Dr Matiur Rahman :
Within a month, the floods took a terrible turn in Sylhet and Sunamganj districts of the northeastern part of Bangladesh. Sunamganj district town was cut off from the rest of the country due to flash floods. Railways and highways in Sylhet were also submerged. Buses, trains and flights across the country were closed to Sylhet. It is said that the people of Sylhet have not seen such a terrible flood in the last few decades.
They have to deal with this unusual flood as soon as the situation improves after one flood occurred in May this year. That is why discussions are going on about the impact of climate change on such a situation. At the same time, these issues are being discussed regarding the lack of navigability in the river and illegal occupation. Floods were severe due to heavy rainfall. The heavy rain in the Cherrapunji area of India had caused severe flooding in a short time in Sylhet and Sunamgang, and other parts of Bangladesh.
The Haors and rivers cannot hold excess rainwater in these circumstances. Moreover, unplanned construction of dams in the haor region to protect crops and the non-digging of waterways are the reasons for flooding. The experts said, “The Rivers in the Sylhet region have not been dug for a long time, and the haors are being dammed yearly in the name of crop protection. Besides, illegal occupation of haors, reservoirs and rivers is going on. So these are the main problems”.
However, experts point out that climate change is a significant factorin heavy rainfall.Trees and hills are being cut down extensively in the northeastern part of India and the Sylhet region of Bangladesh. The mountain could have absorbed water, and this situation is hurting the climate.
The flood-hit people of different districts, including Sylhet and the northern region, are going through a difficult time. A report of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) on the latest flood situation in Bangladesh said heavy rains in northeastern India and water from upstream flooded a large part of the Sylhet division. Around 50 people have died due to the flood. Millions of people have been affected, creating a humanitarian crisis. Sudden floods have washed away millions of people’s homes, livestock, crops and other properties. It has forced the affected families to take shelter on high ground and in temporary flood shelters.
Citing experts, the United Nations said the ongoing floods were considered more severe than the experiences of 1998 and 2004. The crisis hit at a time when the people of Sylhet division had recovered somewhat from the damage caused by the recent floods in May of this year.
According to the report, an estimated 7.2 million people have been affected by floods, including 4.3 million people have been severely affected in seven northeastern districts of Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Netrokona, Sherpur and Brahmanbaria due to flash floods and waterlogging. Many families have been displaced by the floods, while others have taken refuge in the open air. The safety of women and girls in those families is at high risk.
The leading cause of floods is excess water and heavy rains coming down from upstream. Floods not only ruin people’s lives, but they also ruin the whole country’s economy. Bangladesh’s economy is still dependent on agriculture, and floods caused extensive damage to that agriculture. Rural infrastructure has also been damaged.
Most of the people in Bangladesh live in the villages. The floods washed away people’s houses and agricultural lands. Many of them have become landless by riverbank erosion. The floods have also submerged the roads and cut off their livelihood. As a result, millions of people are forced to live dehumanized lives due to a lack of food in the flood-hit areas. Many people have already lost everything and become destitute. They worried about an uncertain future.
The experts refer toglobal climate change’s impact as the main reason for this year’s catastrophic floods. The floods were due to abnormal rainfall because of climate change. “As a downstream or riverine country, Bangladesh is a big victim of the effects of global climate change.”
Experts say that the responsibility for climate change lies mainly with the developed countries. There is a question about how much importance the world is giving to the statements of countries like Bangladesh, which are facing a severe impact of climate change. Therefore, they think developed countries should come forward to mitigate the adverse effect of climate change and provide sufficient compensation to Bangladesh.
(The writer is a researcher and development worker).
