Bangladesh... Climate change threatens the lives of 19 million children

Weather of Arabia - UNICEF said that devastating floods, cyclones and other environmental disasters linked to climate change threaten the lives and future of more than 19 million children in Bangladesh.

In a new report released Friday, the organization notes that although Bangladeshis have developed remarkable resilience, more resources and innovative programs are urgently needed to avert the threat posed by climate change to children.

The report notes that Bangladesh's flat topography, dense population and weak infrastructure make it uniquely vulnerable to the powerful and unexpected forces that climate change brings. The threat extends from flood- and drought-prone lowlands in the country's north to its storm-ravaged coastline along the Bay of Bengal.

Based on interviews with families, community leaders and officials, UNICEF says that a group of extreme weather events, such as floods, intensifying storms, hurricanes, droughts, and long-term phenomena directly related to climate change - such as sea level rise - deepens the poverty and homelessness of families, noting that these events severely impede children's access to education and health services.

According to UNICEF, about 12 million of the most affected children live near the powerful river systems that flow through Bangladesh and overflow regularly, noting that the most recent major flood in the Brahmaputra River in 2017 flooded at least 480 health clinics and damaged about 50 thousand tube wells, which are Necessary to meet the drinking water needs of local communities.

The report adds that another 4.5 million children live in coastal areas that are regularly hit by strong cyclones, including nearly half a million Rohingya refugee children who live in fragile shelters made of bamboo and plastic, noting that an additional 3 million children live in the interior, where Farming communities are experiencing increasing droughts.

The report shows that climate change is a major factor driving poorer people in Bangladesh to abandon their homes and communities and try to rebuild their lives elsewhere, with many heading to Dhaka and other major cities, where children are exposed to dangerous forms of labor and early marriage. The report cites research showing that Bangladesh already has 6 million climate migrants, a number that could double by 2050.

UNICEF notes that since the early 1990s, investment and action, whether in disaster preparedness or risk reduction programmes, have made vulnerable communities in Bangladesh more resilient to climate shocks. For example, one result has been a significant decrease in the rate of deaths from hurricanes over recent decades.

The report called on the international community and other partners to support the government in implementing a range of initiatives to protect children from the effects of climate change. An example is technology promoted by UNICEF and other partners that helps coastal communities protect their vital supplies of drinking water against saltwater intrusion from the sea.

Source: un.org