River Salinity and Climate Change : Evidence from Coastal Bangladesh | Land Portal

Resource information

Date of publication: 
April 2014
Resource Language: 
ISBN / Resource ID: 
oai:openknowledge.worldbank.org:10986/17735
Copyright details: 
CC BY 3.0 IGO

In a changing climate, saltwater
intrusion is expected to worsen in low-lying coastal areas
around the world. Understanding the physical and economic
effects of salinity ingress, and planning adaptation, are
key to the long-term development of countries for which sea
level rise has been identified as a major risk from climate
change. This paper presents a study conducted in Bangladesh,
which quantifies the prospective relationship between
climate-induced changes in sea level, temperature, rainfall,
and altered riverine flows from the Himalayas, and the
spread and intensity of salinization on river water in the
coastal zone for 2050. The research takes into account the
projected land subsidence of the Ganges Delta, as well as
alternative scenarios of upstream withdrawal of freshwater.
The findings indicate that climate change will cause
significant changes in river salinity in the southwest
coastal area of Bangladesh by 2050. These changes are likely
to lead to significant shortages of drinking water in the
coastal urban areas, scarcity of water for irrigation for
dry-season agriculture, and significant changes in the
coastal aquatic ecosystems. Changes in the availability of
freshwater fish will likely affect the composition of
capture fishery, although the increase in brackish water
will enhance opportunities for brackish water aquaculture.
Assessment of location-specific economic impacts of the
changes in river salinity, identification of suitable
adaptation alternatives, and costing of adaptation are high
priorities for further analysis.

Authors and Publishers

Author(s), editor(s), contributor(s): 

Dasgupta, Susmita
Kamal, Farhana Akhter
Khan, Zahirul Huque
Choudhury, Sharifuzzaman
Nishat, Ainun

Publisher(s): 

The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. We are not a bank in the ordinary sense but a unique partnership to reduce poverty and support development.

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The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. We are not a bank in the ordinary sense but a unique partnership to reduce poverty and support development.

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