Photo: Messenger
The ability of the people of Bangladesh to cope with natural disasters has decreased, and severe damage is being inflicted on nature as the experts warned in the recent years. The harsh reality has emerged through the rampage of Cyclone Remal. The depth of the damage has been depicted in just one day.
Due to the high tide, many areas of the vast coastline have been inundated as the embankments were breached. The world heritage Sundarbans was submerged under almost 15 feet of water due to the tidal surge. The biodiversity bears the scars of the damage. Many fish enclosures along the coast have been washed away, and saline water has entered the low-lying areas of the inundated coast.
Government officials think that the long-lasting rampage of Remal has caused similar devastation as the Cyclone Aila did 15 years ago in Bangladesh. Due to continuous rain for two days, thousands of families in Chattogram, Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachari, and the Rohingya camps are also at risk of landslides.
Experts say that due to climate change, particularly global warming, people are now facing natural disasters more than ever before. Intense heat waves, droughts, wildfires, along with increased heavy rainfall, floods, and cyclones are on the rise. Island nations like Bangladesh are being severely affected, and their natural environments are also facing dire consequences.
Bangladesh has once again witnessed the devastation that a cyclone can cause. The destruction caused by the severe Remal is becoming clearer as time passes. 21 lives have been lost in Bangladesh during its 36-hour stay. 39 dead deer have been recovered from the Sundarbans. However, the damage to the biodiversity of the Sundarbans is still incalculable. Additionally, there has been extensive damage to the agricultural sector across the country. Paddy, vegetables, betel leaf plantations, fish, and fish enclosures have been washed away. Bangladesh is facing losses worth hundreds of crores of taka. According to government data, the damage to fisheries and livestock alone is 701 crore 41 lakh taka.
The latest report published by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the Centre for Climate Change Economics states that the ability of the people of Bangladesh to cope with floods has decreased. If global carbon emissions continue unabated and climate change conditions worsen, the river flow in Bangladesh could increase by a minimum of 16 percent to a maximum of 36 percent between 2070 and 2099. Currently, around 55-60 percent of Bangladesh is inundated by floods every year, causing damage worth $1 billion. More than half of the country's population is at high risk of floods. This raises concerns about severe humanitarian, economic, and environmental crises.
Dr Hafiz Ashraful Haque, Associate Professor and Chairman of the Department of Coastal Studies and Disaster Management at the University of Barishal, told The Daily Messenger, “Even 20 years ago, 80 percent of the rainfall occurred during the monsoon season. However, we are now witnessing rainfall during the winter as well. Only 20 percent of the expected rainfall for March, April, and May has occurred, which has manifested in Cyclone Remal. As a result, there has been heavy rainfall during the cyclone. However, it is also true that during a cyclone, the sea water naturally swells and rises, and the tide levels in rivers also increase.” He believes that the combination of high tides and heavy rainfall has increased the water level of the floods.
Professor AKM Saiful Islam of the Institute of Flood and Water Management at BUET told The Daily Messenger, “Extensive damage has occurred, but the exact extent cannot be determined immediately. In areas without embankments, water has entered and flooded everything. In areas with weak embankments, they have broken, causing water to inundate vast areas. The cyclone is now bringing heavy rainfall. Since there is an impact of climate change, the Climate Change Fund should be utilised to complete the urgent tasks quickly. Assessing the damage to forests can be challenging, but the extent of damage may be observed through satellite image analysis.”
Thousands of families in Chattogram, Bandarban, Rangamati, Khagrachari, and the Rohingya camps are at risk of landslides due to the impact of Cyclone Remal, which has brought gusty winds and heavy rainfall across the country. Due to the excessive rainfall, miking (public announcements) has started in the hilly areas to warn about the risk of landslides, and shelter centres have been prepared. Landslides typically occur in hilly areas during heavy rainfall. Earlier, in 2017, from June 12 to 13, landslides in three hill districts and six districts resulted in 168 deaths. On June 13 alone, 120 people died in Rangamati. This time, the Rohingyas are at a higher risk of landslides as most of their houses are situated on hillsides. A major disaster could occur at any moment.
Messenger/Disha
