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The Effect of Global Warming in Bangladesh

Iqbal Ahmed - 9/1/2011

John Lennon and Paul McCartney are undoubtedly the most iconic figures of The Beatles. In Bangladesh, George Harrison of The Beatles holds a special place as well. Not because of music but because of what he did to help the cyclone victims of 1970. The Bangaldeshis of the 70’s generation and even the younger ones are deeply indebted to him for his 1971 Madison Square concert that raised millions to help the victim’s miles away in Bangladesh.

For a low-lying delta country, natural disasters are a part of life for those who live in the coastal areas in Bangladesh. But they adapt to the dangers and the devastations of nature’s fury. They learn to survive and live.

The current global warming effects are a concern for Bangladesh as sea levels continue to rise. Scientists have predicted that by 2050 Bangladesh could go under. But does this prediction pose a real threat to the country and its people? It may not. The Bangladeshi people will find a way to survive the effect of global warming. I argue that by 2050, the weather pattern would shift. Despite modern technologies to predict weather, the actual outcome of the weather will remain a mystery and somewhat beyond human capabilities to control.

The global warming and drying of rivers have created mass of lands in the coastal areas of the over populated Bangladesh, where people now can build homes and live. The rising sea level has also brought new deposits of fertile sediments, which accumulates over time and raises the ground. Nature has run its own course in Bangladesh to provide shelter and space.

The government of Bangladesh has invested heavily, some 10 million Takas to build new shelters and cyclone warning system. Sidr, the most recent cyclone ravaged Bangladesh’s coastal areas but spared millions of lives that would have been perished had it not been for the effective early warning system and the shelters. The money and resources are still scarce but, ironically, the cyclones and hurricanes have taught and prepared Bangladeshis how to survive.

The rising economy has helped as well. In recent years, Bangladesh saw a GDP growth of between 5% and 7%. With more money at their disposal, the villagers now have access to information, which is crucial to their survival before natural disasters strike.


Education and reform have come a long way in Bangladesh. The fertility rate in Bangladesh is now 2.4 compared to 30 years ago when it was around 6.7 to 7.

Also, the child mortality rate in 43 per 1000 child compared to the same time frame. The child mortality rate is now the lowest among the developing countries.

Both statistics are amazing considering various adverse conditions in Bangladesh -- flood, drought, cyclone, corruption, and deprivation. Women empowerment through education and financial independency has largely contributed to these declining rates.

The NGOs like BRAC and Yunus Centre are intensely involved in promoting social and economic reforms in Bangladesh. They are not only educating and reforming the people of Bangladesh, they are saving them.

In an interview with Scientific American, Sardar Shafiqul Alam, a research fellow at the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, said that Bangladesh could not cope with the natural disasters alone. The developed countries must also actively join the efforts of the developing countries like Bangladesh.
Late George Harrison would agree.