Implications of climate change in Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change in the world; its vulnerability is due primarily to its high population density, its flat deltaic terrain, and its limited resources to tackle the adverse effects of climate change. The impact of climate change in Bangladesh is expected to be far more widespread than is commonly associated with global warming but the various impacts are interlinked. Statistical analyses of data collected from various sources in Bangladesh reveal that there are noticeable increases in temperature especially nighttime temperature, flood and drought disasters are manifesting increasing trends, and food production is positively correlated with global warming. Infant mortality rates and death rates of 70-plus aged population appear to be negatively correlated with global warming but outbreaks of certain diseases may proliferate. The worst effects may come from sea level rise which in recent years have been observed to be higher than any model prediction. Sea level rise would aggravate flood and tropical cyclone damages and reduce arable land revealing the fact that the faster pace of change of one factor (eg, sea level rise) can alter or even reverse the observed trend of another factor (eg, crop production)