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Climate Variability in Bangladesh
AHSAN UDDIN AHMED
Water and Environment Division
Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad (BUP)
Workshop on Regional Climate Model
ICTP, Trieste, May 26 - June 6
Bangladesh is highly sensitive to climate variability.
Climate is tropical in nature.
Influenced heavily by monsoon.
There is high seasonal variability
Too much water in monsoon
Too little water in the dry season
There is distinct spatial variability.
Extreme
weather
events
Workshop on Regional Climate Model
ICTP, Trieste, May 26 - June 6
CLIMATE
In a large part of
the region
summer monsoon
contributes about
80% of the
annual rainfall.
The monsoon
looses its
intensity as it
advances from
the Bay of Bengal
towards Pakistan
along an east-towest pathway.
Onset of monsoon occurs in Bangladesh on the first week
of June, while it is withdrawn on the first week of October.
Workshop on Regional Climate Model
ICTP, Trieste, May 26 - June 6
Bangladesh occupies only about 7% of
the combined GBM catchment area.
It, however, has to drain over 92% of all
water generated within the combined
catchment area.
About 80% of all available rainfall
runoff is occurring between June
and October, peaking in July.
Workshop on Regional Climate Model
ICTP, Trieste, May 26 - June 6
Too much water in monsoon
months, on which the country has
no control, causes frequent floods.
Three of the worst floods of the past
century occurred during the last
quarter of the century.
The mega-flood event of 1998
inundated about 70% of the
landmass for about 68 days!
Devastating frequent flood events is
one of the major causes of
underdevelopment.
Workshop on Regional Climate Model
There exists a marked spatial
distribution of available monsoon.
The western parts are drier and
susceptible to drought.
ICTP, Trieste, May 26 - June 6
Workshop on Regional Climate Model
ICTP, Trieste, May 26 - June 6
The livelihood of the large population depend
predominantly on the availability of adequate
quantities of water at proper time.
Maintaining people’s livelihood has become difficult
in recent years due to increases in population and
uncertainty concerning availability of water.
Climate change and its adverse impacts will cause
increased hardships for the people of the region.
Vulnerability = ƒ(Impacts + Adaptation)
Workshop on Regional Climate Model
ICTP, Trieste, May 26 - June 6
BUP is involved in policy research on issues relating to water
resources of the country.
It has also contributed to the IPCC WG-II activities in TAR.
Climate Change issues are very much in our research agenda.
We need to know what is happening with the climate and how
is it changing. That is why we need to be associated with WG-I
activities.
The science must show ways towards devising policies regarding
adaptation.
Thank you so much