Impact of Climate Change and Sea Level Rise on Coastal Zone of Bangladesh

Although there have been changes to the climate since the beginning, their effects have just become apparent in recent decades. The Bay of Bengal has a geomorphological and hydrological influence on Bangladesh’s coastal region. Cyclones, storm surges, and increasing sea levels plague this region frequently, causing terrible damage to these low-lying coastal areas. Bangladesh’s coastal regions are especially susceptible to natural catastrophes because of their position and the consequences of climate change. Increased stress and adverse effects on coastal ecosystems, biodiversity, livelihoods, the economy, and food security are all consequences of increasing climate change. Bangladesh, a coastal nation on the Bay of Bengal with a 710-kilometer coastline, is experiencing several effects from sea level rise. Bangladesh has already seen soil erosion, salt intrusion, and biodiversity loss as a result of it, and its possible risks are just going to get worse. Salinity intrusion, flooding, crop failure, infrastructure damage, fisheries devastation, biodiversity loss, and river bank erosion are all consequences of sea level rise. Approximately 20% of Bangladesh’s total land area and over 30% of its fertile land are located along the coast. Estuaries, coral reefs, dunes, wetlands, and the Sundarbans, the biggest mangrove tract in the world, are among its many different ecosystems. Climate change is already having several effects on the nation, including stronger cyclones, the possibility of flooding, erosion, rising water levels, saltwater intrusion, and biological effects. The most susceptible coastal habitats are low-lying coastal plains, mangroves, tidal deltas, coral reefs, coastal wetlands, sand beaches, and estuaries. The environment and, eventually, the coastal region’s socioeconomic structure will be impacted by these biophysical resources. The nation’s most significant ecosystem, the Sundarbans, will be devastated if sea levels rise by one meter. The purpose of this study is to determine the current state of climate change and its historical effects at the regional level, as well as the justification for evaluating coastal risk, environmental effects, risk potential, and climate change adaptation tactics.