Skip to main content

Climate Change-Induced Loss and Damage of Freshwater Resources in Bangladesh

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Confronting Climate Change in Bangladesh

Abstract

Climate change loss and damage is evident in hydrological perturbations among river systems in Bangladesh. Significant disruptions include changes in the intensity, frequency, and seasonality of peak and low flow characteristics. Over the last few decades, water-related disasters conveyed through the river systems have caused increased economic damage of assets and infrastructure. Other impacts include the loss of fish spawning grounds and reduced agricultural production due to changes in the hydrological regime. This chapter discusses a broad range of generalised approaches to address water-related disasters and changes in hydrological characteristics.

Nandan Mukherjee, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, Corresponding Author, e-mail: n.mukherjee@dundee.ac.uk.

John S. Rowan, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland.

Roufa Khanum, Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Ainun Nishat, Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Sajidur Rahman, Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    Bangladesh Delta Plan Technical Assistance Team. Contributions of BDP colleagues Dewan Abdul Quadir, Zahurul Karim, Giasuddin Choudhury, Zahirul Haque Khan, Professor Shamsul Alam, Taibur Rahman, Mofidul Islam, Mirzanur Rahman, Fulco Ludwig, Maaike van Aalst, William Oliemans and Jaap de Heer are kindly acknowledged.

  2. 2.

    Maaike van Aalst, William Oliemans, Fulco Ludwig, Catharien Terwisscha Scheltinga and Kymo Slager, with contributions from the BDP2100 team (2015), Process of scenario development and draft scenarios for the BDP2100.

References

  • Agrawala S, Ota T, Ahmed AU, Smith J, van Aalst M. 2003. Development and Climate Change in Bangladesh: Focus on Coastal Flooding and the Sundarbans. COM/ENV/EPOC/DCD/DAC(2003)3/FINAL. OECD.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahmed AU. 2005. Adaptation options for managing water-related extreme events under climate change regime: Bangladesh perspectives. In: Mirza MMQ, Ahmad QK (eds). Climate Change and Water Resources in South Asia. London, UK: A.A. Balkema Publishers. 255–278.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bates B, Kundzewicz Z, Wu S, Palutikof J (eds). 2008. Climate Change and Water. Technical Paper of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Geneva: IPCC Secretariat.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS). 2016. National Accounts Statistics. Dhaka: Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Statistics and Informatics Division, Ministry of Planning.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brammer H. 1983. Agriculture and food production in polder areas. Water International 8: 74–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brouwer R, Akter S, Brander L, Haque E. 2007. Socioeconomic vulnerability and adaptation to environmental risk: a case study of climate change and flooding in Bangladesh. Risk Analysis 27: 313–326.

    Google Scholar 

  • Center for Environmental Geographic Information Systems (CEGIS). 2012. Master plan of haor areas. Dhaka: Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development Board, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chow J. 2017. Mangrove management for climate change adaptation and sustainable development of coastal zones. Journal of Sustainable Forestry. https://doi.org/10.1080/10549811.2017.1339615.

  • Faruque HSM, Ali ML. 2005. Climate change and water resources management in Bangladesh. In: Mirza MMQ, Ahmad QK (eds). Climate Change and Water Resources in South Asia. London, UK: A.A. Balkema Publishers. 231–254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gain AK, Apel H, Renaud FG, Giupponi C. 2013. Thresholds of hydrologic flow regime of a river and investigation of climate change impact–the case of the Lower Brahmaputra river Basin. Climatic Change 120: 463–475.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guha-Sapir D, Below R, Hoyois P. 2017. EM-DAT. www.emdat.be.

  • Hoque MA, Hoque MM, Ahmed KM. 2007. Declining groundwater level and aquifer dewatering in Dhaka metropolitan area, Bangladesh: causes and quantification. Hydrogeology Journal 15: 1523–1534.

    Google Scholar 

  • Islam AS, Bala SK, Hussain MA, Hossain MA, Rahman MM. 2010. Performance of coastal structures during Cyclone Sidr. Natural Hazards Review 12: 111–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jain SK. 2008. Impact of retreat of Gangotri glacier on the flow of Ganga River. Current Science 95: 1012–1014.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jauhari VP, Gadhalay S. 2011. Possible impact of climate change on India. Hyderabad: Center For Climate Change and Environment Advisory.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jiménez Cisneros BE, Oki T, Arnell NW, Benito G, Cogley JG, Döll P, Jiang T, Mwakalila SS. 2014. Freshwater resources. In: Field CB, Barros VR, Dokken DJ, Mach KJ, Mastrandrea MD, Bilir TE, Chatterjee M, Ebi KL, Estrada YO, Genova RC, Girma B, Kissel ES, Levy AN, MacCracken S, Mastrandrea PR, White LL (eds). Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 229–269.

    Google Scholar 

  • Khalil GM. 1990. Floods in Bangladesh: a question of disciplining the rivers. Natural Hazards 3: 379–401.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klein RJT, Midgley GF, Preston BL, Alam M, Berkhout FGH, Dow K, Shaw MR. 2014. Adaptation opportunities, constraints, and limits. In: Field CB, Barros VR, Dokken DJ, Mach KJ, Mastrandrea MD, Bilir TE, Chatterjee M, Ebi KL, Estrada YO, Genova RC, Girma B, Kissel ES, Levy AN, MacCracken S, Mastrandrea PR, White LL (eds). Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 899–943.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klein Tank AMG, Peterson TC, Quadir DA, Dorji S, Zou X, Tang H, Santhosh K, Joshi UR, Jaswal AK, Kolli RK, Sikder AB, Deshpande NR, Revadekar JV, Yeleuova K, Vandasheva S, Faleyeva M, Gomboluudev P, Budhathoki KP, Hussain A, Afzaal M, Chandrapala L, Anvar H, Amanmurad D, Asanova VS, Jones PD, New MG, Spektorman T. 2006. Changes in daily temperature and precipitation extremes in central and south Asia. Journal of Geophysical Research 111. D16105, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005jd006316.

  • Kundsewicz ZW, Kanae S, Seneviratne SI, Handmer J, Nicholls N, Peduzzi P, Mechler R, Bouwer LM, Arnell N, Mach K, Muir-Wood R, Brakenridge GR, Kron W, Benito G, Honda Y, Takahashi K, Sherstyukov B. 2014. Flood risk and climate change: global and regional perspectives. Hydrological Sciences Journal 59: 1–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). 2005. National Adaptation Plan of Action (NAPA). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). 2009. Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP). Dhaka, Bangladesh: Ministry of Environment and Forest Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR). 1999. National Water Policy. Dhaka, Bangladesh: Ministry of Water Resources, Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mirza MMQ. 1998. Diversion of the Ganges water at Farakka and its effects on salinity in Bangladesh. Environmental Management 22: 711–722.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mirza MMQ, Burton I. 2005. Using the adaptation policy framework to assess climate risks and response measures in South Asia: the case of floods and droughts in Bangladesh and India. In: Mirza MMQ, Ahmad QK (eds). Climate Change and Water Resources in South Asia. Taylor & Francis, London: 279–313.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mirza MMQ, Ahmad QK. 2005. Climate change and water resoures in South Asia: an Introduction. In: Mirza MMQ, Ahmad QK (eds). Climate Change and Water Resources in South Asia. Taylor & Francis, London: 1–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mirza MMQ, Warrick RA, Ericksen NJ, Kenny GJ. 2001. Are floods getting worse in the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna basins? Global Environmental Change Part B Environmental Hazards 3: 37–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mirza MMQ, Warrick RA, Ericksen NJ. 2003. The implications of climate change on floods of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers in Bangladesh. Climatic Change 57: 287–318.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neumayer E, Barthel F. 2011. Normalizing economic loss from natural disasters: a global analysis. Global Environmental Change 21: 13–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nishat A, Huq SMI, Barua SP, Reza AHMA, Khan ASM, Moniruzzaman AS (eds). 2002. Bio-ecological zones of Bangladesh. Dhaka, Bangladesh: International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nishat A, Khan MFA, Mukherjee N. 2011. Assessment of Investment and Financial Flows to Adapt to the Climate Change Effects in the Water Sector UNDP Global Project, Dhaka, Bangladesh: Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nowreen S, Jalal MR, Khan MSA. 2014. Historical analysis of rationalizing South West coastal polders of Bangladesh. Water Policy 16: 264–279.

    Google Scholar 

  • Paul BK, Rashid H, Islam MS Hunt LM. 2010. Cyclone evacuation in Bangladesh: tropical cyclones Gorky (1991) vs. Sidr (2007). Environmental Hazards 9: 89–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rahman A, Dragoni D, El-Masri B. 2011. Response of the Sundarbans coastline to seal level rise and decreased sediment flow: a remote sensing assessment. Remote Sensing of the Environment 115: 3121–3128.

    Google Scholar 

  • Safiuddin M, Karim MM. 2001. Groundwater arsenic contamination in Bangladesh: causes, effects and remediation. Dhaka, Bangladesh, In Proceedings of the 1st IEB International Conference and 7th Annual Paper Meet, The Institution of Engineers, Chittagong Center, Bangladesh.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shahid S, Behrawan H. 2008. Drought risk assessment in the western part of Bangladesh. Natural Hazards 46: 391–413.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turner AG, Annamalai H. 2012. Climate change and the South Asian summer monsoon. Nature Climate Change 2: 587–595.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsai C, Islam MN, Karim MR, Rahman KUMS. 1981. Spawning of major carps in the Lower Halda River, Bangladesh. Estuaries 4: 127–138.

    Google Scholar 

  • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 2012. A Range of Approaches to Address Loss and Damage. Bonn, Germany: United Nations Framework Convension on Climate Change.

    Google Scholar 

  • Water Resources Planning Organization (WARPO). 2001. National Water Management Plan, Dhaka, Bangladesh: Water Resources Planning Organisation.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nandan Mukherjee .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Mukherjee, N., Rowan, J.S., Khanum, R., Nishat, A., Rahman, S. (2019). Climate Change-Induced Loss and Damage of Freshwater Resources in Bangladesh. In: Huq, S., Chow, J., Fenton, A., Stott, C., Taub, J., Wright, H. (eds) Confronting Climate Change in Bangladesh. The Anthropocene: Politik—Economics—Society—Science, vol 28. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05237-9_3

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics