The New Nation - Internet Edition

Syful Islam

The ongoing heat wave and drought across the country is believed to be the adverse effect of global climate change, experts and meteorologists have said.

Temperature rose to 43.2 degree Celsius this year breaking all previous records and aggravating commoners' misery. For the last two months the temperature on an average remains over 36 degree Celsius across the country. The last year's highest temperature was 41 degree Celsius.

Due to the heat waves and drought many people have become sick. The lack of rainfall becomes a concern for the farmers and they believe that the long summer may result in less production.

In this mid June, the month of monsoon rain, heat wave is still continuing and people are yet to see any heavy rainfall. Meteorologists said the heat waves may continue for some more weeks until the monsoon rain starts heavily.

Meteorological Assistant of Government Metrology office Abdul Barek yesterday told The New Nation that temperature continues to rise in the last few years due to the climate change.

He said the temperature is rising on an average by 2 degree Celsius during the last couple of years. On Friday country's highest temperature was in Iswardi 36 degree Celsius and lowest was at Rangamati 24.7 degree Celsius.

Dr Atiq Rahman of Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS) said, "No reputed climate change scientist will relate one episodic behaviour with climate change. However, climate change will accentuate to the extreme, both in temperature and rainfall."

"The present behaviour and high extreme temperature, delay of monsoon and erratic rainfall is consistent with the predictions of climate change."

He said this was just not true about only Bangladesh; whole of the South Asia is being affected by this badly.

Water Expert Dr Ainun Nishat said, " If we go through the statistics of last 100 years we may not find such high temperature. Climate change has resulted melting of ice and rising of water level in the sea."

He said the ongoing heat waves are the affect of climate change. The climate change has increased the intensity of cyclone and droughts.

Nishat said last year until mid June rainfall was nearly 500 millimeters. But this year till now the rainfall is no more that 150 millimeters.

He said between 2006 and 2008 rainfall became lesser during the last part of rainy seasons. But this time the situation has changed due to the climate change.

Lt Col (Retd) Mir Shawkat Ali told The New Nation that as the ozone layer, which absorbs 93-99 per cent of the sun's high frequency ultraviolet light, depleted due to the high emission of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) gas the sun emits more ultraviolet radiation and the earth becomes more heated. This has resulted change in the climate.

He said due to the climate change the traditional season also changed. Rainy season, summer or winter will be delayed.

Ali said the only way to cool down the earth is reduction of emission of CFC gas. And only the rich countries are responsible to do this who played critical role in changing the climate, he added.

According to the Global Humanitarian Forum, climate change has affected approximately 325 million people across the globe, causing about $125 billion of costs to the economy every year.

A study governed by Kofi Annan revealed that the climate change is expected to cause 5 lakh deaths every year by the year 2030 and would cost the world's economy an additional $300b. If nothing is done about climate change, by 2030 costs per year will rise to $600b.

Within 25 years 20m will face poverty, 310m people will have face health problem due to temperature changes, and 75m will be displaced from their native lands, if something is not done to address the problem.

Developing countries are most likely to see effects due to flooding or drought, but heatwaves will impact developed countries equally. Countries like Bangladesh and African countries including Egypt in the forest areas and coastal zones will be the ones that shall face future displacement of population.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh on Tuesday has proposed for UN recognition to a new group of Climatically Vulnerable Nations for fast tracking international assistance to them as global climate change is subjecting them to environmental havoc.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Hasan Mahmud, who is attending a two-day Global Humanitarian Forum 2009 on climate change challenges in Geneva, made the proposal while addressing the forum on Tuesday.

Dr Hasan said although the LDCs produce less than one per cent of greenhouse gases it is they and the island states who would be affected first and worst. As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of natural hazards, the number of displaced people will be on the rise, he said.