The farming and water supply systems in far areas of the country have taken the worst hit from the severe damage that global warming and extreme weather have done to Bangladesh’s ecosystem.
A new report from local and global climate scientists shows that producing food and keeping drinking water safe are in great danger. This is due to long droughts in the north and increasing salt levels by the coast.
Nature of the Crisis and Local Impacts: Urgent calls have been made to strengthen localized adaptation strategies to escape this climate-induced trap:
Salinity Intrusion in Coastal Areas: Rising sea levels and increased tidal surges in coastal rivers have allowed saline water to inundate thousands of hectares of land near the Sundarbans. Fertile farmland is becoming bad for farming, and there is a serious drinking-water problem as groundwater gets too salty.
Drought and Desertification Trends in the North: Disruptions to the natural cycle of summer and monsoon seasons—particularly in the Barind tract and other northern areas `have led to severe droughts, creating acute irrigation crises for Boro and Aman rice production. The depletion of soil moisture is rapidly accelerating the process of desertification.
Conclusion and Green Page Perspective: This silent onslaught of climate change is undermining the country’s rural economy and food security from within.
Green Page thinks that, besides big national projects, we really need a lot more state money for capturing rainwater and creating salt-tolerant crops in coastal areas.
