Bangladesh must pre-empt rising heatwaves and floods

Bangladesh plays a crucial role in addressing the global climate crisis, as it urgently battles deadly heatwaves, severe floods, and rising sea levels. People's lives, livelihoods, and the country's future are at existential risk as global warming rapidly disrupts the Earth's fragile balance between heat and cold.

At this crucial moment, international cooperation is essential-it's urgent. Without decisive steps, millions in Bangladesh face a fight they cannot win alone.

 

Bangladesh is facing record-breaking heatwaves, a rising danger that is especially concerning for rural farmers, outdoor workers, and vulnerable groups-including children and the elderly. According to a 2024 World Bank assessment, excessive heat is projected to have cost the country $1.78 billion, or 0.4% of its GDP, due to lost productivity, health problems, and infrastructure damage.

 

 

Unpredictable rainfall patterns have disrupted traditional farming cycles. While some areas experience flash floods, others face prolonged droughts. Farmers struggle to plan their harvests or find dependable water sources, which threatens national food security.

 

As one of the lowest-lying countries in the world, Bangladesh faces serious threats from rising seas, which cause three devastating effects:

 

* Saltwater intrusion into farmland damages crops and pollutes drinking water.

* Coastal erosion is making families leave their ancestral homes.

* Cyclonic storm surges, devastating infrastructure damage, and the displacement of millions.

The Sundarbans, home to the iconic Bengal tiger, are under serious threat, putting biodiversity and local livelihoods at risk.

The impacts of climate change are also straining Bangladesh's healthcare system. Hospital admissions and medical costs have increased significantly during the hottest summer months due to a rise in heat-related illnesses like heatstroke and dehydration. This underscores how climate change affects Bangladesh's healthcare. As higher temperatures expand mosquito habitats, vector-borne diseases such as dengue fever and malaria spread more rapidly. Unprecedented patient volumes are overwhelming healthcare systems in metropolitan Dhaka and Chattogram.

 

Although human activity is the main driver of climate change, natural weather patterns, especially the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), play a crucial role in shaping temperature extremes in Bangladesh.

 

* El Niño (Pacific Ocean warming): Causes droughts, water shortages, and crop failures.

 

* La Niña (Pacific Ocean cooling): Causes heavy rainfall, devastating floods, and severe riverbank erosion.

According to historical sources, Bangladesh has faced significant hardships during these cycles. Agriculture was greatly affected by the severe rainfall shortages caused by the 1998 El Niño. Unusual drought conditions resulted from the El Niño in 2023, highlighting the increasing unpredictability of climate patterns. Conversely, La Niña events like those in 2010 and 2011 caused widespread displacement and severe flooding.

 

The upcoming COP30 Climate Summit, scheduled for November 10-21, 2025, in Belém, Brazil, will be crucial for climate-vulnerable countries.

 

At COP29, Bangladesh strongly opposed climate loans, claiming that borrowing to rebuild only worsens debt crises. Contributing less than 0.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions, Bangladesh is disproportionately affected by climate disasters it did not cause.

 

El Niño and La Niña events will worsen as climate change accelerates, making Bangladesh's weather more dangerous and unpredictable. Without urgent international action, iconic ecosystems like the Sundarbans could disappear, and millions of people might be displaced and pushed into poverty.
World leaders have a vital opportunity to take significant action at COP30. For Bangladesh, the stakes are high: without strong commitments now, the country's lands, rivers, and future generations could be lost forever. Bangladesh can't fight this battle alone. The world must come together to cut emissions and provide fair, prompt financing.

 

If we fail, the consequences will not be limited to our borders - they will spread across the globe, impacting economies, food supplies, and the health of people worldwide.

The writer is a Research Economist, Lecturer, Southern University, Bangladesh