Mehdi Azam

Super Cyclone SIDR 2007: Climate Change Adaptation Mechanisms for Coastal Communities in Bangladesh

Cyclone SIDR hit the coastal districts of Bangladesh on November 15, 2007 in the evening when it started crossing the country from northern Bay of Bengal with high tidal surges and strong winds of up to 260 km/hr. This study has been undertaken to assess the severity of the damage caused by SIDR, and identify causes of such cyclonic storms in recent years in order to suggest possible adaptive measures for the coastal people to cope with such situations in the future. The study reveals that both natural and human induced factors are responsible for such devastating catastrophes. The study suggests a number climate change adaptation andmitigation options that can be taken to reduce the severity of damages caused by cyclones in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. These include: developing an early warning system; constructing adequate cyclone shelters and tree plantations in the remote coastal areas; constructing structured and fortified houses and livestock shelters; livelihood diversification; and building awareness in the community regarding the impacts of changing climatic conditions in the coastal areas of Bangladesh.

Adaptation strategies for safe drinking water supply in the low lying coastal regions in Bangladesh

This paper examines the current problematic situation and existing management system for safe water supply in the low lying coastal region of Bangladesh. Based on field survey and community consultations through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), this study identifies a range of factors that influence the shortage of safe water supply in the coastal region in Bangladesh. These include: salinity intrusion (from both human and natural causes), the local hydro-geological condition, poor implementation of water supply management, reduction of upstream sourced flow of water, and lack of adequate policy and research initiatives for technological innovation and implementation. This study suggests possible adaptation strategies that can help improve the safe water supply in the coastal region in Bangladesh.

Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation through Technology Transfer in Developing Countries: A Climate Hotspot Case from Coastal Bangladesh

Countries in the South-Asian region like Bangladesh are extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change for a number of reasons. These include extreme weather events such as tropical cyclones, monsoons, temperature variation and higher risk of sea level rise. Rapid and unplanned human settlements also aggravate the degradation of its self-sustaining natural environment. Furthermore, these countries also suffer from limited financial resources and capacity, extreme poverty, and inadequate technology. This study explores the technological solutions for climate change adaptation in the coastal areas of Bangladesh in four highly vulnerable sectors including water resources, coastal protection, livelihood and health. The study suggests that using innovative and cost-effective technology could help minimise the climate change induced vulnerability of these sectors. The study also highlights the importance of coordinated trans-country cooperation to minimise conflicts in sharing water resources in the region and preventing saline intrusion in the coastal regions, by using the adaptation fund declared for the developing and small island nations in COP15 in Copenhagen. The study provides some solutions to the economic and policy barriers to technology transfer and implementation, while also drawing conclusions on how to create a stable platform to mainstream climate change adaptation in the region and lessons learned from other regions that are experiencing a similar problem.