Climate change refers to both global warming and abrupt shifts in weather patterns. Bangladesh is a riverine country and situated in the delta of Padma and Jamuna. Except for the hilly areas in Chittagong and Bandarban, the rest of the country has a gentle slope with an elevation of fewer than nine meters above sea level. As a country primarily dependent on agriculture, it’s obvious that climate change imposes a dire risk on all of us.

The rising sea level has exacerbated salinization in the southern districts of Bangladesh. The saline waters degrade soil quality, which in turn affects agriculture. Many farmers will be losing their primary source of income. Additionally, a shift in rainfall patterns means some areas will face droughts while some areas will experience heavy precipitation, resulting in flooding.

This unpredictable change in weather is another threat to our agrarian economy. Then there is the rising sea level threatening the loss of land. According to a report by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), Bangladesh may lose 11% of its land by 2050.

Furthermore, almost 35 million people live on the coastline, and they are in immediate danger of the increasing frequency and severity of tropical storms like cyclones. All these calamities induce migration to big cities as livelihoods are at risk. EJF estimates that by 2050, one in every seven people in Bangladesh will be displaced due to climate change. The irony is that the same people who are being affected are not responsible. It is the big cities and their shopping malls, factories, and expensive cars that are to blame.