The impact of climate change is being observed in the coastal areas of Khulna. Its impact on agriculture in particular has become severe. Due to waterlogging caused by excessive rain, the land and enclosures were flooded recently. The freshwater crisis has also intensified. The entire coast is already affected by salinity. On top of that, flooding has recently increased in the region.
At least 18 cyclones have hit the region in the last 17 years, and some major cyclones have hit the coast in the past few years.
In this situation, coastal communities expect clean water, health care, rehabilitation, and the construction of environmentally friendly infrastructure. At the same time, they have emphasized protecting agriculture and fishery resources from the negative effects of climate change. The coastal communities emphasized the involvement and awareness of the local people in this regard.
Rahmat Biswas, from Mathbari village in Koyra Upazila of Khulna, said that in 2009, cyclone Aila had broken the embankment and washed away his house. He lost his house again in 2020 when cyclone Amphan hit the coast. Since then he has been living on the slope of an embankment in Koyra.
At least 20 families are currently living on the slopes of the Shakbaria River embankment, just like Rahamat. About 300,000 families of various upazilas in Khulna are severely affected by floods caused by these cyclones.
Jahanara Begum, another resident of the slope, said: "Disasters come back every year. I don't like to hear news of disasters anymore. No one but us can understand the pain of living like this.”
GM Oliul Islam, assistant agriculture officer of Rampal, said paddy cultivation has decreased in a span of 30 years in the region. Due to salinity, the yield is also poor. Last year, Aman was cultivated on 4,000 hectares of land in this upazila.
Around 400,000 people live in coastal Sharankhola, Rampal, Mongla, and Morelganj upazilas. Due to the geographical location, the people of this region have to deal with natural disasters constantly.
Shahin Sheikh, a ward councillor from Morelganj, said that the only paved road in his area is dilapidated and goes underwater every year. He said that if there was a permanent embankment, this problem would not exist.
Due to heavy rains and flooding, several upazilas went underwater recently, and the polders in the region have also been submerged in water. As a result, people are living in inhumane conditions in the region. Their houses are still underwater.
Over the past few years, the Aparbhadra, Buribhadra and Harihar rivers have accumulated silt at an abnormal rate. Along with this, due to heavy rainfall in September and October of this year, the overall situation of the area has seriously deteriorated. At present, there is no opportunity to drain water through the Aparbhadra River. All the fish farms, paddy and vegetable fields have been washed away. Many helpless families have been forced to leave their homes and seek shelter in different places. Water-borne disease outbreaks and snake infestations have increased in the area; severe food shortages and a lack of employment have also emerged.
Locals demand that the water be removed from the houses urgently, relief and rehabilitation assistance be provided, and effective measures be taken to drain the water by the 30th of November so that people can cultivate Boro in the next season. Measures should be taken so that the area can be permanently free of waterlogging, they say.
Efforts are already being made to drain the water through the neighbouringg Kapotaksha, Shalta and Ghangrail rivers, officials said.
Experts have called on the government for the excavation and removal of silt from the riverbeds and canals on an urgent basis. Additionally, urgent relief assistance should also be provided to the flood-affected people. They also urged the government to implement the TRM method for permanent relief from the problem and to save the polders in the region.
Impact of cyclones
At least 18 cyclones hit the coast of Bangladesh in the last 17 years, causing severe damage to the life and livelihoods of local residents
On November 15, 2007, cyclone Sidr struck the coast. At least 908 people lost their lives in Bagerhat and 45 people in Khulna. On May 25, 2009, cyclone Aila killed another 57 people in Khulna, 11 in Satkhira, and eight in Bagerhat. Vast areas were flooded after the embankment broke due to Aila.
Cyclone Mahasen struck on May 16, 2013, Komen on July 30, 2015, Roanu on May 21, 2016, and Mora on May 30, 2017.
On May 3, 2019, at least 4,640 houses were damaged in Khulna due to cyclone Fani. On November 10, 2019, cyclone Bulbul killed two people in Khulna and 4,589 trees were uprooted in the Sundarbans. It also damaged 9,500 houses and 2,772 shrimp enclosures and ponds.
On May 20, 2020, cyclone Amphan broke down river embankments and inundated the Sundarbans in Khulna. At least 85,000 houses and 12,358 trees in the Sundarbans were destroyed. On May 26, 2021, cyclone Yaas hit the region and flooded 35 villages. Around 6,000 houses were damaged in the floods, with at least four deer dying in the Sundarbans.
On December 6, 2021, cyclone Jawad hit the coast, damaging the embankment in Koyra. On May 9, 2022, there was heavy rainfall in Khulna under the influence of cyclone Ashni.
On October 24, 2022, due to cyclone Sitrang, the embankment in Koyra collapsed and 1,600 houses were partially damaged.
On May 14, 2023, cyclone Mocha hit different parts of the country, but Khulna was not affected much. Cyclone Hamoon hit the coast on October 25, 2023, but did not cause much damage. On November 17, 2023, there was heavy rain in Khulna under the influence of cyclone Midhili.
Cyclone Remal hit the country on May 26 and 27, 2024. At least 20,762 houses were completely destroyed by the impact of the cyclone. Crops on 1,068 hectares of land were damaged. Several trees were uprooted in the Sundarbans, killing 134 deer and four pigs.
In less than five months after cyclone Remal made its landfall, eight upazilas of Khulna were inundated due to incessant rains. Vast areas of Bagerhat and Satkhira were also flooded. Cyclone Remal damaged a 38km stretch of the Koyra embankment, and only 15km have so far been repaired.
What the experts say
Md Ashraful Alam, an executive of the Water Development Board Khulna-2, said tenders have been floated for the repair of the embankment. For now, some repair work has been carried out at some of the more vulnerable locations.
Marina Yuthi, executive director of the non-governmental organisation IRV, said coastal areas are most vulnerable to global climate change. The people of this region are victims of various natural disasters.
Yuthi said there is an acute shortage of fresh water in the area. Crops are being destroyed and people are becoming unemployed. Local men are working as bonded labour at the brick kilns, which directly and indirectly affects women. They too go 2-3km away to collect food and water. Women are affected by various diseases by using salt water. Rates of violence against women and child marriage are also high due to poverty and various social causes.
“The rate of participation of women in the decision-making process is also low. As a result, women, especially disadvantaged women, are in a more vulnerable position. Therefore, the region needs to adopt and implement women-friendly policies and climate-adaptive long-term sustainable action plans.”
Mir Rifat Jahan Usha, assistant professor of the Department of Horticulture of Khulna Agricultural University, said the picture of the crop fields in various upazilas of Khulna, Bagerhat, and Satkhira is heartbreaking. Freshly planted winter vegetable seedbeds, seedlings, or fields have been destroyed by heavy rains and recent cyclone-induced rains. A large section of vegetable farmers have suffered losses.
“As a result, it is expected that there will be a big impact on the vegetable market in the coming winter season. It is true that the market price of vegetables has soared, but due to untimely natural calamities and a rise in sea level, the buyers have to pay the additional prices.
“Not only that, the production of all kinds of agricultural products starting from rice, pulses, and fish is being disrupted. He also said that Khulna Bagerhat, Satkhira region, is a natural disaster-prone area due to geographical reasons. Added to that is a rise in sea level and a slight increase in soil salinity. As a result, agricultural work in these areas is becoming difficult day by day.”
Coastal areas are now being inundated up to a quarter of a meter higher than the daily tidal limit. As a result, the amount of cultivable soil or land is decreasing. Day by day, the amount of arable land is decreasing due to the increasing salinity of the soil, Mir Rifat said, adding that several enclosures were inundated due to floods recently. As a result, freshwater fish have perished, and various freshwater fish are on the verge of extinction in the coastal areas.