Climate change and its adverse consequences in Bangladesh
Climate has been changing since the beginning of time, at least according to the geological timescale. As a result, this Earth Planet has experienced several ice ages and warm eras within the past one million years.
Scientists studying Climate change have confirmed that Greenhouse gas (GHG’s) play a significant role in changing the global climate system. Carbon dioxide plays a vital role. In other words, carbon dioxide will continue to be the primary global warming regulator in the future.
Though the world has already experienced the ice ages and the warm eras consequently several times, hence it not needed so many discussions of ongoing climate change? The only reason for this is human activity on a global scale.
The rate of urbanization, the number of factories, and deforestation have all increased more recently than at any other time in history, resulting in an unprecedented increase in greenhouse gases emissions, including carbon dioxide. As a result, Global Warming is speeding up.
This current climate change is referred to as ‘human-made.’ Because previous climate changes were entirely natural. The situation becomes such that if the rate of increase of temperature is not controlling, our beautiful Earth planet will become uninhabitable in the future.
This is because of the rising of earth surface temperatures the capacity of the upper and lower layers of the atmosphere to hold water. The wet areas will then become wetter, while the dry areas will become drier. As a result, the survival of the people will become increasingly difficult.
Although climate change is a global issue, the consequences of the economies of developing and underdeveloped countries will be devastating and unbalanced, because there is a severe shortage of materials, knowledge, and techniques in these countries to adapt to the changing climate and situation.
Of that situation, interestingly, the people of the developed world will be victims of the developing world and will enjoy better living conditions. Bangladesh is a prime example. Bangladesh emits only 0.40 percent of the global greenhouse gases, according to the World Bank reports.
However, we will be one of the top ten countries affected by climate change. And the climate change risk of Bangladesh is increasing day by day, owing primarily to its geographical location, overpopulation, poverty, and inadequacy of social security.
As a result, the economic impact on increasing the impact of various environmental elements due to change in weather variables such as rainfall and the average temperature is gradually intensifying. In the days ahead, this may go beyond proper management.
The study discovered widespread temperature and rainfall variability in the country’s coastal and inland areas, which is cause for concern. The day and night rates are warming in the country have gradually increased over the last 50 years (198-2017). Similarly, the coolness of day and night has decreased significantly.
In other words, the number of warm days has increased by an average of zero point 394 days per year in coastal areas and by zero point 15 days in the interior of the country over the last five decades. Furthermore, it increases by zero point 508 days per year during the hot days in coastal areas. Precipitation indicators have changed much less than the temperature indicators. The amount of heavy and unprecedented rainfall is especially significant in this case.
Annual heavy rainfall in Barisal, Dinajpur, Faridpur, and Rajshahi has significantly decreased. As a result, there is a high risk of drought in North Bengal. Although rainfall decreased across the country, particularly in North Bengal, the number of days with heavy and extreme rains is increasing in urban areas, and waterlogging is evident.
In addition, the number of dry days in the country has decreased over the last five decades. Worryingly, the rate of rainfall in the coastal lowland areas’ is increasing day by day. Similar to how erratic temperature and rainfall patterns are decreasing crop production in the agriculture sector, a shift in traditional agriculture will exacerbate the livelihood crisis caused by declining employment.
Paddy production has been affected in some districts due to the sudden onset of temperature in April 2021, and hit shock is undoubtedly a new challenge for us that has not occurred in the past or is an isolated incident.
