Sea level rise in Bangladesh is increasing at an alarming rate
Due to global warming, the global sea level rises by an average of 3.42 mm per year. A Bangladesh government study found that sea level rise in the country is faster than the global average. The study says it will have a greater impact on food production and livelihoods than expected.
In 12 coastal districts of the country, the impact of sea level rise is feared to be severe. Due to this, these areas are prone to waterlogging, high salinity, crop damage, high temperature and excess rainfall.
The results of this recently concluded study have not yet been published. People will lose their homes and poverty will increase, the study predicts.
Between 1993 and 2019, average annual sea level rise was 3.6 to 4.5 mm in the Gangetic floodplain, 3.7 to 4.1 mm in the Meghna River estuary, and 3.1 mm in the Chattagram Coastal Plain. From 3 decimal 7 millimeters can be seen.
The study ‘Estimation of Sea Level Rise (SLR) in Bangladesh Using Satellite Altimetry Data’ by the Department of Environment (Bangladesh) warns that over 1 million people could be displaced if sea levels continue to rise at the current rate.
Professor AKM Saiful Islam, the principal researcher, stated that the study measured water level changes in coastal Bangladesh using satellite altimetry data, without considering sediment deposition.
He noted that land subsidence, along with sediment deposition, has been considered, and that the sea level rise in the region is higher than the global average.
He mentioned that the rising sea levels in Bangladesh will threaten the lives and livelihoods of coastal residents.
Salinity, coastal inundation and tidal height will increase. This can affect agriculture, food security, disaster management, health, drinking water supply and coastal infrastructure. The world’s largest mangrove forests and their ecosystems will be damaged by sea level rise and salinization.
The Environment Agency conducted another study on sea level rise in 2016 using tidal data.
Mirza Shaukat Ali, the climate change director at the Department of Environment and project director of both studies, stated that experts suggested using satellite altimetry data to validate the 2016 study’s results and evaluate the effects of sea level rise.
Later, the Department of Environment (Bangladesh) conducted this study through the Institute of Water and Flood Management, BUET and Environmental and Geographic Information services (CEGIS) of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.
Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund provided the money. Professor AKM Saiful Islam and Director of CEGIS Motaleb Hossain Sarkar led their respective research teams.
The researchers analyzed data from several satellites that measure sea levels from space. NASA and French Space Agency used satellites like Tope/Poseidon and data from Jason-1, 2, and 3.
They are studying the trend of sea level rise over time in the Bay of Bengal and Bangladesh.
