Natural Disasters

• Bangladesh is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change and experiences a variety of natural disasters annually, including cyclones, floods, and earthquakes.

• The country's low-lying geography makes it particularly susceptible to flooding, especially during monsoon season. Rivers like the Brahmaputra, Ganges, and Meghna often overflow, causing widespread damage.

• Frequent and large-scale inundation often leads to comparatively high death tolls, destruction of housing and infrastructure, loss of crops, and spread of waterborne diseases.

• Cyclones are another common natural disaster, striking mainly in the pre-monsoon (April-May) and post-monsoon (October-November) periods. The Bay of Bengal's geographical location forms a hotbed for cyclones formed from low-pressure systems.

• The deadliest cyclone in recorded history, The 1970 Bhola Cyclone, struck Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) with a death toll between 300,000 to 500,000 people.

• Storm surges accompanying cyclones can lead to catastrophic damage along the coast, especially in the world's largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, which act as a natural barrier to cyclones.

Environmental Hazards

• Bangladesh is also exposed to severe environmental hazards that pose significant challenges to the country’s development.

• The issue of air pollution, primarily in major cities such as Dhaka, is becoming increasingly severe with the rise of industrialisation and population density.

• Due to land scarcity and rapid urbanisation, deforestation has turned into a significant issue, also leading to soil degradation and erosion.

• The over-extraction of groundwater supplies in Bangladesh has led to widespread water scarcity. It has also led to the intrusion of saltwater into fresh aquifers, particularly in coastal regions.

• Bangladesh has been grappling with the severe impact of climate change, including elevated temperature, changing precipitation pattern, rising sea levels, and resulting saline water intrusion, detrimental to agriculture and human health.

• Also alarming is the hazard of arsenic contamination in drinking water across Bangladesh. This contamination poses serious threats to both human health and the environment.