One third of Bangladesh will be flooded and 30 million people displaced, if the sea level rises by one metre, Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen warned Wednesday.
“Bangladesh is one of the countries that are most vulnerable to climate change. As per various estimates, one third of the country will be under water and 30 million people displaced from their homes if the sea level rises by one metre,” he said at the Dhaka Meeting of the Global Commission on Adaptation, held at a city hotel.
“Where will they [the displaced people] go? I do not know,” the foreign minister added.
He further said hundreds of thousands of people were already crowding cities and towns due to the erosion of river banks and erratic climate change. “A large proportion of our development funds are being diverted for humanitarian rehabilitation, slowing down the development process.”
Quoting a World Bank report for 2018, Dr AK Abdul Momen said around 134 million people (82% of the population) are at risk of declining living standards as a result of erratic climate change. Furthermore, the annual expected GDP loss could be 2-3% per annum, and more than 9% per year by 2100.
“A total 19 of our coastal districts are under direct threat of being submerged permanently,” the minister said.
“As per a UNICEF report published in April, 6 million have already lost their homes in Bangladesh. What is more alarming is that this figure could double by 2050. According to the report, 9 million children are already affected, and 1 in every 7 people will be a displaced person in Bangladesh by 2050,” he added.
“Globally, one in every 45 people will be a displaced person, and parts of Florida, prestigious universities like Harvard and MIT, will be under water. Countries like Kiribati may not exist,” the minister further said, adding that the people must not remain “idle spectators” given the dire consequences.
Bangladesh has adopted many strategies to face the challenges of climate change, including a comprehensive climate strategy in 2009, and the set up of two trust funds for adaptation and mitigation programs.
