Unit 2 Climate change case study: Bangladesh

Question 1

Geography of Bangladesh

Answer 1

• Located on one of the largest river deltas in the world.
• Over 60% of the land is less than 5 m above sea level.
• Prone to cyclones and flooding caused by the summer monsoons.

Question 2

HDI of Bangladesh

Answer 2

HDI rank is 140/177.

Question 3

Economy of Bangladesh

Answer 3

• Population below the poverty line: 31.5%.
• Over 60% of the population is engaged in farming and lives in rural areas: the low-lying fertile flood plains of the river systems and the delta.

Question 4

People of Bangladesh

Answer 4

• Population density: approximately 950 people/km2.
• Population growth: 1.05%.
• Literacy rate: 61.5%.
• Major infectious diseases include food and waterborne diseases (diarrhea, hepatitis, typhoid fever), dengue fever and malaria.

Question 5

Impacts of climate change on Bangladesh

Answer 5

• Extreme weather events (cyclones, storm surges, floods)
• Salt-water incursion
• Impact on agriculture
• Impact on fisheries
• Rising sea levels
• Impact on towns and cities

Question 6

How is climate change causing extreme weather events in Bangladesh?

Answer 6

• Climate change is expected to increase the number and severity of cyclones, storm surges, floods, and flash floods.
• Flooding is increasing erosion, which is leading to the loss of 10,000 hectares of land each year and is weakening coastal defences.

Question 7

How is climate change causing salt-water incursion in Bangladesh?

Answer 7

• Rising sea levels are causing salt-water incursion (salt-water intrusion) in the majority of coastal areas.
• Salt water is encroaching into the surface and ground water resources causing shortages of drinking and irrigation water: 2.5 million people in the southwest regularly suffer from water shortages.
• In contrast to coastal areas, the north and north west of the country suffer extreme temperatures and drought, also resulting in water shortages.

Question 8

Impact of climate change on agriculture in Bangladesh

Answer 8

• Bangladesh has an agriculturally based economy with over 60% of the population relying on agriculture for a living.
• Agriculture relies on the ‘right’ climatic conditions so climate change will have a substantial impact on livelihoods and the county’s already weak economy.
• Changes in temperature and rainfall have decreased the amount of land suitable for crop production, thus decreasing yields.
• Salt-water incursion penetrates 100 km inland which is increasing food insecurity and jeopardizing rice production. This is a country with some of the highest rates of malnutrition in the world (Save the Children).
• The rate of decline in chronic malnutrition is slowing down and this is likely to be linked to global climate change.

Question 9

Impact of climate change on fisheries in Bangladesh

Answer 9

• Over 250 species of fish are sensitive to salinity and temperature conditions.
• Fishing contributes 3.5% to the Bangladeshi GDP and fish is a major component of the population’s protein intake.

Question 10

How is climate change causing rising sea levels in Bangladesh?

Answer 10

• With 60% of the land area less than 5 m above sea level, a rise in sea levels will impact a significant proportion of the population.
• A rise in sea level of 1 m will displace 30 million people from 15% of the land that will be inundated.
• Such inundation will affect agriculture, industry and infrastructure such as schools and hospitals.

Question 11

The Sunderbans in Bangladesh

Answer 11

• The ‘Sundarbans’ UNESCO World Heritage Site covers 10,000 km2 of land along the Bay of Bengal.
• It consists of dense mangrove swamps and is the largest remaining habitat of the Bengal tiger.
• This land will suffer greatly from rising sea levels.

Question 12

Impact of climate change on towns and cities in Bangladesh

Answer 12

• Towns and cities along the coastal plain will be severely damaged by rising sea levels.
• Direct damage by floods in the past has included:
• loss of industrial production, trade, and commerce
• damage to utilities such as water and sanitation, which results in the spread of water-related diseases.
• waterlogged infrastructure

-The urban poor (comprising 40% of the urban population), living in squatter settlements and slums, are particularly at risk as the quality of their environment is already compromised.

Question 13

Example of a non-governmental response to CC in Bangladesh

Answer 13

Goalbari: floating gardens and raised homes

Question 14

What is Goalbari?

Answer 14

An agricultural village just outside of Dhaka

Question 15

How has Goalbari been affected by climate change?

Answer 15

• Annual floods brought by the monsoon deposit a rich layer of alluvial soil on the fields.
• Frequency and intensity of flooding have increased and earth embankments mean that the area is waterlogged for half the year. This disrupts agriculture, transport links and basic services (e.g. health care, drinking water)

Question 16

What non-governmental action has been taken against climate change in Goalbari?

Answer 16

A local women’s cooperative has successfully addressed the issues bought by the floods:

• The village has a collective and their savings are used to provide small loans to the women in the village.
• Loans are used to buy assets to improve future income (e.g. livestock).

Strategies to adapt to the floods include:

• houses were raised 1.2 m above the floodwaters
• floating beds of hyacinths (baira) are used as a base on which to grow vegetables: the beds rise and fall with the floodwaters.

-Long-term solutions are needed to:

• make sure children can get to school during the floods
• improve access to other services such as drinking water and health care

Question 17

What NGOs are active in the Goalbari project?

Answer 17

• Bangladesh Center for Advanced Studies (BCAS)
• Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh (CCDB),
• Norwegian Church Aid.

Question 18

World Bank involvement in Bangladesh

Answer 18

The World Bank has also invested significant amounts of money in climate change mitigation and adaptation in Bangladesh.

Question 19

Infographic about the impact of global climate change in Bangladesh

Answer 19

Question 20

What is Brac?

Answer 20

• The largest non-governmental development organization in the world, in terms of the number of employees.
• It was founded in Bangladesh in 1972.
• Brac is a development NGO that works across multiple fields of human development.

Question 21

How are families in Bangladesh affected by flooding?

Answer 21

• Families living in the Haor wetland region of Bangladesh can face up to 6 months submerged under floodwaters.
• These challenges mean many are trapped in poverty.
• This hits children especially hard. 4,000 formal primary schools are affected by floodwaters, one-third of them are submerged. This hits girls especially hard as many of them don’t return.

Question 22

How has Brac adapted to climate change in Bangladesh?

Answer 22

• The Brac boats initiative
• Brac has worked for the last 10 years providing boats as classrooms.
• In total there are 500 boats used as classrooms and transport, operating in the wetland regions reaching 15,000 children