Bangladesh Adapts and Mitigates Climate Change Effects

Bangladesh, a delta country, is exposed to tropical cyclones and storm surges every year, making it very vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

The World Bank article says that each year, the country’s economic gains are taken away by a devastating storm or cyclone, costing up to billions of dollars in asset damages.

Bangladesh’s erosion eats away 10 thousand hectares of land and weakens its coastal defences every year. Two-thirds of the country is less than 5 meters above sea level, so Bangladesh is highly susceptible to natural hazards. With sea-level rise, floods can quickly destroy homes, public infrastructure, and crops.  Saltwater intrusion from sea-level rise in low-lying areas threatens their food security.

The article says that climate adaptation and mitigation projects are Bangladesh’s priorities. It has already invested more than $10 billion in climate change actions, from increasing government agencies’ response to emergencies to building emergency shelters and resilient homes and reducing saltwater intrusion.

Despite the government’s efforts to address climate change, climate change effects continue to devastate the region. The World Bank’s projects in the country are to bolster the government’s climate action and help communities, especially the most impoverished areas, adapt to and mitigate climate change.

These projects include helping the coastal communities to prepare and “ride out” even the strongest of storms; strengthening the governments’ disaster risk reduction and management so they could facilitate fast recovery from disasters; setup desalinization plants and solar-powered irrigation in the poorest areas;  distribute clean and energy-efficient cookstoves to thousands of women; and many other projects.

Climate change will continue to affect Bangladesh; however, the World Bank has committed to help the country and will “continue to emphasize measures that simultaneously deliver climate resilience and development benefits.”

To read the entire article, CLICK on the link below: