Bangladesh
is trapped between the Himalayas in the north and the encroaching Bay of Bengal
to the south. Bangladesh is most vulnerable to natural disasters due to the
frequency of extreme climate events and its high population density. Floods are
frequent and cause the greatest economic and human losses to the country. The
flooding problems are exacerbated by sediment transported by three major
rivers- the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna.
Climate change poses significant risks for Bangladesh. The impacts of higher temperatures, more variable precipitation, more extreme weather events, and sea level rise are already felt in Bangladesh and will continue to intensify. The impacts result not only from gradual changes in temperature and sea level but also, in particular, from increased climate variability and extreme events, including more intense floods, droughts, and storms.
These
changes are already having major impacts on the economic performance of
Bangladesh and on the lives and livelihoods of millions of poor people. Climate change will affect many sectors, including water
resources, agriculture and food security, ecosystems and biodiversity, human
health and coastal zones. Many environmental and developmental problems will be
exacerbated by climate change. Predicted rainfall increases, particularly
during the summer monsoon, could increase flood-prone areas in Bangladesh. Crop
yields are predicted to fall by up to 30 per cent, creating a very high risk of
hunger. Predicted temperature increase will cause the melting of glaciers in
the Himalayas. In the short term, the global warming increases risk of
flooding, erosion, mudslides during the wet season. In the longer term, global
warming could lead to disappearance of many glaciers that feed many rivers in
South Asia.
The
above impacts of Climate Change issues A NGO implementing the following
activities for adaptation and mitigation with the support of NCA,FCA and COS
consortium funding.
In
adaptation process- plinth raising, community link road and flood shelter
developed or repaired, provide sanitary latrine and tube-well installation,
cement pillar for repaired houses and also save from cyclone, provide short
duration, flood and drought resilient rice variety in flood and drought prone
areas, composting and organic farming, sweet pumpkin cultivation in sandy land
areas, establish rice bank for alternative food security, rice-fish and cage
culture, provide cattle for most vulnerable households, vegetable gardening for
mitigate nutrition deficiency to the
vulnerable households.
In
mitigation process- establish flood and drought tolerant fruit and timber tree
plantation in roadside/riverbank/block /households, provide solar panel, establish
biogas plant.
During the project period prepared community
risk assessment with the help of local peoples participation and identification
the problems and made action plan. Awareness raising to the peoples for the
impacts on climate change , linkage with union and upazilla disaster management
committee with Village Disaster Management Committee(VDMC), advocacy with GO,NGO,
donors at local, regional and national level for the impact on climate change.