Climate Disaster: Living the Nightmare

A poor man was telling an unfortunate tale in a pitiful voice on television. He man used to earn lakh taka, had approximately 350 fishermen worked for him until year 2005. But now his fortune has radically changed. Coastal calamities have snatched all that he had. Now he feels like a cursed man forcefully confined into this hell (South west coastline of Bangladesh). This is just a single piece of picture of the pathetic saga of victims of climate change in Bangladesh. Germanwatch, a Germany based non-profit research organization identified Bangladesh as the nation most vulnerable to climate change in 2011. Countries may differ but the wretched scenario remains common in South Asia as climate changed has raised destructive situations through frequent natural calamities. Poverty alleviation has been the highest priority in South Asian countries in previous years. Apparent poverty, high population growth and political turbulence worked against establishing peace in South Asia. But now, climate change is driving South Asian countries towards an intense vulnerability. Therefore, South Asia is considered to be the most disaster prone reign in the world and this problem clearly stand against establishing peace throughout the subcontinent.

In Bangladesh, the impact of climate change is indescribable. Flood, decrease of subsurface water level in summer, rising sea-level, intensification of coastal calamities are the consequences of Climate change. The people of South west coastline are the worst sufferers. Many villages are still locked with saline water since the Cyclone Aila (May 21-22, 2009) passed over the south of Bangladesh (south west, Sunderbans), Kolkata, India. This coastal hazard caused death of many people, increased waterborne diseases, decreased fresh water supply and sanitation and agricultural productivity. In short, the disaster came in the form of severe social and economic shock as most of the  people had no shelter to live with the misery and no income source to start their life again. 

Similar thing has been seen in India. Climate change in Indian Bengal delta (Sunderbans) is threatening fresh water resources and Mangrove ecosystem, and causing displacement of dependent communities. As a result of these natural as well as manmade disasters, the achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has been hampered, including those on poverty, hunger and illiteracy eradication, reducing child mortality rate and diseases, ensuring employment, improving maternal health and ensuring environmental sustainability. Now the victims are recognized as “Climate refugee” for the adverse consequences.

As a representative of Bangladesh Youth Environmental Initiative I will suggest short-term and long-term solutions. Short-term solution contains raising funds, providing immediate help with food, medication, warm clothes, shelter and removing saline flood water from locality. Long-term solution includes disaster knowledge management, providing financial help as well as social entrepreneurship and micro financing with low payback rates for reestablishing empowerment and safe shelter, ensuring food security through “salt-resistant rice” developed by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, other technological help, youth’s voluntary participation, and improve collaboration among working agencies and government. Above all, role of awareness is the vital one to combat the rising problem beside these solutions.