FEPPCAR

Dhaka, an enclosed coastal megacity of the Bay of Bengal, with an average altitude of four meters above sea level, is regularly impacted by tropical cyclones and flooding, and has a very low capacity to adapt to climate change. Increased migrants from the highly populated coastal zones suffering from geo-hydro-meteorological disasters like erosion, floods and tidal surges, cyclones and tornados, and salinity intrusion etc., a huge population has migrated to the capital city for their livelihoods and it is one of the fastest growing megacities in the world. The historical cyclones and tidal surges like the Bhola Cyclone-1970, Bangladesh Cyclone-1991, Cyclone Sidr -2007, Cyclone Nargis -2008 and Aila – 2009 killed and displaced millions of people. Millions of domestic and wild animals died; damage to crops, forests and plantations and structural properties like houses, roads and highways, embankments, transmission lines were huge, there were outbreaks of epidemics, water shortages etc., causing many people to become homeless and hungry and driving them in desperation to Dhaka for food and shelter. To meet up the demand of land of the growing population, the city has spread outwards in an uncontrolled manner with slums and has been ranked as the second most unlivable city in the World Livability Survey 2011 according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. Quick and unplanned urbanization with huge poor and beggar, transport problems, pollution, accumulation of garbage and refuse, industrial waste and pollutants threatened to make large parts of the city uninhabitable. The low-elevated flat city has experienced worst sufferings of floods in 1988, 1998, 2004, 2006-9. Peripheral rivers like the Buriganga, Turag, Balu and Sitalaksha are seriously polluted and their water is not even recyclable for domestic use. Moreover, the city is experiencing a shortage of drinkable water as the water-table is going down year by year. Frequent load-shedding and power failure have become common occurrences of the daily life. For 14 million people, tremendous consumption of resources, production of wastes, and pollution, social disintegration, a healthy human life is rare; rather life is becoming full of anxiety, agony, mental and physical illness, tension and crime. They have turned the urban habitat into a hazardous place which diminishes urban sustainability. To limit these vulnerabilities, a combination of local and regional action is needed, and local, regional and global policy efforts to support both adaptation and mitigation. The present study explores the magnitudes of the vulnerabilities due to accentuations of the climate change events and highlights the sufferings of huge human settlements in the megacity, Dhaka and recommendations are made to overcome the situation.

For Full Paper please contact Dr Mohammed Ataur Rahman, Director CGEC, IUBAT, Uttara Model Town, Dhaka -1230, Bangladesh; Email: marahman@iubat.edu, marahman@wwoofbangladesh.org or ar_forest@yahoo.com

This paper was presented in the Global Summit on Coastal Seas EMECS 9 on August 28-31 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA

This 25 years study on the changes of coastal zones from Chittagong to Cox’s Bazar along the Bay of Bengal studied changes of water-flow and the flora and fauna of the estuaries of the Karnaphuli, Halda, Sangu and Matamuhuri rivers, which flow down from the adjacent Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and Arakan Lusai Hills. The hydroelectric dam on the Karnafuli River damaged 700 km² of hill forests and caused mass migration of tribal people.

Human pressure, deforestation, pollution, upstream dams, flatland cultivation practices, shrimp culture and unplanned infrastructures cause major causes to the coastal zones and adjacent hills. Destruction of mangroves of Chokoria Sundarbans and Cox’s Bazar are the result of shrimp culture. About 91% of the perennial streams of the Chittagong and CHT have lost their dry season flows, resulting in a serious water crisis. Discharge of effluents from the shrimp hatcheries, digging of shrimp ponds and hill-cuttings have caused erosion. The sea current has already damaged 3.4km of sea shore from Kolatoti to Himchari in Cox’s Bazar.

The study reveals that more than 34 plant species of tropical rainforest including Podocarpus nerifolia and Enteda phaseoloids which face extinction. Animal lives such as cats, bears, porcupine, wild boars, pythons and anteaters have become rare. Red crabs, jelly fish, sharks, and dolphins have become rare since 1980. Hilsa ilisha has migrated to Myanmar coast and further deep sea, but marine Hilsa used to breed in the fresh waters of the Ganges, Brahmaputa and Meghna’s meeting point Chandpur to Gualanda, about 100-150 km inside Bangladesh. The Halda freshwater fish breeding zone has move 14 km east due to increased salinity in the Bay of Bengal.

For Full paper please contact Dr Mohammed Ataur Rahman Email: ar_forest@yahoo.com, marahman@iubat.edu or marahman@wwoofbangladesh.org

This paper was presented in the Global Summit on Coastal Seas EMECS 9 on August 28-31, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA

The fertile alluvial plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers of Bangladesh and Eastern India is densely populated and very rich with diversified flora and fauna having specific association and adaptation. The river systems have provided great opportunities with fertile land, mangroves, biodiversity, scenic beauty, ports, industries, tourists’ spots, coastal resources, minerals and transportation. Evergreen and semi-deciduous forests, wetlands; estuaries of this tropic have wet and dry monsoons enriched with the biodiversity and scope for wide range adaptation. The rural home-based multidisciplinary farming is traditionally maintained for thousands of years. Homes are specially designed for all activities; having houses, cowshed, a pond, forest-grove and a garden, the basis of present “permaculture” worldwide. In Bangladesh, about 70% of 165 million people living in the rural areas are dependent on agriculture. Villagers are simple, warmhearted but hardworking; lead nice and coordinated organic life. Multiple and multi-storied cropping culture is being maintained traditionally according to their habit, habitats and adaptation to maximize production and land-use. Short-cycle biomass recycling is practiced to maintain the soil health. WWOOF Bangladesh provides scope for the volunteers and host-farmers, can share knowledge and create bondage of organic minds.

For full paper and PPT please contact: Dr. MA Rahman email: marahman@iubat.edu, ar_forest@yahoo.com, marahman@wwoofbangladesh.org

The paper was presented in the 17th IFOAM Organic World Congress and WWOOF International Conference in South Korea in September 26-October 1, 2011