It’s as real and authentic can

The debates about climate change are usually filled with heated debates from the West about the potential danger, as the greatest danger humanity has ever had to face. In Bangladesh climate change isn’t something to worry about – it’s an ongoing fact. In our experience it’s a gradual expansion of the already existing struggles.

The most devastating effects of climate changes, which take the forms of heat stress, an increase in salinity and irregular rains, manifest themselves in the familiar struggle. This includes calls for fair pay and working conditions. Changes that are needed in the workplace setting include an increased requirement for water breaks and cooling, especially for those who work outdoors or in cooking areas that are enclosed. The need for these have increased in hotter climates.

Otherwhere in the workforce the effects of heat stress, salinity and heavy rainfall intensify farmers’ struggles to combat declining returns to agriculture and land-related impacts from development and construction projects. The recurrence of these conflicts increases the likelihood of an ongoing routinely inadequate response to the demands for improved living and working conditions.

So Bangladesh is experiencing the effects of climate change in full. Not only do we see physical changes however, social economic fault lines are becoming visible. Communities with low incomes remain afflicted by pressures such as unstable income from agriculture as well as the fluctuating price of their agricultural products, or the possibility of pursuing urban job possibilities.

The rising sea level has affected their farming areas, resulting in high salinity, making their soil less productive. Furthermore, unplanned and hasty urbanisation has resulted in areas with insufficient drainage systems, and saltwater intrusions from aquaculture that is based on exports has made their issues worse. Therefore, they are often forced to sell land at less than the market value, and are frequently threatened with fake cases that can take years to resolve and cost large amounts of money to settle.

Salinity in the southwest Bangladesh

The increase in salinity is one of the major impacts on climate changes in Bangladesh. While the rising sea levels are a significant cause, aquaculture has been an additional major contributor.

Shrimp and crab farming for export has proven extremely profitable and is dubbed “white gold”. Huge swathes have been purchased, and sometimes used for this type of business. In the last few years saltwater aquaculture was promoted as a method of mitigation strategy for climate change.

However, the coastal populations that are affected frequently mention aquaculture enclosures as the primary cause of rising salinity. They have also staged protests against these enclosures. These protests have led to the execution of protesters by owners of shrimp farms.

In addition, the increased salinity resulting from the rising levels of sea water is typically considered to have the biggest negative effects. The resultant loss of arable soil as well as drinking water have had a wide-ranging impacts on the livelihoods and lives of coastal communities. In reality, the effects from the increased salinity continue regardless of where it comes from.

and successful efforts to stop the aquaculture of shrimp have resulted in a decrease in salinity as well as increased production of agricultural products and improved accessibility to water for drinking, and reducing the vulnerability of poorest communities.

We might all be in the same hurricane According to the saying however, we’re not on the same boat.

Access to natural resources and land are old-fashioned problems and, as we face the additional dangers of climate change they’ve become more complex. There are more stakes as we all could be caught in the same hurricane like the saying goes but we’re not all in the same vessel. The most affected by climate change are likely to be the ones most at risk in Bangladesh’s socioeconomic ladder.