Salinity rise to hit coastal districts by 2050
Reveals BWDB, IWM scientific study, mathematical model
Bangladesh's coastal districts will experience increased salinity by 2050, revealed a scientific study and a mathematical modelling.
“Groundwater salinity in almost all coastal districts would increase to 2 ppt (parts per thousand, a measure of salinity) in dry seasons from 0-1 ppt at present,” Institute of Water Modelling (IWM) Senior Specialist Goutam Chandra Mridha explained to The Daily Star.
Besides, salinity will be prevalent up to 65 kilometres upstream from the sea, badly affecting Patuakhali, Barisal, Bhola, Barguna and Jhalakathi while surface water salinity of Satkhira, Khulna and Bagerhat would also increase from 25 ppt to 35 ppt by 2050, he said.
The hydrogeological study, investigation and resource assessment in 19 coastal districts were carried out by Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) which is funded under the Ministry of Environment and Forests' Climate Change Trust Fund.
It was done under a project which included the mathematical modelling carried out by IWM, a trust affiliated with the Ministry of Water Resources.
The anticipated climate change impacts and ways to face the challenges were presented at a seminar, “Establishment of Monitoring Network and Mathematical Model Study to Assess Salinity Intrusion in Groundwater in the Coastal Area of Bangladesh due to Climate Change”.
BWDB and IWM jointly organised it at the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust building in the capital's Mohakhali yesterday.
The project's director and BWDB Deputy Director, Anwar Zahid, presented the project's overall particulars while Mridha and IWM Deputy Executive Director AFM Afzal Hossain talked about the mathematical modelling.
“We need to work together not just at national but also at international level,” said Secretary to the Ministry of Water Resources Zafar Ahmed Khan. Referring to the resilience of Bangladeshis, Muhammad Nazrul Islam, state minister for water resources, said, “We can face the challenges of climate change with our own resources, courage and efforts irrespective of the support of other countries.”