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Abstract

Bangladesh is projected to be one of the countries at the frontline of devastating effects due to climate change although its carbon emission level is only 0.3 percent. It will bear the brunt of the excesses that industrialized nations have emitted into the atmosphere. Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world with 160 million people. The country is in the Ganges delta with numerous rivers flowing into the Bay of Bengal. Millions of people live in the coastal regions with cyclones, flood and now sea salinity intruding into the river system slowly but surely affecting livelihood directly as crop production and fish population are directly impacted. Rise in sea level is inevitable and the entire country may be at risk. Climate scientists project that by 2050, 18 million people from the coastal region will move inland. In a worst case scenario, an upward estimate of 50 million people can potentially face unprecedented migration to north. It is already estimated that out of the 5 million poor people in slums in the capital city of Dhaka, 1.5 million are recent displaced migrants from the coastal regions of Bangladesh. Migration of people will put tremendous pressure on cities like Dhaka and others. This paper addresses some of the difficult consequences that Bangladesh will face and discusses strategies to counter the ominous conditions that are likely to affect it for a long time.

Biography

Golam Newaz received his PhD in Engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1981. He is a full Professor in the College of Engineering at Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan and focuses on sustainable materials. He has over 150 engineering publications in journals and similar number in conference publications. He is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME).

Email: gnewaz@eng.wayne.edu