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Bangladesh is severely threatened by the climate crisis. Salinization and more extreme weather are causing an ecological and economic disaster that is cornering millions of Bengalis. “Every flood is devastating.”
Bangladesh – “The frequent cyclones, heavy floods, and intense heat are not even our biggest threat. That is the salt,” says 23-year-old Shaheen. He and his family live in the village of Jhapa, in the Sundarbans in southern Bangladesh, a region that is heavily affected by climate change. Due to a decrease in river water, the sinking of the delta, and rising sea levels, seawater is seeping deeper into the Sundarbans, rendering the soil, river water, and
groundwater unusable. “Nothing can grow here anymore – no rice, no vegetables, no fruit.” The changing conditions have forced him and his family to adapt to a new way of life. “These used to be rice fields, but to survive we turned them into fish ponds.” But climate change continues to upend Shaheen’s world. “Do I even have a future here?”
Images: Nicole Franken – Text: Yvonne Dudock
