BANGLADESH
For the second part of my research for of the John Worthington Ames Fellowship, I proposed to travel to Bangladesh to learn from a country that has some of the greatest challenges from climate change. My goal was to understand the political and economic strategies of towards climate adaptation in Bangladesh. I also planned to interview stakeholders of the community - including developers, planners, academics, architects, engineers, and non-profit organizations advocating for resilience. Additionally, I knew that I needed to connect with people whom have lived with flooding, and learn about the strength they needed to restart their lives after losing everything. I needed to see and learn first hand how residents of these communities have been dealing climate change and storm surge events. I wanted to learn how they are supported, and how I could help them in the future.
The threat of sea level rise and storm surge events has affected the country significantly for decades, and has made a tremendous impact on Bangladeshi social, economic, and environmental well being. Human migration is considered an option when dealing with these issues, and there is much to learn from a society that has lived with flooding for decades.
As I began my pre-departure research I became fascinated by the ecology of Bangladesh. I quickly learned that the country is known for its rich delta, filled with over 700 rivers that crisscross through-out the country. The Bengali Delta is considered the most delicate and diverse ecological system in the world. Where rivers that flow from the Himalayan alps meet the sea. These rivers are considered the bloodline of the country. Yet, the increase of un-monitored factory and chemical pollution and contamination in the water systems are destroying the pristine landscape. Bangladesh has many water related risks, including water cyclones, river flooding, monsoon rainfall, water logging, water contamination, and the chronic stress of sea level rise. But what is most shocking is the amount of fatalities that have occured from these risks in Bangladesh, and the continuous effort and struggle the Bangladeshi people have when it comes to living with water.
CYCLONE CENTRAL
The Bhola cyclone on November 11, 1970 about a day before landfall: image from NOAA - From E.C. Barrett's Climatology from Satellites
In 1970, Bangladesh had its worst cyclone in Bengali history, Cyclone Bhola which resulted in over 550,000 casualties. This is considered one of the worst natural disasters for mankind, yet not much was done to prevent it from happening again.
In 1991, the country had another cyclone hit the coast, which resulted in over 150,000 casualties and millions of dollars lost in destroyed land assets.
In 2007, Cyclone Sidr hit the coast killing about 3,500 people and leaving nearly 3.5 million people homeless. These storms are not only killing people and destroying property, they are causing human migration and settlement into some of the most densely populated cities on the planet. This is ground zero for climate change, and with the increased frequency of storms as well as a growing homeless population, it’s only getting worse.
Today, approximately 10 million people are homeless in Dhaka, the city capital of Bangladesh. Nearly 7 million of the 10 million people have been displaced by climate related disasters. By the year 2025, reports predict that 25 million people will be homeless in Bangladesh. Human migration from the risks of climate change have been occurring for decades, and people around the globe are starting to see that it just might have an effect on their lives as well.
Almost 10-20% of village people migrate away from the coast per year, and 50% of the population in Dhaka lives in slums. Living conditions are difficult, health and wellness is a major issue, and there is no evidence of government support for the refugees affected by climate change.
The number of casualties from water cyclones in Bangladesh versus the number of casualties from super storms in the Netherlands is overwhelming to comprehend. Each country’s ability to spring back after these extreme events are undeniably different. The number of people displaced by climate related disasters across the nation is getting bigger. From too much water too not enough, these are the major challenges of our planet, and it is time for the social inequality gap to become recognized. The cost of human life is valued differently across the world. If we were all on the same page, climate change would never be an issue. The ideology that keeps me awake at night is understanding how many lives we have to lose before we can really learn to live with the planet, instead of working against it.
In order to understand the water problems of Bangladesh, it is important to understand why the country is at significant risk to climate change. This deltaic region is low lying, and the coast has consistent erosion from the rising sea and storm surge events. As of today, inhabitants are migrating away from the coast because of their loss of land and resources.
It is estimated that approximately 10-20% of village people migrate away from the coast per year and into the urban context of Dhaka. The delta is shared with the border of India. This of course has been quite a challenge of resources considering the historic conflicts between the two countries.
The rivers are considered the life line of the Bangladesh, and the delta itself is one of the richest wetland habitats in the world. Seeing it first hand, has opened my eyes and awakened me.