Climate change and its effects on Extreme Events of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is likely to be among the countries that are the worst affected by climate
change. Climate change refers to the changes in climatic elements behavior, due to
natural variability and human activity. Changes in the world’s climate are not new. But it
was now being a world great concern, due to unplug or misbehave of climatic
variability’s. Such as more frequently attacked extreme events in human society in last
few decades as, extensive floods, cyclone, tidal surge, tsunami, drought, river bank
erosion etc. UNDP has identified Bangladesh to be the most vulnerable country in the
world to tropical cyclones and the sixth most vulnerable country to floods. On the
average, 80 tropical cyclones are formed every year all over the globe. Bangladesh is a
part of humid tropics, with the Himalayas in the north and the funnel shaped coast
touching the Bay of Bengal in the south. This peculiar geography of Bangladesh causes
not only the life giving monsoons but also catastrophic ravages of cyclones, norwesters,
tornadoes and floods. The Bay of Baegal is an ideal breeding ground for tropical cyclone.
From historical records it has observed that increases the number of natural hazards and
events. The amount of looses and death are decreases due to natural hazard in
Bangladesh. Such as in 1991 cyclones, the total death is 1, 40,000. On the other hand in
2007 SIDRs, total death is only 3500. But the intensity of cyclone SIDR is more than
1991 cyclone. In Aila, May 25, 2009 the total death is 179 (Prothom Alo, June 3, 2009).
This is only possible for intensive disaster management programmed of Bangladesh.
However, Bangladesh is a deltaic country located in the lower part of the basins of the
three greatest rivers in the world—the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna. The
floodplain of these rivers and their numerous tributaries and distributaries cover about 80
percent of the country. As a result of the flat topography of the floodplain every year one
third of the country are annually flooded and occurred a lot of losses. Also, the NW
region of Bangladesh is more prone to drought than others. During the last 50 years,
Bangladesh suffered about 20 times from drought conditions. Drought is more
responsible for famine in northern Bangladesh also desertification process. Drought
adversely affects crop production in Bangladesh. For geographical settings Bangladesh
has a great vulnerable in Earthquake. However for climatic change, Bangladesh also has
a great vulnerability in Sea level rise, Tsunami, Global warming, Green house effects,
etc.

Extreme events due to climate change are natural phenomena. We could not stop it. But
we have to learn live with it as cope or mitigate it by disaster management. We have to
strengthen the cyclone warning system and adopt protective and relief measures to
minimize their onslaught. Strong built house have to built and coastal embankment have
to build high above the sea level to serve as cyclone shelters. People from the low lying
areas in the coastal areas in the coastal region can be evacuated into these shelters in the
event of a cyclone, navigate the rivers and ensure the smooth flow of all national and
international rivers. National and international organization fund should be collected for
preparedness, development and rehabilitation program fro proper disaster management.
Lastly, it should be remain that to save our planet we make to use this planet
environmental friendly as stop deforestation and more aforestation stop built barrage on
rivers locally and internationally. Come to the developed nations and sign this agreement
to reduce the use of CFC and CO and maintain Kyoto Protocol, CDM, Yokohama
Strategy, and Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015.

Md. Abdus Sabur (Hasan)

M. S (Thesis) student of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of
Chittagong, Chittagong-4331.
Cell: 01711025096