Climate change and economy
Photo: Tomzid Mollick / Driknews
Bangladesh's development efforts have, in recent years, been severely frustrated by the devastating impacts of natural disasters which are a result of climate change. Erratic rainfall and deviation in temperature are going to bring critical changes in the country's rice farming pattern seriously affecting crop yields thus causing serious food insecurity, according to experts. A study, conducted by Action Aid Bangladesh, says erratic rainfall in the rainy season is going to affect the food grains production. According to the Meteorological Office, the country experienced 32 percent less rain than normal during the June-July period the last year. Prolonged summer and shorter rainy and winter seasons has only increased the trend of droughts and desertification, inflicting an adverse impact on the country's agro-based economy. On an average 1-1.5 percent of potential GDP growth in agriculture is lost every year as a result of environmental damage and a loss of that magnitude in agriculture alone reverberates throughout the entire economy. Which means livelihood of the people will be affected adversely, worsening our poverty situation. Already 55 million people in Bangladesh were below the poverty line before food price rises in the past two years added roughly another 10 million people to that figure. So, the overall magnitude of the impact is immense.
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