Confronting Water Challenges in the Face of Climate Change

Bangladesh, a country characterized by its abundant water resources, is currently facing its most significant threat: water in various devastating forms, such as drought, deluge, cyclones, and saltwater intrusion. These challenges, exacerbated by climate change, are compelling millions of people to adopt extraordinary measures to survive.

The implications of Bangladesh’s struggle with water-related issues are far-reaching, as the circumstances faced by its 170 million inhabitants today may foreshadow the challenges that many others will confront in the future.

In response to heavy rainfall warnings upstream, the people of Bangladesh are rushing to harvest rice, their staple crop. They have also devised innovative techniques to overcome flooding, such as constructing floating beds using water hyacinths to cultivate vegetables above floodwaters. In areas where shrimp farming has rendered the soil too saline for crops, they are growing okra and tomatoes in compost-filled plastic boxes previously used for shrimp transportation. Moreover, when lands erode, people are compelled to relocate to other villages and towns. In desperate situations where drinking water is scarce, they are resorting to collecting rainwater for survival.

Saber Hossain Chowdhury, a lawmaker and the prime minister’s climate envoy, aptly compared Bangladesh’s situation to plugging multiple leaks in a barrel with just two hands, highlighting the enormity of the task at hand.

Bangladesh has achieved some success in saving lives during cyclones and floods. However, there are numerous simultaneous challenges that require attention, including finding alternative drinking water sources for millions of coastal inhabitants, expanding crop insurance, preparing cities for the influx of migrants from rural areas, and fostering cooperative relationships with neighboring countries to share weather data.

Despite these pressing needs, wealthy nations have not provided sufficient financial assistance to help developing countries adapt to the hazards they already face. This lack of support has led to mounting frustration in places like Bangladesh, a sentiment echoed in the Paris climate finance summit.

Approximately half of Bangladesh’s 64 districts are considered vulnerable to climate change, making the need for effective adaptation strategies crucial.

The story of Rakibul Alam, an agricultural extension worker in the lowlands, exemplifies the significance of early warning systems. Alam received advance notice of heavy rains in northeastern India, which could have resulted in flooding and damaged rice crops. He mobilized local farmers, utilizing village networks, calls, texts, and even mosque loudspeakers to persuade them to harvest the rice before it was too late. Fortunately, the heavy rains did not materialize, but the precautionary measures protected the harvest. This incident serves as a test case for future situations where early warnings may play a vital role in safeguarding crops from intensified rains caused by climate change.

The government of Bangladesh has formulated an ambitious national adaptation plan, which includes extensive projects like river dredging and embankment construction to mitigate the impact of rising sea levels. However, many of these projects remain unrealized, and critics express concerns about potential mismanagement and corruption.

To combat flooding, farmers in Bangladesh have embraced innovative practices such as floating gardens. Shakti Kirtanya, who learned this technique from his father, cultivates crops on water bodies, allowing them to float and adapt to rising water levels. This method has been practiced in his low-lying district, Gopalganj, for over 200 years. The government has supported floating gardens in various districts as climate change expands the risk of flooding.

The intrusion of seawater poses a significant threat to coastal areas, mainly due to rising sea levels, reduced freshwater flow from dammed rivers, and excessive groundwater extraction. The Sundarbans, a vital mangrove forest protecting against storm surges, is experiencing the alarming impact of salinity. The iconic sundari mangrove trees are dying, and the landscape is changing irreversibly, with other mangrove species taking over. The son of a forest officer who runs river tours in the Sundarbans expressed pessimism about the return of the sundari unless salinity levels decrease, an unlikely scenario.

Sheela Biswas, a resident of a village grappling with saltwater intrusion, faces the daily crisis of salinity affecting their water sources. Salt has contaminated canals and ponds that were once relied upon for drinking and washing. Approximately 30 million people living along the coast face varying degrees of saltwater intrusion, with Biswas’ area among the hardest hit. Previously, rice cultivation and pond water sufficed for sustenance, but the advent of shrimp farming introduced saltwater through canals, rendering the ponds undrinkable. Residents resorted to purchasing water or developing their rainwater harvesting systems using available resources such as plastic pipes and fishing nets. An organization called BRAC has distributed thousands of plastic water tanks equipped with filters to collect rainwater, offering a more sustainable solution.

Shrimp farming, once regarded as “white gold,” now poses new risks, including disease outbreaks that impact profits. Some individuals are abandoning shrimp ponds, filling them with sand and waiting for rain to flush out the salt. However, for many who possess limited land, leaving it idle is not an option.

The combination of rising sea levels and land subsidence intensifies the threat of saltwater intrusion. Even minor sea level rise poses significant dangers when combined with land subsidence, as embankments are susceptible to collapse during tidal surges. Communities along the southwestern coast have devised various methods to procure drinking water, such as desalination through small reverse osmosis systems. However, this process results in the discharge of salty wastewater into nearby ponds, exacerbating the problem. Some individuals have migrated to the port town of Mongla, but freshwater scarcity persists. In saline-prone regions where agricultural cultivation is impossible, women have resorted to growing vegetables in pots filled with compost and manure or repurposing rice sacks and plastic boxes for planters.

These makeshift solutions employed by the people of Bangladesh to secure their basic needs of food and water provide a glimpse into the immense struggle faced by millions confronting climate risks daily.

Despite the urgency of adaptation, the funds allocated for climate adaptation in 2020, totaling $29 billion to all developing nations, fall significantly short of the estimated requirement of at least $160 billion annually according to the United Nations. Consequently, the leaders of developing countries express frustration and anger in international climate negotiations.

Bangladesh’s ability to stay afloat in the face of these challenges is limited unless global greenhouse gas emissions are rapidly and substantially reduced. Saber Hossain Chowdhury emphasizes the inadequacy of their efforts, stating, “Whatever we do is not going to be enough.”