Ecosystem changes due to climate change in the coastal areas of Bangladesh pt.1 [Thematic Report]by Mahsinur Rahman | 16-09-2020 13:56 |
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.jpg) Bangladesh is the land of 12 rivers with a big coastline along its southern border which has been a source of headache for Bangladeshi people due to the coastal areas of the delta being largely flat. It is estimated that if there only 6 inches of sea level rise, which is not only possible but also likely based on the recent trends of climate science denial. Both People and the flora and fauna had to face the looming danger and adapt to the situation, triggering a beautiful change in the eco system along the coastline of our country. I shall discuss the impacts related to agricultural sector, namely the changing ecosystems due to salinity. Watch the space as I plan to talk about the impacts of more frequent and more intense hurricanes on the biodiversity of the Sundarbans and the change in reproductive habits of sweet-water shrimps. For now, let¡¯s start off with agriculture: Increased Salinity in coastal agricultural lands: The coastal region covers almost 29,000 km 2 or about 20% of the country. Again, the coastal areas of Bangladesh cover more than 30% of the cultivable lands of the country. About 53% of the coastal areas are affected by salinity. Salinity causes unfavorable environment and hydrological situation that restrict the normal crop production throughout the year. The factors which contribute significantly to the development of saline soil are, tidal flooding during wet season (June-October), direct inundation by saline water, and upward or lateral movement of saline ground water during dry season (November-May). Agricultural land use in these areas used to be very poor, which is much lower than country's average cropping intensity. Adaptation However, with the help of scientist both in labs as well as ingenious farmers, we have turned this situation around. GMO crops maybe a source of fear among Trump supporters, they are the reason why millions of Bangladeshi people have food on their table today. The coastal areas now house a big community of farmers working with scientists to restore the soil and develop salinity-resistant crops. Additional Biodiversity Impacts There are biodiversity impacts of these as well, soil worms die if salinity gets higher and they decrease their reproduction as well. Some weeds have better responses to salinity than others which also develops a challenge. Birds in the area which depends on certain kinds of weeds or certain kinds of worms deals with food shortages. Scientists focus on crops but not on the less commercially attractive issues, so these have no signs of being resolved. Thus climate change has changed the coastal agriculture driven ecosystem of Bangladesh. You can learn more about the topic here. The attached image is by Raufur Rahaman Talukder(Shithil) and was uploaded with creative commons license. |
