Climate Change Case Study: Bangladesh (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Geography) : Revision Note

Background

• Bangladesh is responsible for 0.5% of the global greenhouse gas emissions

• As a developing country, it did not have to sign up to the Kyoto Protocol but Bangladesh did sign the Paris Agreement

• Despite its very low contribution to emissions, Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to climate change

Impacts of climate change on Bangladesh

Rising sea levels and flooding

• Bangladesh is mostly a low-lying, flat delta 

• It is vulnerable to any changes in sea levels and flooding because:

  • Over 75% of the country is less than 10 m above sea level

  • The Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers converge in Bangladesh

  • Over 80% of the country sits on the low-lying floodplains of the delta 

  • The country is already prone to flooding and tropical monsoon conditions

• Seasonal flooding is normal and necessary to provide fertile soil and irrigation

• The size, intensity, and frequency of these events have increased

• The monsoon rainfall is predicted to rise by 40% by 2030 

  • In 1998, 75% of Bangladesh was flooded, making 30 million people homeless

  • Over 1,000 people died

  • At least 700,000 hectares of crops were destroyed

• Bangladesh is also vulnerable to sea level rise

  • A rise of 1 meter would lead to the loss of 20% of the land area and impact 15 million people

Water resources

• Changes in rainfall patterns have increased droughts in the west and northwest regions

• The droughts have led to:

  • crop failure

  • livestock deaths

  • food shortages

Health impacts

• Extreme heatwaves increase the risk of heatstroke

• Flooding increases the spread of waterborne diseases, and diseases like malaria

Economic impacts

• Flooding and droughts lead to :

  • loss of crops

  • disruption to industry

  • damaged infrastructure

• These all impact on the country's economy

Biodiversity loss

• Climate change impacts ecosystems, such as the Sundarbans mangrove forest

  • This leads to habitat loss and biodiversity decline

Response to climate change in Bangladesh

• The government has taken steps to adapt to climate change and mitigate future climate change

• The Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan was adopted in 2009. The plan:

  • Identified the risks and challenges of climate change

  • Outlines adaptations which can be made

  • Identifies the need to reduce carbon emissions – Bangladesh has pledged to reduce emissions by 22% by 2030

• It is estimated that Bangladesh will need US$5 billion a year to finance adaptation and mitigation projects

  • This is far more than the country can afford

Strategies to manage climate change in Bangladesh

Adaptations

• Bangladesh is already vulnerable to coastal and river flooding. Global warming has worsened this vulnerability

  • Increased melt from the Himalayas

  • Increased frequency and severity of tropical cyclones

  • Rising sea levels 

• Bangladesh has adapted in several ways

  • Submersible roads which can withstand flooding or raised roads

  • Over 2,200 shelters on stilts with a raised platform 'kills' nearby for livestock

  • Community-based early warning system for tropical cyclones

  • Flood protection and drainage schemes to protect urban areas

  • Coastal embankment projects involving 6,000km of embankments 

  • Irrigation schemes

  • Agricultural research programme to develop saline, drought and flood resistant, high yield varieties of crops

  • Mangrove planting along 9,000 km of coastline

Mitigation

• Although Bangladesh's emissions are low, it is looking at ways to reduce them, including:

  • Improved agriculture practices to reduce the emissions of methane from rice fields

  • Encourage people to stop using biomass stoves for cooking and eating

  • Increase small-scale solar energy for homes 

• The Bangladesh Renewable Energy Policy (2008) aims to increase the amount of renewable energy to over 10%

• The plans to build nine new coal plants have been abandoned

• Bangladesh aims to have 15% of registered vehicles powered by electricity by 2030

• The expansion of the public transport system – Mass Rapid Transit and Bus Rapid Transit in Dhaka as well as 798km of new rail lines by 2025