Due to the impact of climate change, salinity in the coastal region of the country is increasing. The impact of salinity is visible in various sectors including agriculture, fisheries, livestock, and human health. Of these, the agricultural sector is the most affected. As a result, there are many negative impacts on the livelihoods of the people of this region.
The economic wounds of the coastal areas are deepening due to the decrease in yields. According to the Soil Resources Development Institute (SRDI), more than 30 percent of the country’s arable land is located in coastal areas. In 2009, about 10 lakh 56 thousand hectares of agricultural land were affected by salinity. Currently, 11 lakh 56 thousand hectares are affected by salinity. That is, the saline land area has been increased by about 1 lakh hectares in one and a half decades.
If this trend continues, more land in coastal areas could soon be affected by salinity. This means that the rate at which agricultural land is being affected by salinity could have a negative impact on food production in that region. Salinity is also posing a risk to public health, fish resources and ecosystems.
Experts fear that the impact of salinity could reduce agricultural yields and lead to widespread changes in biodiversity. They say that salt-free and ‘very slightly saline’ cultivable land is decreasing day by day. In comparison, some parts of the coastal south-central region have suffered from low salinity. The reason given is that there is a sufficient flow of fresh water from the Padma and lower Meghna in this region. Since we have no way to stop climate change, therefore, at this moment, we need to focus on practical and scientific adaptation strategies.
People in high salinity areas are gradually suffering from various complex health problems as they are forced to drink saline water. Pregnant women are especially at risk. ICDDR,B researchers documented 12,867 pregnancies in their observation area. They followed each pregnant woman until delivery and found, those living in the coastal plain are 1.3 times more likely to have a miscarriage than women living in inland areas.
It is difficult to deal with this salinity problem without coordination of government and private initiatives. The lives and livelihoods of crores of people depend on agriculture; in that reality, there is no room for neglecting the issue of salinity. Salinity is not just a soil crisis, it is a pervasive threat to food security, the environment, and human livelihoods.Therefore, if we do not take concerted action now, a more difficult time awaits us.
Effective strategies needed to address the impacts of salinity increase in coastal region
