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Climate Crisis in Bangladesh
Story and Photographs by Probal Rashid
Bangladesh is one of the countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The regular and severe natural hazards that Bangladesh already suffers from—tropical cyclones, river erosion, flood, landslides and drought—are all set to increase in intensity and frequency as a result of changes in the climate. Sea level rise increasingly inundates coastal land, and dramatic coastal and river erosion will destroy lands and homes. These and the many other adverse effects of climate change will severely impact the country's development and economy.
One of the most dramatic impacts will be the forced movement of people throughout Bangladesh as a result of losing their homes, lands, property and livelihoods. While it is impossible to predict completely accurate figures of how many people will be displaced, the best current estimates state that sea level rise alone will displace 18 million Bangladeshis within the next forty years and the vast majority of these people will be displaced within Bangladesh—that is, not across international borders—presenting the government with enormous challenges, particularly when it comes to finding places to live and work for those who are suddenly displaced.