, and infrastructure have been given particular importance in the policy and management plan of climate change in Bangladesh, the issue of preservation of heritage and historical sites gets neglected.
Coastal heritage sites and installations are at particular risk due to climate change. According to the Department of Archeology, Government of Bangladesh, of the 522 protected antiquities in Bangladesh, 128 are in the southwestern coastal areas of the country (Khulna and Barisal divisions), and 59 of them are in the open coastal areas, which are directly at risk of climate change.
A recent report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) noted that coastal areas would continue to rise above sea level throughout the 21st century, with low-lying areas experiencing more frequent flooding and coastal erosion.
Climate Change Cell (CCC) has analyzed the tidal water data of the last 30 years (between 1980 and 2012) and has shown that the sea level in the coastal areas of Bangladesh has been 6-21 mm per year. According to a report by the Ministry of Environment and Forests of Bangladesh, the sea level in Bangladesh may increase by 14 cm, 32 cm, and 88 cm between 2030, 2050, and 2100 respectively.
In the meantime, the summer in Bangladesh has been prolonged, and the type of rainfall has also changed. These two changes could increase the risk of floods and droughts. Due to the change in monsoon rainfall patterns, Khulna, Satkhira, and the coastal districts in the southwestern part of Bangladesh have been experiencing more rainfall.
Heritage establishments are essential to any nation because they help maintain the continuity of previous civilizations and cultures, and once destroyed, they can never restore.
If these structures are not preserved adequately as fragile, they will perish and be lost forever in the womb of time. For this reason, the Sendai Framework, developed by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, places particular emphasis on the preservation of heritage sites.
One of the topics covered by the Department of Architecture, Khulna University, in 2019 at a seminar and workshop on the impact of climate change on heritage installations in Bangladesh is the need for appropriate protection planning considering local climate and environment and requires new and innovative research.
The Department of Archeology of the Government of Bangladesh is working with local and international organizations to preserve all the traditional sites and installations in Bangladesh. However, the organization has not been able to take appropriate action due to a lack of relevant knowledge, experience, and infrastructure facilities on the harmful effects of climate change on the installations.
Considering the historical and cultural significance of these valuable structures, it is imperative to understand the impact of climate change on them, assess the damage, and make arrangements for proper conservation. Above all, the conservation of heritage sites needs to be given extreme importance in the climate policy prepared by the Government of Bangladesh.
