Bangladesh’s Environmental Problems essay
Today Bangladesh faces a wide range of environmental problems. As the country is overcrowded, many environmental problems are caused by demographic growth. According to researchers, “farmland soils are being damaged by overuse, rivers are being polluted by chemical pesticides and forests are being chopped down at an alarming rate” (McCrohan, 2012, p. 34). However, the most serious environmental problem is caused by climate change. Actually, climate change can worsen the situation in Bangladesh and other neighboring coastal countries. Currently, the effects of sea level rise are widely discussed in scientific literature (McGuire, 2013; Nieholls & Lowe, 2007). Researchers have found that the effects of sea level rise depend on various factors, such as land characteristics of a particular coastal zone, weather conditions, etc. In fact, there are three major factors that should be taken into consideration in the analysis of the major effects of sea level rise. These considerations include “physical impacts”, “ecosystem impacts” and “societal impacts” (McGuire, 2013, p. 45). Physical impacts involve the analysis of the physical characteristics of the coastal zone, e.g. “elevation and proximity to storm centers” (McGuire, 2013, p. 46). Ecosystem impacts involve the analysis of the range of effects of sea level rise on the most vulnerable species and habitats, living in the coastal region. Societal impacts involve the analysis of evolving effects of sea level rise which depend on both environmental changes due to climate change and the human response to these changes (McGuire, 2013). As a matter of fact, see level rise has a profound impact on any community, any nation and any country, regardless of its size and the amount of resources it has (FitzGerald et al., 2008). It becomes clear that future predictions of sea level rise are devastating, especially to coastal regions and their low lying areas (Karima & Mimura, 2008). In Bangladesh, the rise of water level due to climate change affects the poor and vulnerable to a great extent. The major goal of this paper is to discuss how sea level rise is affecting the poor and vulnerable in Bangladesh. Special attention should be paid to the major effects of the rise of water level due to climate change at the global level. In order to achieve the established goal, it is necessary to provide background information on Bangladesh and provides a comprehensive analysis of the major impacts of climate change-induced sea level rise on the poor and vulnerable in the coastal zone of Bangladesh.
Some Effects of the Rise of Water Level due to Climate Change
Globally, the rise of sea level is not a new phenomenon. According to John Hay and Nobuo Mimura (2004), “sea level has been rising for more than the last one hundred years, and is expected to do so into the foreseeable future, and at accelerating rate” (p. 717). Undoubtedly, the impact of the increased sea level rise will be felt in various areas (McGuire, 2013). The rise of water level due to climate change is a serious environmental problem, especially in low lying coastal areas, which are considered to be the most vulnerable areas climate change. According to researchers, low lying coastal areas suffer not only from the rise of sea level, but also from flooding caused by severe storm surges (Climate Changes the Water Rules, 2003). Today Bangladesh, Egypt and the Netherlands are the most vulnerable areas because “sea level rise will significantly increase the frequency of extreme surge events in the countries with low deltaic plains” (Climate Changes the Water Rules, 2003, p. 53). Climate change, which leads to the increase in current rates of sea level rise in many low lying coastal and intertidal areas, affects the organisms that depend on these areas. The major part of organisms includes “shorebirds that rely on these sites for feeding habitat during their migrations and in winter” (Galbraith et al., 2002, p. 173). In other words, sea level rise will have potential impact on habitats. The quality of habitats, their extent will change due to the effects of sea level rise, including erosion, the loss of wetland of coastal zones, as well as considerable shifts in salinity gradients (Cahoon et al., 2009).
The rise of sea level will reflect not only natural, but also socio-economic factors, which affect risk level (Nieholls & Lowe, 2007). Researchers state that the rise of sea level is an issue of public concern because of the “high concentration of natural and socio-economic values in the coastal zone” (Nieholls & Lowe, 2007, p. 195). In most cases, the coastal areas are the major site of human habitation as well as the major zone of economic activity. Besides, coastal areas are important in terms of ecological system functioning and earth system functioning (Nieholls & Lowe, 2007). According to recent research, there are several factors that have an enormous impact on change in sea level at any coastal zone, connected with climate change. These factors include:
- At the global level, sea level rise due to the considerable increase in the volume of ocean water. Researchers argue that during the 21-st century sea level rise can be caused by “the thermal expansion of the ocean as it warms, and the melting of small ice caps due to human induced global warming (Nieholls & Lowe, 2007, p. 196).
- At regional level, oceanic changes and meteorological change may cause certain deviations from the global sea level rise to considerable thermal expansion (Nieholls & Lowe, 2007).
- Vertical land movement caused by various processes, including geological changes, human-induced activity (Nieholls & Lowe, 2007).
In general, rising sea level over the next decade may have a wide range of effects on coastal zones, including erosion and inundation that lead to the loss of shoreline, the increasing amount of storms that lead to flooding, as well as the intrusion of salt sea water into the coastal aquifers that provide fresh water (Leung & Meggitt, 2012; Nieholls & Lowe, 2007). Researchers argue that “the sensitivity of a coastal region to sea level rise depends both on the physical aspects (shape and composition) of a coastal landscape and its ecological setting” (Cahoon et al., 2009, p. 9). In other words, the effects of sea level rise on natural environment of coastal zones will be profound. Today researchers fail to make long term projections of the effects of coastal change because of various factors that are different in different regions (Leung & Meggitt, 2012; Sarwar, 2005). Donald R. Cahoon and colleagues (2009) state that “given the large potential impacts to human and natural environments, there is a need to improve our ability to conduct long-term projections”(p. 9).
Bangladesh: background information
Bangladesh is a small South Asian country, but one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Bangladesh is located in East India, South Asia. The neighboring countries are Nepal, India, Bhutan and Myanmar. The total size of the country is 143,998 km2. The population of Bangladesh is over 142 million people based on the 2011 survey findings (Leung & Meggitt, 2012, p. 2). The density of population is 962, 42 per km2. The geographical location of Bangladesh affects its environment and economy because of drought impact (Sarwar, G. M. 2005). The severity of drought in this country is different in different parts. Northwestern and Southwestern parts face moderate drought impacts, while the most drought-prone region is Northwestern part (Leung & Meggitt, 2012).
Climate conditions are different in different parts of Bangladesh. According to the prediction of researchers, there will be “an average temperature increase in Bangladesh due to climate change of 1.00C by 2030 and 1.40C by 2050”(Shaw et al., 2013, p. 232). Undoubtedly, drought prone areas will experience water stress conditions and considerable decline in agricultural production (Shaw et al., 2013; Leung & Meggitt, 2012). The climate of the country is characterized by hot weather, heavy rains and considerable humidity due to seasonal variations in weather conditions. It has been found that “more than 80% of the annual precipitation of the country occurs during the southwestern summer monsoons , from June through September” (Thomas et al., 2013, p. 1).
The major rivers are Teesta, Atrai, Karatoya, Bangali, the Jumana River and the Ganges River, as well as many other minor rivers. Besides, there are many ponds and canals in Bangladesh that are connected to the major and minor rivers during the monsoon season (Shaw et al., 2013). Researchers have found that “due to the consequences of climate change as well as drought, the water bodies in these areas are going dry, river beds are filled in with sand, and water flow in the river is decreasing” (Shaw et al., 2013, p. 234). As a result, dry season in Bangladesh leads to negative changes in water system as practically everywhere in the region there is no surface water. The groundwater remains the only source of irritation, as well as agricultural, industrial and domestic usage (Shaw et al., 2013).
In general, Bangladesh as a tropical low lying country has always faced a wide range of environmental challenges and natural disasters, including “flood, cyclone, tidal surge, river bank erosion and earthquake” (Soroar & Routray, 2012, p. 577). Climate change affects sea level rise in Bangladesh as well.
Bangladesh’s Environmental Problems essay part 2
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