Md. Golam Rabbani

By Golam Rabbani, Sirazoom Munira and Samia Saif

Bangladesh, a country with a size of 147,570 km2, has the largest delta in the world with one-third of the country residing a costal shoreline. The livelihood of the inhabitants is exposed to a series of tribulations causing radical setbacks, of which natural disasters like tropical cyclones bring large-scale salinity intrusion. Occurring due to three main causal factors including climate change, sedimentation, and low water flow, salinity poses challenges in agriculture and overall food security, hence impeding the health and livelihood of marginalized women, children, and elderly and explicably the overall vulnerable population at large. Against that backdrop, this chapter will delineate three broad spectra of Bangladesh’s approach to “living with salt”: (1) the assessment of salt intrusion in water and soil in Bangladesh’s coastal zones due to climate change, (2) understanding the vulnerabilities to salinity within marginalized population, and (3) coping or adapting strategies to combat and live with salt. The chapter also includes the findings of a recent case study conducted on Bangladesh coastal zone to demonstrate the current livelihood conditions under salinity, conditions of the actions taken by the government and nongovernment organizations, gaps, and recommendations for a more resilient coastal community.

Part of the book: Agricultural Economics

By Md. Golam Rabbani, Md. Nasir Uddin and Sirazoom Munira

Changes in the climate due to anthropogenic and natural variation are indicated by parameters including temperature and rainfall. Climate change variability with changing trends of the two have been unpredictable and unprecedented globally leading to changing weather patterns, natural disasters, leading to sectoral impacts on food and water security, livelihood, human health among others. This research analyses the changing patterns of these parameters over the last 35/37 years of Satkhira district of Bangladesh to assess the state and trend across spatial and temporal dimensions. Such, the study validates to rationalize the observed seasonal changes that persist in Satkhira of Bangladesh. Both in terms of intensity and frequency of the occurrences of natural disasters, the series of natural events have been triangulated, with impacts and vulnerability being assessed from temperature variations, erratic rainfall, cyclone, flood and water logging etc. The study’s prime contribution remains in attribution of climate change in relation contextual circumstances in the region including sea level rise, salinity intrusion. Therefore, the risk and climatic hazards and its resulting impacts over time has been assessed to draw deeper connection between theoretical and practical values. The series of analyses also draw conclusion that assets are at risk from changing climatic condition.

Part of the book: Climate Change in Asia and Africa