Climate Change
Climate change is a hot topic of discussion in this Modern World. Weather indicates the short term normally 7 days condition of nature and earth. On the other hand, climate indicates the long-term weather situation like 30 years. In that case Climate change indicates the change in climate (weather condition) of last 30 years or changing by each and every 30 years. Since the mid-1800s global temperatures have increased by about 0.6 degree Celsius. This change has not been taken out by a day or week. This is the gradual changes which can be found after a certain long-term difference. There are lots of changes of climate elements, huge impacts on our environment or living and some remarkable consequences of this changes. I am going to discuss these issues on this writing.
Source: Image by ELG21 from Pixabay
Climate Change mean to me
I am just 30 years of age. With this age I have seen a lot of dramatic changes in Bangladesh. In my childhood that is about 1998-2007 whatever I have seen here in Bangladesh are almost absent here. Climate is changing very rapidly.
Some dramatic changes are-
- In my childhood we saw water in the field on the rainy days but now almost half.
- Sometimes there were flood in the rainy season but now almost no chance due to less water circulation
- River and Canel water was about drinkable merely but now not even bath-able
- Natural crops were produced and was tasty but now only hybrid or artificial.
- There were a lot of pearls in the river and even ponds but now impossible.
- Frogs are not seen now where available then
- Tortoise were here and there in ponds but now not a single one.
- Nature made fruits and vegetables were there but now only cultivated.
- High raised building were not there but now available thus land and green are missing.
- A lot of jungles have been turned into cities.
- Fresh water is not available now.
- Traffic were very few but now can’t move due to traffic.
- Dust and dirt level are very high in Dhaka city even in top of 10 but then it was much better than now.
- Polyethylene are pretty available where jute or paper bag was the key of that time.
- Drainage system already has gone to the dogs and for this a lot of water comes to the road with a half an hour rain in almost all cities here but once it was impossible.
- With the change of society, we have cut a lot of trees. But once it was green.
- Due to lack of trees and abandon of industry carbon emission has raised than then
- Play fields have been destroyed to make the cities
- Carbon di oxide level has been raised remarkably
- In the absence of play field, young guys are addicted to mobile phone and internet thus getting weaker than earlier and indirectly causing carbon emission with global warming.
- And many more
Source: Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay
Impact of Climate Changes:
Climate change is no longer an issue of scientific prediction, rather it is an inevitable reality for us. Many people think that the recent catastrophic cyclone Sidr and widespread floods in Bangladesh are the primary sign of the increase of global warming and climate change. Climate change is a global issue but its impact is seen regionally sharply. This change will increase the risk of natural disaster and decline of availability of foods and fresh water. In the long run the poverty and the spread of diseases will be enhanced by it. As a result, the development process in the developing country like us will be inhibited. There are a lot of forms of the impact on climate change. Let me write about one after another.
Water and River:
Bangladesh is a riverine country. The most important rivers of Bangladesh are the Padma, the Meghna and the Jamuna, the Brahmaputra, the Shitalaxa, the Dholeshawri etc. Brahmaputra has started from the Himalays and has ended at the Bay of Bengal. But it becomes gigantic during rainy reason then it becomes impossible to imagine that it can be crossed over during dry season. Although Bangladesh is a land of rivers, there is a huge scarcity of pure drinking water. Specially due to the imbalance of water flow during rainy and dry season. It was not like that in past. Main reason behind that are the rivers filling up, waste products and garbage of factories falling into the river and the lack of proper management. As agriculture is depended on the river water mostly thus agriculture is being hampered. Most of the river’s water turned to black, odor due to the pollution.
Global Warming:
Biodiversity found on earth is the result of 4 billion years of evolution. With the welcoming of IR, the human being also welcomed many intense anti-environmental agents. At time flies the population of our locality has been increased dramatically. The increased human being requires food, clothing, house, lifesaving materials and many other vital supports. For supplying all the support ultimately man has to explore the environment. The last two decades of 20th century have made the situation bad to worse. Scientist report that global warming has been escalating since the Industrial Revolution, It’s the problem that emerged as a major issue in the late 1980s.
Source: Image by Tumisu from Pixabay
At present, the temperature of the earth is increasing duo to greenhouse gas for which undesirable consequence is the rise of sea-level. There is a risk of drowning a large part of Bangladesh if this sea level rises quickly. In Montrell protocol (MPOSTDOL) six greenhouse gas has been identified. These are Carbon di oxide (CO2) Mithane (CH4), NO, SF6, Hydroflurocarbons, Perflurocarbons. The Carbon di oxide level has been raised in last 50 years is equal to prior 200 years. So its alarming. Only USA and China emits the 40 % of green house gases of the World.
Sea level is increasing due to the melting polar ices with temperature raising for green house gases. Now 3.5 to 15 mm is increasing the sea level per year, but in next century it will rise more sharply if situation goes on like this. Global warming temperatures have many negative effects on earth which also affect us. There are three main categories of the effect of the raising temperature. These are-
- Glacial melting and raising sea water level
- Plant life
- Human and animal health
Agriculture:
Scientists assert with 3° raise of temperature results Famine and drought. The crop will drop between 20-400million tons, threatening 400 million more people with famine. Put up to 3billion people at risk of flooding without access to fresh water. ADB 2009 reports says “If current trends persists until 2050, the yields of irrigated crops in south Asia will decrease significantly—maize (-17%), wheat (-12%) and rice (-10%)—because of climate change induced heat and water stress. The resulting food scarcity will lead to higher prices and reduced calorie intake across the region.
The fisheries sector has also experienced an adverse effect because of the impacts of Climate Change. The fisheries sector contributes about 3.5% of the GDP in Bangladesh and people depend on fish products in order to meet up majority of their daily protein requirements. There are around 260 species of fish in the country and almost all the varieties are sensitive to specific salt and freshwater conditions.
Coastal Areas:
Almost one fourth of the total population of the country live in the coastal areas of Bangladesh, where majority of the population are somehow affected (directly or indirectly) by Coastal Floods /Tidal Surges, River-bank Erosion, Salinity, Tropical Cyclones etc.
With the rise of Sea-level up to one meter only, Bangladesh could lose up to 15% of its land area under the Sea water and around 30 million people living in the coastal areas of Bangladesh could become Refugees because of Climate Change impacts. Since most of the country is less than 10 meters above Sea level and almost 10% of the population of the country is living below 1-meter elevation.
Forestry and Biodiversity
Biodiversity is not distributed evenly on Earth. It is consistently richer in the tropics and in other localized regions. Bangladesh has got a wide diversity of Ecosystems including Mangrove forests at the extreme south of the country. The “Sundarbans” a World Heritage, is the largest Mangrove Forest in the world, comprising 577,00 hector of land area along the Bay of Bengal. A total of 425 species have been identified there, the most significant is the famous Royal Bengal Tiger. Therefore, Climate Change impacts will have negative effects on the Ecosystem of the Forest recourses in Bangladesh while the Sundarbans is likely to suffer the most.
Vulnerable Groups:
The Bay of Bengal is located at the tip of the north Indian Ocean, where severe Cyclonic storms are frequently generated and hit the coast line with severe impacts. During the 1991 Cyclone and Storm surge in Bangladesh, the death rate in case of women was almost five times higher than the men. Because men were able to communicate with each other in the public spaces, but the information did not reach most of the women timely
Remedial Measures
The challenges of mitigating the adopting to climate change are unprecedented but not insurmountable. The world leaders have finally found the factors and catalyst of the environmental degradation. We can work with countries to roll back harmful fossil fuel subsidies and help put the policies in place that will eventually lead to a stable price on carbon. It is high time to take steps to cure the global warming. Otherwise it will affect everything and everyone.
Some steps like following should be taken-
- Huge forestration
- Resistance to cutting trees
- Resistance to emition of gree house gases
- Environment friendly fuel like using of solar power
- Proper waste management plan
- Resistance to carbon emition by Developed countries
- Complete the protocol and triats
- Increasing of awareness
Some Steps by Bangladesh Government:
- Proper funding and management of Climate change trust funt
- Pay attention the importance on forestration
- Controlling of industrial pollution
- Biodiversity strategy and action plan
- Disaster management
- Proper care and plan of rivers.
Some other actions:
Personally, i may have a few abilities to afford in this case, but i should do with my small effort. If all of us can take responsibility and do something from their ability in summation or combination it will be huge. So, by giving responsibility only to politicians (some of them are biased with economy and corruption and power liking), we need to contribute some extent. Our little effort in together can make a revolution. Let’s work for this purpose and raise voice anywhere. Aware others to take part. Our primary works to be done against the disaster is to fix the movement of the sea-level at the coastal areas. The scale of reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to safer levels required truly international co-operation. To implement these activities, it is urgent to take national and international, technical, political and socio-economic steps.
Conclusion
Immediate action is much needed in this situation throughout the country. Within very short time World climate is changing. In a silent place in cold mind or in meditation if you thing the changes within last 20 years, you will be surprised totally. Its huge change. If it continues in this trend, very soon some coastal countries will go under sea due to the melting of ice in two poles of the Planet. We will face new new diseases day by bay as we are facing some example now as well. One of the Novel prices (1913) winner Poet Rabindranath Tagore said, give me the forest, take the town in his poem. So, nature is the best integral part of our congenial life. Nature is the best healer and solution rather dash for economy, war, capitalization etc. If we get close to pure nature, we can be fit and healthy both mentally and physically. Our mind will be refreshed. We can take a long breath.
Global warming is a problem that affects not just some people, but everything and everyone. The Glaciers are Melting, Sea-level is rising since the World is getting Warmer- our Coast line, Green Villages, Paddy fields, Schools, Hospitals, Markets are sinking. People are losing their Homesteads, Agriculture fields, Sweet water Ponds, Fishery, Poultry and everything, becoming Homeless and Slums.
Let’s Protect our Lovely Planet as the Safe Home for our future Generation. Please, Let’s not think, Climate Change as an Individual Problem of any country or nation. Let’s think, it’s our Common Issue, we’ve to face efficiently as “Citizens of the Global Village”.
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This is Saiful’s Classroom from @engrsayful
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