Climate change’s adverse effects in Bangladesh
By Adnan Mahfuz
This is the fourth flood in the north and the fifth in the east this season. The latest floods in both regions started on September 22. This may take a few more days.
The first floods occurred in early June due to water coming down from the upstream. People have been living with floods for three months since then.
The northern, eastern, and central parts of the country experience flood for a month and a half from June 27. Climate and flood experts say global warming causes climate change.
As a result, natural disasters, including floods, cyclones, rising sea levels, tidal surges, excess rainfall, droughts, and river erosion, have increased at an alarming rate.
Researchers from various international organizations, including the United Nations, have warned that many countries, including Bangladesh, will be vulnerable to climate change, with floods like this year, cyclone Ampan in May, coastal flooding with unprecedented tidal surges and floods in recent years.
Dr. AKM Saiful Islam, a Professor at BUET’s Institute of Water and Flood Management, said a link between cyclones and floods. Climate change due to global warming. This increases the number of disasters. Climate change can blame for several of these floods.
This is because when two weather systems are activated, storms and rains increase on the earth. One is El Ni Na or La Ni Na, and the other one is Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO).
This time none of it is active. Also, there are frequent, long-term, record-breaking, and severe flood-cyclone forecasts due to climate change.
The nature of the floods this year and the record of a few years of cyclones and other disasters prove it. According to the concerned agencies, 35 districts of the country have been affected by several floods this time.
Besides, eight coastal districts of the country are facing floods. The Teesta floods first in mid-June. Large-scale floods began on June 27, this time in the Brahmaputra-Jamuna, Upper Meghna, Padma Basin, and the hilly south-eastern basin.
In the first three of these, floods are gaining long-term form. The last ongoing flood may be short-formed. Arifuzzaman Bhuiyan, Executive Engineer (FFWC) of the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre, told the Jugantar that there had been four floods in the Brahmaputra, five in the Meghna Basin.
There have been two more floods in the Teesta. This year’s floods are relatively long and severe. For example, at Gaibandha, the Jamuna at Fulchhari Point and the Goalando Point at the Padma broke all records and flowed at the highest level.
Recently, BUET’s GNOC and the US Society of Civil Engineers conducted a study on climate change and floods in Bangladesh. BUET Professor AKM Saiful Islam led it. He said the global temperature has risen by 1.1 degrees Celsius so far. Due to this, floods and cyclones have also increased.
In this context, if the temperature cannot control according to the Paris Agreement, and if the world temperature rises by 2 degrees Celsius within this century, he has researched how much the floods will increase. He added that floods in the Ganges basin could increase by 27 percent.
In the Brahmaputra basin, it may increase to 24 percent, and in the Meghna basin, it may increase to 36 percent, respectively. This means this time like 4 to 6 times more in 3 months, then maybe the flood will continue.
Experts say that in the case of floods and other natural disasters have been increasing in Bangladesh for several years. These include excess rainfall, drought, severe cold, severe heat, sea-level rise, salinity, tidal wave, etc. Cyclone Ampan hit on May 20 at early the season.
This season is much more active. Due to this, rainfall has increased. The combination of westerly winds from the Arabian Sea and south-westerly winds from the Bay of Bengal generally caused rain in eastern India.
A week after Amphan, a cyclone formed in the Arabian Sea. The rainfall trend that started after these two cyclones is still going on.
