Climate Change and Its Impact on Health in Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries of the world to extreme weather, mainly due to its huge coastal area, highest density of population, high rate of poverty and lack of natural resources. Day by day, the quality and the quantity of our natural environment have been deteriorating, and the main reasons for these changes are anthropogenic. Climate changes are expecting to contribute to some air quality problems. Respiratory diseases may be exacerbated by warming-induced increased frequency of events and allergen in air. It has been said that ground-level ozone can damage lung tissue, and it is harmful for those who have asthma and other chronic lung diseases. The preparation of Bangladesh to face the challenge of global warming is not enough and cannot be overlooked. In order to tackle the health and socio-economic effects, relevant stakeholders including policy-makers, program designers, program implementers, civil servants and civil society members need to have a better understanding of both climate change and its possible impacts. Appropriate and relevant policy need to be formulated and follow-up for proper implementation. In recent past, Bangladesh has many success stories especially in health sector and human development index to share with the rest of the world. Through proper understanding of climate change issue and its impending effects on health, timely initiation of preparedness activities with thorough participation of community might helps to mitigate the problems.