The Environmental Crisis in Bangladesh.

“Let us be good stewards of the Earth we inherited. All of us have to share the Earth’s fragile ecosystems and precious resources, and each of us has a role to play in preserving them. If we are to go on living on this Earth, we must all be responsible for it.”

- Kofi Annan

The theory of climate change. The incessant problem that ‘lefties’ and ‘socialists’ bring up about how the world is on the brink of destruction at the hands of burning fossil fuels. Indeed, while there is no scientific correlation between global temperature rise, and that of burning carbon emissions, mankind’s footprint on the Earth is evident. However, this blog is not to argue whether climate change as a concept exists, but the effects it has on my ancestral homeland, Bangladesh.

The nation of Bangladesh resides within Southern Asia, India borders the North and West, and Burma towards the East. Known as one of the most enriching and vibrant ecosystems across the globe, Bangladesh contains the most rivers in the world, and is home to over 1500 different species of animals, birds and fish. Along its Southern Coast, there is a coral reef, parallel alongside the world’s largest and longest natural beach. Most importantly, Bangladesh is home to the UNICEF protected bio dome, the Sundarbans.

The Sundarbans is one of the world’s largest bio domes which is in the South West region of Bangladesh. From wetlands to tropical forests, and jungles to evergreens, the Sundarbans is home to some of the most endangered and rarest animals in the world including 170 Bengal Tigers, 245 genera, 334 plant species, and over 700 types of birds and hundreds of more fish. Furthermore, Bangladesh claims the world’s largest mangrove forest, which acts as a transition from marine to freshwater and terrestrial systems, in which thousands of species collectively feed and shelter.

While a fact file on Bangladesh is all well and good, the main issue to understand here is that 55% of Bangladesh’s land mass is 1m or below sea level. With global ice caps melting and sea levels rising at an alarming rate, scientists predict that by 2050 more than 40% of Bangladesh will be submerged by water. If this disaster were to happen, that would leave more than 60% of Bangladeshi people without a home. To put things into perspective, Bangladesh has a population of 170 million right now, and it’s growing exponentially, by 2050 that number could near 300 million. That would mean more than 150 million people would have to relocate. If the situation was not bad enough, Bangladesh within the last century has reported the extinction of over 200 of its indigenous animals and plants. By 2050, scientists at Jadaypur University estimate that more than three quarters of Bangladesh’s indigenous wildlife will be on the brink of extinction.

The astounding thing is that Bangladesh has been a vibrant ecosystem for millennia. From the time of the ancient Dravidians to the rise and fall of countless empires, Bangladesh’s ecosystem has never been an issue. Only within the last two centuries have we seen a dramatic shift in the extinction of animals, plants and fish, the warming of the oceans, and the cataclysmic events of natural disasters. Never before has the threat towards Bangladesh’s ecosystem been so significant, and an ever-pressing issue.

So what is causing this momentous destruction of Bangladesh’s ecosystem and wildlife? A 2007 report by UNESCO argued that the anthropogenic rise in sea levels of 45cm (agreed on by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has contributed to the destruction of 75% of the Sundarbans mangroves. Rising sea levels have devastated Bangladesh’s coast annihilating indigenous wildlife and the local population alike. This has also given a rise to an abundance of natural disasters, Bangladesh has recorded a significant increase in cyclones, tsunamis and hurricanes within its premise further causing destruction on epic proportion. The Boxing Day Tsunami in particular killing hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshis and singlehandedly removed 15% of Bangladesh’s coral reef.

So what can we do about the dire situation Bangladesh’s ecosystem is in? Their government have taken steps to address the dying ecosystem, many rare animals are under constant protection by both UNICEF and the Bangladesh government. They have implemented schemes to reduce tsunami effects and flooding around the country. But Bangladesh is a developing nation, while a democracy, they still have leaps to go before they can fully commit to their environmental issues. But they are not in it alone. International Aid from across the world, lobby groups and global charities have all come together to help maintain and protect the sanctity of Bangladesh’s ecosystem, but alas it is not enough.

It is time for world leaders to finally take responsibility for the environment and assure its protection. Right now, our callous actions are directly sabotaging, and arguably murdering millions of innocent people of future generations through sheer levels of neglect and a lethargic disregard to protect the ecosystem we exploit on a daily basis. For it is not us who will have to pay the price for this, but indeed our children, and our children’s children who will have to live with our mistakes.