List of natural hazards and vulnerable regions in the coastal zone of Bangladesh
| Type of hazard | Vulnerable regions | Remarkable incidents |
|---|---|---|
| Cyclone and storm surges | Exposed upazilas, islands, and the central coast | At least 70 major cyclones have hit the coastal region in the last 200 years, killing approximately 900,000 people. In the Bay of Bengal, 6 tsunamis have been recorded in the past 250 years |
| Land erosion | Meghna and other estuaries, coastal rivers and islands | 86,366 ha of land eroded in the Meghna estuary between 1973 and 2000 |
| Floods (mainly tidal floods) | Exposed islands | To protect the coastal region, 123 polders with an embankment of 5,017 km have been built |
| Water logging/drainage congestion | Jessore, Khulna (western coastal zone) Noakhali, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barguna and Pirojpur districts | In 1993, the Khulna-Jessore Drainage Rehabilitation Project was established with funding from ADB. In 2007, an evaluation report by ADB found that the project had failed in many respects |
| Salinity intrusions | Western exposed upazilas | In the southwestern region, 70% of 2.35 million ha of agricultural land are affected by soil salinity |
| Droughts | Satkhira (western coastal zone), Khulna, Bagerhat and Pirojpur districts | A small number of districts in the southeastern coastal area face extreme drought during Kharif (June/July to October) |
| Earthquakes | Chittagong | Although the coastal zones are less susceptible to earthquakes, the incidence of earthquakes has increased in recent times. Since 2000, 40 earthquakes have been registered |
| Arsenic contamination and drinking water shortages | All over | In coastal areas, approximately 53% of tube wells are contaminated with arsenic over the permissible level. At the national level, 29% of tube wells have excessive arsenic |
| Ecosystem degradation | Marine, the Sundarbans | The Sundarbans mangrove forest is a World Heritage site, but several species are affected by diseases such as root rot, top-dying and die back |
| Pollution | Khulna, Chittagong (sea port areas) | Domestic effluents, oil spills and dismantling of old ships (90 vessels per year on average) have negatively impacted fauna and flora and destroyed valuable ecosystems |
| Sea level rise | All over | The coastal zone of Bangladesh is at major threat from climate change. By 2030, sea levels are projected to increase by 30cm, with temperature rises of 0.7°C in the monsoon season and 1.3°C in winter |
| Type of hazard | Vulnerable regions | Remarkable incidents |
|---|---|---|
| Cyclone and storm surges | Exposed upazilas, islands, and the central coast | At least 70 major cyclones have hit the coastal region in the last 200 years, killing approximately 900,000 people. In the Bay of Bengal, 6 tsunamis have been recorded in the past 250 years |
| Land erosion | Meghna and other estuaries, coastal rivers and islands | 86,366 ha of land eroded in the Meghna estuary between 1973 and 2000 |
| Floods (mainly tidal floods) | Exposed islands | To protect the coastal region, 123 polders with an embankment of 5,017 km have been built |
| Water logging/drainage congestion | Jessore, Khulna (western coastal zone) Noakhali, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barguna and Pirojpur districts | In 1993, the Khulna-Jessore Drainage Rehabilitation Project was established with funding from ADB. In 2007, an evaluation report by ADB found that the project had failed in many respects |
| Salinity intrusions | Western exposed upazilas | In the southwestern region, 70% of 2.35 million ha of agricultural land are affected by soil salinity |
| Droughts | Satkhira (western coastal zone), Khulna, Bagerhat and Pirojpur districts | A small number of districts in the southeastern coastal area face extreme drought during Kharif (June/July to October) |
| Earthquakes | Chittagong | Although the coastal zones are less susceptible to earthquakes, the incidence of earthquakes has increased in recent times. Since 2000, 40 earthquakes have been registered |
| Arsenic contamination and drinking water shortages | All over | In coastal areas, approximately 53% of tube wells are contaminated with arsenic over the permissible level. At the national level, 29% of tube wells have excessive arsenic |
| Ecosystem degradation | Marine, the Sundarbans | The Sundarbans mangrove forest is a World Heritage site, but several species are affected by diseases such as root rot, top-dying and die back |
| Pollution | Khulna, Chittagong (sea port areas) | Domestic effluents, oil spills and dismantling of old ships (90 vessels per year on average) have negatively impacted fauna and flora and destroyed valuable ecosystems |
| Sea level rise | All over | The coastal zone of Bangladesh is at major threat from climate change. By 2030, sea levels are projected to increase by 30cm, with temperature rises of 0.7°C in the monsoon season and 1.3°C in winter |
Sharing content requires targeting cookies to be enabled. Please update your cookie preferences to use this feature.