As discussed in the article “A Quarter of Bangladesh Is Flooded. Millions Have Lost Everything.” climate change is contributing to the destruction of many villages in Bangladesh. Sea rising is one of the main issues of climate change, this directly impacts small villages and communities by flooding their homes. Climate change is also creating storms and cyclones that have impacted the territory over the last few years. This phenomenon was not common to the community; therefore, they are not able to fight it and adapt.
The root of the problem begins with the cyclones happening way more frequently in the villages near Dhaka. In many cases, these people lose their cattle which is, most of the times, the only way to produce food, their house, and the school their children attend. These cyclones unfortunately force these populations to move to the city because their village cannot guarantee a livable situation any longer causing other problems like overpopulation in the cities.
The city, unfortunately, cannot offer better conditions because it’s overcrowded, and rural people find it hard to get employment with their limited factory skills.
Many studies show that climate change will directly affect the United States as well and it is predicted to become an issue sooner than we expect. Researchers argue that seas will raise so much over the next ten years that part of Florida will be underwater.
Climate change will also lead to new and stronger weather phenomena as it is happening in Bangladesh. Hurricanes and storms will help flooding become more and more intense.
Here are some facts about climate change in the US:
- US average temperature has increased by 1.3F to 1.9F since 1895.
- The intensity, frequency, and duration of hurricanes, as well as the frequency of the strongest (Category 4 and 5) have all increased since 1980s
- Heat waves have become more frequent and intense
- Heavy downpours are increasing nationally, especially over the last three to five decades