Sidr and climate change
Saturday, 8 December 2007
Ripan Kumar Biswas
Pedestrians busy grabbing the Thanksgiving sale were stuck by news clips on a giant TV screen at Times Square, New York.
This was more severe than the last Hurricane, Katrina, the most destructive natural disaster in U.S. history. A 45-year female New Yorker asked me whether I am a South Asian, or not?
Before leaving, the lady prayed to God for Bangladesh as I gave some more information about the cyclone, Sidr which struck Bangladesh.
There is a growing world-wide concern about global warming and climate change with previous consequences on developing countries. It might result in cyclones like the recent Sidr, that hit Bangladesh with devastating consequences.
A UN panel of scientists in IPCC recently released its report on climate change at Valencia, Spain warning of inevitable human suffering and the threat of extinction of some species. It urged the world community to adopt specific policies to avoid worst-case scenarios from developing.
By some estimates, a one-meter sea level rise would submerge about one-third of Bangladesh's total area, uprooting 25-30 million people. The category 4 cyclone, Sidr, that hit Bangladesh on November 15 is one of the worst natural disasters and an example of the rapidly changing world climate, largely caused by human activity. There is little that Bangladesh could do to prevent this natural disaster.
The Sidr winds triggered a 15-foot tidal surge that violently struck densely populated areas and easily flooded Bangladesh's low plains, tore apart villagers, forced millions of coastal villagers to evacuate to shelters, and destroyed much of the country's communication and electrical infrastructure, making even phone calls or e-mail correspondence difficult.
Asia, home to two-thirds of the world's population, is on the front line of possible impact of climate change as half of its population living near the coast line are threatened by sea-level rise likely to be caused by global warming.
The fourth and final report of the UN scientific panel, this year, declared that climate change already began.
Bangladesh's vast Sunderbans mangrove forest, home to the endangered Royal Bengal tiger, bore the brunt of the deadly cyclone that smashed into the country, likely killing wildlife.
The writer is based in New York
Pedestrians busy grabbing the Thanksgiving sale were stuck by news clips on a giant TV screen at Times Square, New York.
This was more severe than the last Hurricane, Katrina, the most destructive natural disaster in U.S. history. A 45-year female New Yorker asked me whether I am a South Asian, or not?
Before leaving, the lady prayed to God for Bangladesh as I gave some more information about the cyclone, Sidr which struck Bangladesh.
There is a growing world-wide concern about global warming and climate change with previous consequences on developing countries. It might result in cyclones like the recent Sidr, that hit Bangladesh with devastating consequences.
A UN panel of scientists in IPCC recently released its report on climate change at Valencia, Spain warning of inevitable human suffering and the threat of extinction of some species. It urged the world community to adopt specific policies to avoid worst-case scenarios from developing.
By some estimates, a one-meter sea level rise would submerge about one-third of Bangladesh's total area, uprooting 25-30 million people. The category 4 cyclone, Sidr, that hit Bangladesh on November 15 is one of the worst natural disasters and an example of the rapidly changing world climate, largely caused by human activity. There is little that Bangladesh could do to prevent this natural disaster.
The Sidr winds triggered a 15-foot tidal surge that violently struck densely populated areas and easily flooded Bangladesh's low plains, tore apart villagers, forced millions of coastal villagers to evacuate to shelters, and destroyed much of the country's communication and electrical infrastructure, making even phone calls or e-mail correspondence difficult.
Asia, home to two-thirds of the world's population, is on the front line of possible impact of climate change as half of its population living near the coast line are threatened by sea-level rise likely to be caused by global warming.
The fourth and final report of the UN scientific panel, this year, declared that climate change already began.
Bangladesh's vast Sunderbans mangrove forest, home to the endangered Royal Bengal tiger, bore the brunt of the deadly cyclone that smashed into the country, likely killing wildlife.
The writer is based in New York