Sea level rise and land loss
Shaikh Mohir Uddin / Driknews
Sea level rise (SLR) has various impacts on Bangladesh. It will have its impacts on Bangladesh in the coastal areas. About 2,500, 8,000 and 14,000 sq. km of land (with a corresponding percentage of 2 %, 5 % and 10 % with respect to the total land area of the country) will be lost due to SLR of 0.1m, 0.3m and 1.0m respectively. The potential land loss estimated by IPCC (2001) is even worse. It reports that 29,846 sq. km area of land will be lost and 14.8 million people will be landless by 1m SLR. The forecasted land erosion will cause displacement of coastal population. Adaptation and mitigation are two options for Bangladesh. Of which, the first one is country specific, or even local specific, but mitigation demands collective efforts of global communities. Development of adaptation policies for different sectors will help Bangladesh face the hazards of sea level rise. Lobbying in the international communities will be helpful to mitigate CO2 emissions by developing countries, which is responsible for global warming and sea level rise. Proper mitigation plan and formulation of adaptation policies are the need of the hour.
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