Bangladesh S Sea Rise Puts the World S Largest Patch of Productive Mangroves at Risk

Bangladesh’s sea rise puts the world’s largest patch of productive mangroves at risk

Wagdy Sawahel

Date: 12 June 2006

Source: SDN (ScienceDev.Net)

From analysis of 26 years data, researchers have observed that sea-level rise (SLR) in the Bay of Bengal is rising by 4.0 to 7.8 millimetres every year, which is much higher than that of global rate which since 1900 the level has risen at 1 to 3 millimetres every year.

This would put ecological security of the largest patch of productive mangroves in the world, the Sundarbans, at risk due to a combination of low-flow and saltwater intrusion in winter, researchers say.

Researchers also identified an increasing tendency of sea level from west to east along the coast.

This was presented in a research study carried out by M Fazlul and Nobuo Mimura at centre for water environment studies at Japan-based Ibaraki University at a workshop for “understanding sea-level rise and variability” held in the period 6-9 June at UNESO, France.

The authors indicated that impacts of SLR in the coastal regions of Bangladesh would contribute substantially in coastal flooding and salt water intrusion and the forest ecosystem of the country would suffer due to floods in monsoon and moisture stress in winter

They also indicated that SLR would cause recession of flat sandy beaches in the south-eastern part of the country while it may create significant back water effect in the west and central coastal zones.

It would also increase destruction and degradation of coastal zone, saltwater intrusion, and water logging, as well as natural disasters such as cyclone, storm surage and flood.

There will be likely migration of people from the coastal area where 35.1 million people (25 % of total population) live to further inland which leads to socio-economic problems in other areas.

The study indicated that as Bangladesh has experienced natural disasters for many decades, it has well developed its adaptation strategies in associations with international communities since then.

Under the increasing threat of potential SLR and associated impacts, Bangladesh is developing adaptation strategy that includes the rehabilitation of coastal embankment with increased height, construction of new refugee shelters, and plantation of new mangroves along the coastal belt.

The strategy also includes enhancing communities’ knowledge by training and public awareness, development of community based flood proof measures, and improvement of accuracy and timing of cyclone warning system.

The four-day workshop was attended by climate change experts, oceanographers and marine scientists and organized under the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP), which is jointly sponsored by the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (UNESCO-IOC), the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

Abstracts published at workshop for “understanding sea-level rise and variability” held in the period 6-9 June at UNESO, France http://copes.ipsl.jussieu.fr/Workshops/SeaLevel/Posters/PosterAbstracts.pdf

Bangladesh S Sea Rise Puts the World S Largest Patch of Productive Mangroves at Risk

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