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🇧🇩 Bangladesh /Environment & Climate

Salinity engulfs Bangladesh's coast: 1 lakh hectares lost in 15 years

From Daily Star · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Context piece
  • Nearly 68 percent of cultivable land in Bangladesh's southwestern coastal region has become saline, affecting 11.56 lakh hectares by 2024.
  • This saline intrusion has accelerated over the past 15 years, with an additional one lakh hectares becoming affected since 2009.
  • Experts warn that the increasing salinity threatens food production and the livelihoods of millions, exacerbated by human interventions like blocked tidal flows.

Bangladesh's southwestern coastal region faces a severe environmental crisis as saltwater intrusion contaminates nearly 68 percent of its cultivable land. A new government study reveals that 11.56 lakh hectares of land in 18 of the 19 coastal districts have degraded due to salinity by 2024, a significant increase from 10.56 lakh hectares in 2009.

This alarming trend means an area roughly the size of Munshiganj district, 1,000 square kilometers, has turned saline in just 15 years. The Soil Salinity Map of Bangladesh 2024, prepared by the Soil Resources Development Institute (SRDI), indicates that the saline-affected area has grown substantially since 1973, when it was 8.33 lakh hectares. "It is worrying that both the area and intensity of salinity intrusion in the coastal zone are increasing day by day," said Ameer Md Zahid, chief scientific officer at SRDI.

It is worrying that both the area and intensity of salinity intrusion in the coastal zone are increasing day by day.

— Ameer Md ZahidChief scientific officer at SRDI, commenting on the escalating salinity problem.

Salinity is now one of the gravest environmental threats to the coastal districts, which house approximately 4.38 crore people. Residents are already contending with declining crop yields, dwindling freshwater, and worsening living conditions. The problem is also spreading inland, with areas like Kashiani and Muksudpur in Gopalganj appearing on the salinity map for the first time. Experts warn that without urgent measures, more areas will become saline, jeopardizing agricultural production and food security.

While natural forces like storm surges contribute to salinity, human interventions have dramatically accelerated the process. Decades-old projects, such as the Coastal Embankment Project, blocked natural tidal flows with embankments and polders. This disrupted the delta's drainage system, causing saline water to stagnate within polders during high tides. Many of the sluice gates designed to manage this water are now damaged or non-functional, further exacerbating the issue.

If urgent measures are not taken now, more areas will become saline, posing a serious threat to agricultural production and food security.

— Ameer Md ZahidWarning about the future consequences of unchecked salinity intrusion.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Daily Star in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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