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As the new year begins, Earth seems to lose yet another year from its life.This is an example coming from Dhaka, Bangladesh. Here the writer talks about the problems Bangladesh is facing regarding Global Warming. As you know global warming is a hot topic in the world agenda today and it affects every one of us, doesn’t it?

By Faria Sanjana

News of global warming has sure hit the world hard. Pressing issues on such matters have raised a lot of concerns so that now people can no longer turn a blind eye towards it. Those of you who thought a third-world country, whose carbon dioxide emission is 0.008th of that of the United States was out of danger from the effects of it, are sadly misunderstood.

First of all the placement of the country as a delta of the three rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna makes it susceptible for grave trouble as the sea level rises. Those of us living here all know the tremendous flooding that occurs during the monsoon season. According to a report by the UN, approximately a rise of 40 centimeters of sea level will affect over 13 million people of one-third area of the total land. Appalling, isn’t it?

Among that one-third land falls our very own Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, home to around 200 Royal Bengal tigers and other diverse species. Already depicted as a fragile environment and protected by the World Heritage Site, rising sea levels are causing seawater from the Bay of Bengal to seep through the ground to reach the mangrove trees. Since these trees have a unique way of breathing through their roots, they are significantly cut down on oxygen levels by the salty seawater. The result – a mysterious increase in the number of dead trees and low growth level. If the mangroves disappear then the habitats of a wide variety of birds and monkeys will be hampered. Researchers have predicted that it will take as less as 10 years for the Sundarbans to be wiped out if the current trend continues.

The effects of salinisation do not end here. Moreover salt is contaminating drinking water and fields further up towards the northern region. Crops and harvests are affected terribly and the farmers have to restore to an alternate plan for a living. Shrimp cultivation is a prime option but the profits collected from this business are enjoyed by only a few. The reason for this being the minimum amount of labor needed in the process. Hundreds of people are thus getting unemployed. Stark increase in unfair means like poaching in the Sundarbans has started to take place.

Overall it is not only the wildlife and environment that is getting the aftermath of global warming; the economy of Bangladesh is being hit hard as well. It is projected that by 2035 the rice production will have decreased by 10 percent and wheat by one-third, pushing the country into the brink of starvation. Water supply will also suffer a drastic shortage. Therefore it is our plea to the government and all the concerned authorities to not overlook this matter further. Let us take up all means to protect Bangladesh and its wealth before it’s too late.

N.B: Pictures have been taken from various sources and are not our own.