A World Bank study has explored that more than three-quarters of the total population of Bangladesh are at a risk of declining living standards which could be caused by rising temperature and erratic rainfall due to climate change. For decades Bangladesh has been considered as the poster-child of climate change impact but no effective and comprehensive actions were adopted to meet the challenge. To the contrary, we deliberately have ruined the biodiversity by polluting the environment; grabbed rivers, razed forest and hillocks, and set up industries to pollute the atmosphere. The impact of global warming on livelihoods has already been researched, including a fall in agricultural and labour productivity and a rise in vector-borne and other infectious diseases.
Quoting the study, several dailies reported that the rising temperature can force people out of their traditional professions, decline living standards, and trigger internal migration. The decline in living standards could cost a loss of 6.7 percent or $171 billion of the country’s GDP by 2050 unless actions are taken to reduce emissions. In the last 60 years, South Asia’s average temperatures have increased and will continue rising, affecting agriculture, health and productivity while Bangladesh’s average annual temperatures are expected to rise by 1.0°C to 1.5°C by 2050 despite taking several measures suggested in Paris Agreement. If no measure is taken, then the country’s average temperatures are predicted to increase by 1.0°C to 2.5°C.
Increasing average temperatures and changes in seasonal rain patterns have already altered farming seasons in the subcontinent which has resulted in serious health and productivity losses. In Bangladesh, Chittagong division will be the most affected region by 2050 for deforestation and hill cutting which has resulted in major landslides, destruction of property and damage to water resources followed by Barishal and Dhaka divisions. Khulna is the fourth most vulnerable division followed by Rajshahi and Rangpur. Cox’s Bazar is predicted to face the largest negative impact where living standard of people will decline by 20 percent.
Climate change is a major threat to development and efforts to end poverty. The situation is declining and the government is busy how to continue in power without free election. Our situation is a national disaster where the government is non-existent for good governance.
