assets, and adversely impact lives and livelihoods, especially those of poor people. Climate change will exacerbate many of the current problems and natural hazards the country faces and the predicted higher wind speeds and storm surges will lead to more damage in the coastal region. Predictions include: increasingly frequent and severe tropical cyclones; heavier/lighter and more erratic rainfall; higher river flows; river bank and coastal erosion; increased sedimentation; melting of the Himalayan glaciers; and sea level rises. Betel leaf garden near TWS
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Photo: SDC/A. Egli
4 . 2 C L I M AT E The climate of this region is tropical and characterised by a change of four, monsoon-related seasons: pre-monsoon (March to May); monsoon (June to September); post-monsoon (October to November); and the dry season (December to February). The influx area is highly susceptible to tropical cyclones and tidal surges. Cyclone storms develop in the Bay, generally in the periods from April to May and October to November, occasionally making landfall and causing severe damage to human settlements and vegetation. Bangladesh is widely recognised as one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. It experiences frequent natural disasters, which cause loss of life, damage to infrastructure and economic
4 . 3 N AT U R A L D I S A S T E R S Bangladesh is vulnerable to floods, flash floods, salinity, storm surges, landslides and earthquakes. Flooding, mainly in the period from May to October, occurs almost annually and affects most of the country with the exception of Barind Tract and hilly areas. The western part of the country, including Barind Tract, is a drought prone area which faces severe problems due to a scarcity of water, particularly during the dry season. The southern coastal part of Bangladesh is prone to storm surges and soil salinity while the hilly areas of Bangladesh (Chittagong Hill Tracts, Cox’s Bazar and Teknaf ) are vulnerable to landslides26. The area of the Rohingya influx has a history of occurrence of landslides, earthquakes, flash floods and tidal surges. Although the main area of the Rohingya camps is located outside of the flood zone, the camps are vulnerable to extreme weather events such as cyclones and have to withstand major precipitation and strong winds. The steep slopes may become unstable in the monsoon seasons and cause landslides, shelter damage and other destruction. In general, neither the structures in the Rohingya camps nor those in the makeshift settlements are able to withstand cyclones or floods; nearly 70% of shelters in settlements were damaged by Cyclone Mora in May 201727.
Coastal casuarina plantation near TWS
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Photo: SDC/A. Egli
26
https://info.undp.org/docs/pdc/Documents/BGD/Final_Report%20Mid%20Term%20Review_CDMPII.pdf
27
(ISCG 01/06/2017) https://reliefweb.int/report/bangladesh/iscg-situation-report-cyclone-mora-cox-s-bazar-1-june-2017