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Con l’aumento delle temperature, l’incremento delle ondate di calore e la diminuzione delle nevicate, lo scioglimento dei ghiacciai sta accelerando. Se nel 2100 avremo ancora riserve d’acqua sotto forma di ghiaccio congelato dipende in larga misura dagli sforzi per contenere la crisi climatica. 

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Con l’aumento delle temperature, l’incremento delle ondate di calore e la diminuzione delle nevicate, lo scioglimento dei ghiacciai sta accelerando. Se nel 2100 avremo ancora riserve d’acqua sotto forma di ghiaccio congelato dipende in larga misura dagli sforzi per contenere la crisi climatica. 

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What if the place where one lives is completely deprived of trees? Ali is a young man, who travelled lands and seas to find a better place to live in and create a future for himseself and, now, for his wife as well. He comes from Pakistan, refers he was kidnapped by those who are used to employe kids and force them to embrace arms. But he managed to escape and walked nights and days to reach Libya with a look to Europe.
When asked about his country, he tells of a cohesive small community, rich in values, with a specific attention to those weak such as elderly and kids. But no hope for the future, temperatures growing higher and higher, and no trees. Ali is now looking forward to migrating to Canada. Italy has been just the first step of his journey to a safer place.

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Venice is a hydrowoman. She recalls her roots to be symbiotically intertwined with the water that surrounds, traverses, surpasses, and sustains her. Yet, she has lost contact with how that feels. Compressed by a top-down system that sells her away, piece by piece, to the evils of profit and cement. She is impeded to summon the indigenous spirit within herself, the vitality of her archipelagic soul. Silenced, petrified, deprived of any vital space for dis-ruption or re-volution, she helplessly floats on a lagoon of nihilism. Even her tidal cries that once empowered her with fluid scapeways, are bothered, bordered by a massive wall. Only the water carries her memory.

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Joy was a little dog who lived in the big city. His family was always busy: the big humans worked from the morning to the night, and than they have to go out to eat or to sleep at the cine to have a rest. So Joy had all the time of the world to play with his best friend Baby, a beautiful exemplar of human little boy. All the days were incredibles, full of strong things to do, dangers to avoid, misteries to solve but an ungly day the fantasy magic became the terrific reality: the rain started to come down in streams and didn't stop anymore. The happy family lost the car in the river, the bicycle and the cellar in the mud, all the furniture were dissolved by the water, the money disappeared in the caos of everything. The all family have to transfer under a bridge and hope the old structure decides not to collaps over their heads. Joy was sold to a butcher to satisfay the stomachs screaming and at the end they had to build a houseboat with makeshift tools to survive.

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Kamau looks at his fathers farm, the farm that raised him and wonders how something so green can turn so brown in an instant. He wonders at the butterflies he no longer sees, or the croaking of the frogs that was so irksome but whose absence screams of doom. He looks at his father and it’s almost as if the brown of the earth have transformed him too, this man who always had something in his granary has to buy maize flour from the kiosk. You can taste his bitterness on the flour. Kamau’s father is happy that his son gets to escape this disease that has swept the earth. The children of his friends are not so lucky. He is torn between exuberance and mourning his sons separation from the land. This land that belonged to his father, who was bestowed it by his father and so on and so on. This land that has become barren, and a source of anguish. On the day of his flight, Kamau walks around the neighborhood, this neighborhood that he may never see again, the neighborhood that raised him. One he can no longer call home, and tears run down his face. The question of who deserted who first comes to mind, would I have changed things? Am I running away? Can I, can we fix this? Is that one tree I defaced the reason for all these? Or maybe it’s the books I so like to read, are they the reason? The tears keep falling. His flight lands on a cold Monday morning, on the cab ride he is met by dried trees, leafless trees, and an air akin to darkness. The cab driver says it’s raining but Kamau can’t see the rain. You mean it’s drizzling he corrects. No, it’s raining the cab driver answers. “I thought it would be snowing, they said it’s always snowing around this time.” Kamau says. “Climate change,” the cab driver answer.

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As the summer approaches Fatima is struggling to work in the field of her village, south of Marrakech. She was raised in one of the houses in front of the river, but now, because of the strong drought that is putting Morocco on its knees, she is struggling to keep up with her work. In fact, women work mostly in agricolture, leaving jobs like construction to men. With the effects of climate change in the region, Fatima is slowly losing her field. No water, no crops. She is thinking to leave everything behind, maybe move up to the north of the country, where a desalinization process is starting and maybe she has more chances to continue with her agricoltural job. However, climate change is not affecting the job of Adbul, her husband. As long as he has this job, the family is not going to move. Fatima has to find new ways to cope with the lack of water in her field.

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It still was dark, but she needed to move fast; she headed towards the small door and got out. The sky was grey and sunlight barely showed her the way. This new environment was hard to stand, specially from someone coming from such a hot climate, but she had to, since there was no other way around to survive. She had chose to be deported into this area, in order not to lose her entitlements. All those left behind had to either accept the new status quo or move and she had no intention to lose her freedom because of the new restrictions. There seemed not to be a big difference between the sly and the ground, but there should have been. She was sure of that while moving in the twilights towards the city

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As we can see, pollution is a serious issue now days, in fact, weather patterns have changed in some areas, devastating farming and agriculture. This is terrible, but we can always make the difference. Since 2018 Greta Thunberg started sensitizing about climate change and finally people understood that something was wrong. Especially young people try to protect the environment by recycling, which essential for the survival of our planet because it saves energy that would be required to produce other waste. However, some people still don’t understand the importance of recycling, or they find it hard to do. I would like to give some advice to unbelievers and to couch potatoes. The reports are clear: in our ocean we have an island made of plastic that has the same size of France and it is killing the marine wildlife. So, what can we do to stop these things? There are many options: reduce plastic, use public transports, buy second-handed clothes, Use of fans instead of Air Conditioner, walk and Eat local, organic produce & less meat. At the beginning, it could seem a mammoth task, nevertheless doing it every day it will be much easier. We have to keep in mind that if we want to save our planet, we have to sacrifice something. And you? What are you willing to sacrifice for a better place?

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The guy was from Bangladesh. I met him as I was working in a clothes factory here in the money-and-work sodden Veneto. I was working there too. He was always smiling and chatty and friendly. I worked there but I was sad, because it was not my kind of perfect job, but, hey, there is no perfect job. He had to leave his country because Bangladesh was going underwater. He walked all his road to Italy. He spent time in Russia; he liked the Russian people and Saint Peterbourg, but he didn't like the cops always stopping him asking for money, because he had no permit. So he started to walk again, and ended up here in Veneto, where he got a legal permit, a hard but regular job. And hwe sent home his first money, then after some years, with his savings he could bought a sparkling Italian moped. And was happy to unload containers under the smeltering sun, the choking heat of August, breathing dust because most of the containers where coming from Bangladesh. "Look, he told me, I can still breath Bangladesh air".

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La tua abitazione e il tuo utilizzo di energia, il modo in cui ti sposti, ciò che mangi e la quantità di rifiuti che generi contribuiscono alle emissioni di gas serra; lo stesso vale per il consumo di beni quali abbigliamento, articoli di elettronica e plastica. Una grossa fetta delle emissioni globali di gas serra è legata alle abitazioni private. Il nostro stile di vita ha un impatto profondo sul nostro pianeta. I più ricchi ne sono i maggiori responsabili. Così l’1% più ricco della popolazione mondiale è responsabile di una quantità maggiore di emissioni di gas serra rispetto al 50% più povero.

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Non solo nelle industrie primarie e secondarie, ma anche i consumi energetici di uso civile sono in continuo aumento ed anch’essi contribuiscono negativamente ad emettere quantità significative di emissioni di gas serra. Alle variazioni climatiche corrispondono aumentate esigenze di climatizzazione e di domotica negli edifici pubblici e privati.

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La produzione alimentare utilizza ogni genere di prodotto chimico-farmaceutico nel settore agricolo e di allevamento terrestre e marino ed è ritenuta responsabile dell’aumento dei gas serra. Le emissioni di gas derivano inoltre dalla deforestazione e il disboscamento di terreni e accompagnati dall’utilizzo dei fertilizzanti, diserbanti, insetticidi e mangimi complessi a base di antibiotici, ormoni e disinfettanti. Anche nel settore primario l’impiantistica è fondamentale nella produzione e gestione agricola, della pesca e dell’allevamento: pensiamo alla movimentazione globale di questi prodotti, alla loro etichettatura, al loro imballaggio e al loro trasporto in container su cargo navale e aereo.

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Le automobili, i camion, le navi e gli aerei si alimentano da combustibili fossili a base di petrolio, come la benzina, rendendo il trasporto uno tra i maggiori responsabili dei gas serra, in particolare delle emissioni di anidride carbonica. I trasporti rappresentano quasi un quarto delle emissioni globali di anidride carbonica legate alla produzione di energia per la loro alimentazione e le previsioni suggeriscono un aumento significativo del consumo energetico in questo settore nei prossimi anni, tanto nel trasporto terrestre che navale ed aereo.

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La deforestazione a volte finalizzata all’incremento delle attività agricole di monocoltura estensiva contribuisce sensibilmente alle emissioni globali di gas serra. Si valuta che ogni anno vengano distrutti circa 12 milioni di ettari di foreste con l’evidente riduzione della stessa capacità del mondo naturale di sottrarre emissioni di anidride carbonica all’atmosfera.

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Le produzioni industriali sono responsabili delle emissioni nocive soprattutto a causa dell’utilizzo di combustibili fossili tanto nella produzione di materiali semilavorati come il cemento, il ferro, l’acciaio, la plastica quanto nella produzione di beni di consumo come nell’industria elettronica e tessile, solo per citarne alcuni. L’industria manifatturiera è uno dei maggiori responsabili delle emissioni di gas serra in tutto il mondo proprio a causa delle fonti energetiche non rinnovabili – come il carbone, il petrolio e il gas – impiegate nella loro impiantistica.

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Generare energia elettrica e calore bruciando combustibili fossili provoca una grossa fetta delle emissioni globali. La maggior parte dell’elettricità viene ancora generata bruciando carbone, petrolio o gas, che producono anidride carbonica e ossido di azoto, dei potenti gas serra capaci di avvolgere la Terra intrappolando il calore del sole. A livello globale, si valuta che solamente un quarto dell’energia elettrica provenga dal vento, dal sole e da altre fonti rinnovabili le quali, al contrario dei combustibili fossili, emettono nell’aria una quantità minima o nulla di gas serra o di sostanze inquinanti.

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Quando le emissioni di gas serra ricoprono la Terra, intrappolano il calore del sole, causando il fenomeno del riscaldamento globale e del cambiamento climatico. Il pianeta si sta riscaldando più velocemente che in qualsiasi altro momento registrato della storia.

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I feel more comfortable using my own experiences with AI to describe this topic, as following

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I feel more comfortable using my own experiences with AI to describe this topic, as following

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Juan lived in Nicaragua. He’s born and raised in El Potrero, a little pueblo near Jinotega in the northwest of the country. He still remembers when he used to bath in the water of Río El Cacao with his mother and his aunts, as a little boy. Unlike nowadays, the river was full of nourishing clay. It is good for the skin and the soul, his mother used to say.
Today Juan is 17 and thanks to the Luigi Bottasini grant he got to start the Universidad Nacional de Agraria, studying agriculture. Those Italians who came twenty years ago, time after time, gained the confidence of the locals. Through their association, they really managed to find money so that the first young girls and boys of the pueblo could go study and became teachers in little schools they built, next to the river. Five years later, most of the younger population got a degree and could access to universities.
Juan spent 4 years studying in Managua, away from his family. He really wanted to find a way to grow new food plants, now that the temperature is rising and everything they planted suffered and, eventually, died.
Juan came back to El Potrero with his agriculture degree. The soil was so dry that not event the river was the same anymore. The food was short and many from the village were forced to go to work in Jinotega, earning very little compared to the rice and beans prices in the city. When Natalia got pregnant, he had to face reality: they couldn't have grown their little boys in those conditions. Natalia moved to Jinotega with her parents and Juan started his journey.
He made it through Honduras and Guatemala with almost no obstacles, except that time the bus was stopped by armed men. They just checked everyone’s ids and left. Problems started in Mexico. He never made it further Ciudad de Mexico. He started to sell nacatamales along the street. One of the simplest food in Nicaragua, some corn flower and meat wrapped in plantain leaves, made him look rich to the eyes of his wife and his newborn kid in Jinotega. Thanks to his cooking passion, he could send them money, hoping Jorge could go to study one day. Studying agriculture he might find a new way to plant seeds in El Potrero one day, starting to feed the soil again. Maybe then the river would nourish the whole pueblo anew.

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What can be told is much more than a story of migration due to climate change. These are the real stories of the Inhuit natives who were forced by the state to leave their lifestyle habits and be moved to small towns, living in small buildings with small windows and not in contact with nature. Most of them turn to alcoholism, fall prey to depression and some unfortunately decide to commit suicide. It is not the story of migration due to climate change, but these are true stories that make us understand what happens to people who suddenly have to abandon their lifestyle. and therefore what could happen to those who had to abandon their land and their habits very quickly.

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Marco thought that only children and their parents living in Africa, near the deserts, were among those forced to pack up and look for a new life far away, across the sea, after a long and dangerous journey. But then one morning he woke up with water inside his house and his mother, crying, telling him to put something in his schoolbag and leave with her, his father and his grandmother. After days and days without rain, a water bomb had hit his town and flooded everything. "We will be back soon," his mother said. But Marco never saw his home again. More floods raged over it. His grandmother said this did not happen in her time. Now Marco lives further north and his new friends think that what happened to him cannot happen to them. But he remembers when he thought that certain things can only happen to children who live near deserts.

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A mouse widow with her three sons went to live in the basement of a house in a quiet neighborhood. The cellar, which was located in the basement, was full of objects that were no longer needed by the inhabitants of the house: old bicycles, a moped from the 1980s, dirty oil cans, bottles, and disused furniture. It was a great place to hide and make a quiet life. One late winter night, which seemed to never stop raining, the widow noticed that the place was filling with water. Without hesitation she woke up the mice, let them out through a loophole and guided them along the outer wall to the roof. They squeezed between the roof pitch and the attic, but when they were inside the widow noticed that one mouse was no longer with them. The widow with the two remaining mice lived in the attic for a few months, but when summer came, the heat became unbearable. She tried to bring her little family back to the basement, but it had been occupied by other mice who chased her away with bites. She then decided to set off in search of a safe and comfortable place following her mouse instincts. After a long walk she arrived in front of a large body of water, fatigue and heat however had been fatal to another mouse. The widow and her remaining son hid under a wooden pier from which wooden ships sailed out to sea. Word had spread among the rats that the ships were arriving at wonderful places where there was plenty of food and mild weather. The widow's son decided to board one of the departing ships and sneaked onto it after climbing a rope. When the ship had already moved away from the shore, the widow came out of hiding to look for the last time at her son, her last child. As she scanned the horizon she was caught by a hungry seagull, but it did not eat her immediately. He took her to the colony where he and other gulls enjoyed torturing her. When the mouse was no longer moving, the gulls discovered that she was not even good to eat and threw her off a cliff.

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As temperatures rise, there is greater humidity, which accentuates extreme precipitation and flooding, causing increasingly devastating storms. The frequency and extent of tropical storms, cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons, are also affected by warming ocean surface waters. • Choose sustainable means. • More train trips and fewer flights. • Reduce energy consumption. • Switch to renewable energy sources. • Make informed purchases. • Buy only if necessary. • Separate waste correctly. The climate is influenced by climatic factors: latitude, altitude, exposure, distance from the sea or large water basins, sea currents, prevailing winds

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Nel cuore dell'Amazzonia, dove il verde della foresta si staglia contro il cielo, viveva la famiglia di Mateo. Generazioni di discendenti, stretti nella rete intricata della giungla, hanno prosperato in armonia con la natura. Ma il cambiamento climatico non risparmia neanche le terre più remote e più selvagge. Le ultime estati roventi hanno portato con sé incendi devastanti che hanno divorato vasti tratti di flora lussureggiante. Il fumo provocato ha pervaso il villaggio di Mateo, soffocando la vita stessa dei suoi abitanti. Anche gli alberi secolari, simili a degli Ent, ne hanno risentito e molti si sono inclinati e altri sono caduti, lasciando dietro di sé solo cenere e disperazione. Mateo, giovane e intraprendente, si rifiutava di arrendersi a questo disastro. Con la moglie e i loro due figli, decide quindi di mettersi in viaggio verso il nord del Paese, alla ricerca di una nuova casa lontana dalle fiamme divoratrici. Preso lo stretto necessario decidono quindi di partire a bordo di una piccola imbarcazione, navigando lungo il Rio delle Amazzoni. Il viaggio vivono molti pericoli e capiscono di non essere gli unici a emigrare, infatti lungo le sponde del fiume vedono molti animali che vanno nella loro stessa direzione. Navigando per giorni e giorni, capiscono che il problema è molto più grande di quel che credevano e interessa migliaia di chilometri di foresta Amazzonica. Ma una speranza quasi fanatica li guida, alimentata dalla determinazione di Mateo e dalla forza della sua famiglia. Dopo settimane di peregrinazioni, finalmente giungono in un'area dove la foresta sembra ancora intatta, protetta da montagne maestose. Qui, tra i monti delle Ande, decidono di vivere un nuovo inizio. Costruiscono una modesta casa tra gli alberi e provano a rendere la terra fertile, vivendo in armonia con la natura. Con il passare degli anni, la famiglia di Mateo si adatta alla loro nuova casa. I figli crescevano sani e forti, imparando a rispettare e proteggere la terra che li aveva accolti. Mateo nel frattempo diviene un leader della comunità che nel frattempo si è formata da molte altre famiglie rifugiate climatiche. Dopo cinque anni, il villaggio che Mateo aveva aiutato a costruire era diventato un'oasi di pace e prosperità. Le lezioni apprese dalla tragedia li avevano resi più forti e uniti che mai. E sebbene il ricordo del loro antico villaggio nella giungla restasse vivo nei loro cuori, sapevano che avevano trovato un nuovo inizio, una nuova casa da amare e proteggere. Peccato che il Governo avesse pianificato la costruzione di una nuova strada proprio adiacente al loro villaggio…

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Lorenzo is an Italian technical journalist formed through years of experience working in various Italian publishing enviroments such as: press agencies, newspapers, blogs, istitutional sites, magazines. His studies in electrical engineering and computer science have made him competent in various fields of information technology. Years of practice first as an IT manager and then as journalist led him to be a good link between the two professions. A good journalist is rarely a good technician, as well as a computer expert is arduously a good communicator. In his case these two aspects merge together. His curiosity pushes him to learn every aspect of any matter he deal with. Passion does the rest. He doesn’t have to wait for the speech of Steve Jobs “to stay hungry”. He always has been. He has such an insatiable thirst for knowledge that, back in the days, he quit working in a newsroom and chose to be a digital nomad. For a year and a half he lived off the articles that he wrote from anywhere. From the high slopes of Mont Blanc (where he spent a whole winter skiing) to the crystal clear beaches of Sardinia (where he stayed for the Summer), he sent news, analysis and articles thanks to a laptop and a mobile Internet connection. Nowadays he rediscovered his roots, the deep connections that he has with one of the most beautiful Capital cities of the World, a city so full of history and mistery that a curious person like him move away from it for too long. The marvelous place he's talking about is Rome (his hometown). He began proposing simple and useful solutions to companies that needed to be present on the Internet with a complex kind of digital communication. He built sites using common CMS platforms (WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, for example), optimizing the code when needed, mostly for sports facilities, bed and breakfast and restaurants. He is proud to have participated in the copywriting of a startup which sells traditional food products, trying out different solutions for e-commerce like OpenCart, Magento, WooCommerce, Prestashop, and that currently keeps on growing and improving. At the moment, he went back to work in a newsroom, for an economic and financial magazine, but with a work flexibility that even allows him to give scuba diving lessons in the evening. In his free time he like to fly up in the sky thanks to his paraglider, glide on the water with his kitesurf or over the snow while snowboarding, letting him being pushed by the wind with his windsurf, furthermore he likes to feel the wind push on his windsurf, or on a sailboat when he is with someone. He loves Web 2.0 projects, for this reason he’s an active couchsurfer, he uses all of the car-sharing programs, he offers rides using BlaBlaCar, tasty dishes via VizEat. He thinks that curiosity drives men to knowledge and that it makes them feel never sated. So, he feels not sated and he is always waiting for a new work adventure. But...because of the effects of climate change, he is no longer sure of being able to ski every winter, he is no longer sure of being able to encounter the same fauna and flora underwater. While these are concerns for his enjoyment, they are a direct observation of how the climate is changing and the reflection goes into the problems this can cause for entire families and populations.

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La nonna raccontava ogni sera del sapore di quelle arance. Si chiamavano tarocchi. Erano rosse tosse dentro e dolcissime. Le mangiava ogni giorno in Sicilia, la terra dove era nata e cresciuta e che a causa di una tempesta tropicale aveva dovuto abbandonare. Già, tempesta tropicale. Fu proprio a causa di una di quelle che la nonna perse tutto. Casa, lavoro, ricordi. Costretta a scappare e rifugiarsi in Australia insieme al nonno per ricostruire un futuro

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Amara, her weathered hands clutching a worn cloth bag filled with memories, stood on the cracked earth, a desolate canvas once her vibrant village. The relentless sun beat down, a stark contrast to the cool shade of the mango trees that used to grace their homestead. The Great Drought had taken everything - crops, livestock, laughter. It had taken hope, leaving behind a dust-choked silence. Amara wasn't alone. Families, their eyes etched with the same despair, shuffled towards the north, following whispers of a distant oasis. Their journey was an exodus in reverse, retracing the path their ancestors took generations ago, seeking refuge from another climate upheaval. Their meager possessions, carried on rickety carts pulled by skeletal oxen, told the story of their loss - a chipped teacup, a faded prayer rug, a child's clay doll missing an eye. The days bled into each other, punctuated by the relentless sun and the gnawing hunger. The once-fertile plains stretched endlessly, mocking them with their emptiness. Amara, drawing strength from the love she carried for her grandchildren, kept walking, her voice hoarse but her spirit unbroken. They sang folk songs under the starlit sky, their voices weaving tales of resilience and a desperate hope for a new beginning. After weeks of weary trudging, a shimmer appeared on the horizon. The Oasis of Whispers, shrouded in myth and legend, materialized, a mirage come true. Lush foliage lined a shimmering lake, a haven in the desolate landscape. Tears welled in Amara's eyes as they entered the oasis, greeted by the welcoming smiles of its inhabitants. Five years later, the story took a different turn. The oasis, despite its initial bounty, wasn't immune to the changing climate. Water levels dwindled, forcing them to adapt. Amara, drawing on her ancestral knowledge, led the community in water conservation techniques. They terraced the land, planted drought-resistant crops, and embraced sustainable practices. The oasis, once a refuge, became a beacon of hope, a testament to their resilience. Amara, her hands now calloused but strong, stood by the lake, no longer a weary traveler but a leader. The children played, their laughter echoing in the air, the sound of a future hard-won but cherished. The story of their displacement wasn't just about loss, but about adaptation, about the indomitable human spirit that blooms even in the harshest of environments. The legacy of Amara and her community wasn't just survival, but a testament to the power of hope, even in the face of climate change.

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In a small coastal village nestled between lush mangroves and azure waters, lived the Khan family. For generations, they had called this picturesque hamlet home, relying on the bounty of the sea for sustenance and the tranquility of their surroundings for peace of mind. However, the tranquility was shattered by the relentless advance of climate change. As the sea levels rose and storms intensified, their village became increasingly vulnerable to the ravages of nature. Year after year, they watched helplessly as the shoreline crept closer, swallowing homes and livelihoods in its relentless march. With each passing season, the once vibrant community dwindled as families sought refuge elsewhere. Amidst this turmoil stood Aisha Khan, a determined young woman with a fierce love for her family and her land. But as the waters encroached further, she knew that staying was no longer an option. With a heavy heart, she made the difficult decision to leave behind the only life she had ever known. Gathering what little they could salvage, the Khan family embarked on a perilous journey inland, seeking sanctuary from the rising tides. They traveled by foot for days, traversing rugged terrain and braving the elements, their spirits buoyed by the hope of finding a new home. Finally, after weeks of arduous travel, they arrived at a bustling city nestled amidst rolling hills. Here, amidst the towering skyscrapers and bustling streets, they found refuge. Though the transition was not without its challenges, they gradually adapted to their new surroundings, finding work and forming new connections within the community. Five years later, the Khan family had forged a new life for themselves in their adopted city. Aisha had found employment at a local environmental organization, where she advocated for policies to mitigate the impact of climate change. Though they missed the serenity of their coastal village, they had found solace in knowing that they were no longer at the mercy of the rising seas. And as they looked towards the future, they did so with renewed hope, knowing that they had weathered the storm together.

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La salsedine erode giorno dopo giorno terra, spazio, speranza. Le colture muoiono, silenziosamente infiltrate dall'acqua marina. Isole intere stanno scomparendo. Nonostante il 70% del pianeta sia ricoperto d'acqua, solo il 2,5% è acqua dolce. Una amara considerazione con cui dobbiamo fare i conti.

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His grandfather used to harvest every year. He remembers when he was small, the entire family would gather in these occasions and they would work together until dawn. It was always around mid October. Now, he had his own family, and every year it would be a challenge. Every year would be different, every year would carry its own set of problems. Last year they were not able to harvest anything, because the heavy rains in May had destroyed the crop. He was looking for somebody to buy his land, and in the autumn they would move to Avellino, where he could more easily get a job.

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By SHAMSUDDIN ILLIUS

Publication Date: May 17, 2019
Media: Bengal Delta
Original Link: Education, healthcare remain elusive for Sardars

Tara Bibi, was playing with her three children- Masud Rana, 7, Tasnur Begum, 5, and Tasnim, 4- on their boat while other children were going to school. This was a typical scenario on the banks of the mighty Meghnaat Tulatoli of Bhola district at 8:45am on March 9.

While Bangladesh's literacy stands at 72 percent people like Tara Bibi, remain averse to the idea of sending her children to school.

She belongs to Sardar community, a lower caste minority that lives on boats. The Sardars are primarily fisherfolk and catch fish in the Padma and Meghna and live mainly in Bhola, Barisal and Chandpur districts.

There were over 90 boats in two rows in a canal anchored on the banks of Meghna as the government has slapped a two-month (March 1, to April 30, 2019) ban on catching fish to help fish spawn properly.

This single community has at least 180 children- who never go to school.

They have little idea about their rights to education, housing and healthcare. They think education is costly and they cannot afford it. Since the Sardars lack education, the entire community inherit the one and only profession they know - fishing.

Tara Bibi and her husband said as much. They were poor and lived on boats. "If we send our children to school where would they go after school?" they wondered.

Asked about government education programmes, Tara said, "We don't know about any such facilities."

Sabina Begum-another Sardarmother said, "No one has ever come to us about education. The almighty gives us children, and we depend on the almighty."

They are also called river gipsy, as they do not possess any land or have a fixed address. The Sardars travel across the rivers on small boats which are their houses.

Education and healthcare facilities are a nightmare for them while a piece of land remains elusive as ever.

[Images by:Shamsuddin Illius]
How far are the Sustainable Development Goals

The government made primary education compulsory for all through the Obligation to Primary Education Act, 1990. However, children of this community are not going to. Not a single one has evencompleted primary education.

On the other hand, the government pledges to leave no one behind, according to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but there is no health or housing facilities for these nomadic people.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) conducted a research to identify the risks of inclusive development in light of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 'inclusive development' manifesto of the ruling Awami League published on March 10 this year said that the indigenous people and Dalits in Bangladesh face discrimination and deprivation in their rights to basic amenities.

Experts say it is a formidable challenge for the government to bring them under an education programme as they are living on boats.

"These children help their parents in fishing, so the parents believe they are earning money," said Pavel Partha, a researcher who has been studying the river gypsy for a long time.

"In this case government should pay them to come to school first," he said.

"It is our responsibility to ensure safety net programmes for these people. To bring forward this community, we have to build a bridge between them and the mainstream," said Pavel.

"This community is lagging behind from our entire development programme. So, how could we achieve the SDGs ?" he asked.

"They are not just socially marginalised, this group is entirely untouched. They don't go to schools or government offices as they don't have any idea about the government programmes. So there is also a huge knowledge gap," he said.

Government's reply

Contacted, Kamal Hossain, Upazila Nirbahai Officer (UNO) Bhola Sadar Upazila said, "There is no government or private school for the education of these children. It is true that they are lagging behind from all basic services. On the other hand, they are keener on catching fish as it appears to be more profitable. Hence, we are not being able to bring them under the education umbrella."

"They live in unhygienic conditions as there are no sanitation facilities. We are encouraging NGOs for working on the community," he said.

The Bhola district administration and the upazila administration are working to relocate them in to a cluster village permanently where they will get education, healthcare and other civic amenities, said the Bhola Sadar UNO.

According to the Department of Social Services, there are around 800,000 river gypsies in Bangladesh including the Sardar community.

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Education, healthcare remain elusive for Sardars

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By SHAMSUDDIN ILLIUS Publication Date: May 17, 2019 Media: Bengal Delta Original Link: Education, healthcare remain elusive for Sardars Tara Bibi, was playing with her three children- Masud Rana, 7, Tasnur Begum, 5, and Tasnim, 4- on their boat while other children were going to school.

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Salinity intrusion makes thousands of hectares of land barren in coastal Bangladesh

Coastal districts 25% of the country's rice production."

BRRI-47 first salt-tolerant rice variety

Salt-tolerant rice changing fortunes and circumstances across country

5,216 hectares in Satkhira, most climate-affected district, cultivated with BRRI-47

2.86 million hectares of coastal and off-shore arable lands available

In the 1970s, Nandi Dulal, a 70-year-old paramedic-turned-farmer from Mukandapur village in Satkhira's Kaliganj upazila, bred 25 varieties of rice with his fellow farmers.
By then, they discovered that their field was becoming saltier with time and that the rice field was becoming sterile.

"As the arable land became saltier, it hindered production and caused a huge loss for us, since we used to breed rice taking loans. For at least seven to eight months a year, the lands were barren. Shrimp farming has become an alternative for some people. Farmers have also begun growing fish by introducing saltwater to the land," said Dulal.

Due to climate change, saltwater intrusion poses a huge problem for rice cultivation in Bangladesh's coastal belt, because the local variety of rice is a saline-sensitive crop. Thousands of hectares of land have become barren in coastal Bangladesh because of salinity.

With a booming population increasing the demand for the staple, rice, there have also been growing calls for a salt-tolerant variety for the salinity-prone areas of Bangladesh.

Looking for alternative and adaption to the salinity, in 2006 the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI), with the help of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), invented the first successful salt-tolerant variety, BRRI-47, which can tolerate salt 12 dS m-1 (deci Siemens per metre) at the seedling stage and 10 dS/m-1 during the growth stage. However, the traditional varieties of most crops can withstand salinity of up to 0.7dS/m only.

Based on wild rice, the Uri-Dhan can tolerate 10 dS/m-1.

The first salt tolerant variants were invented after scrutinising 385 varieties of rice that farmers were cultivating across the country, especially in the coastal districts, said Dr Abdus Salam who led the research.

Salam, who himself has invented 21 stress- and salt-tolerant varieties of rice, said, "The invention completely changed the rice breeding and adaption scenario in 19 of Bangladesh's coastal districts which cover the country's 25% rice production."

Noting the increased rice production due to the salt-tolerant varieties being cultivated in Satkhira, the most climate-vulnerable district, Md Nurul Islam, deputy director of Satkhira Agriculture Extensions, said, "In 2018, a total of 119 hectares were cultivated with BRRI-67, a salt-tolerant variety. Now in 2022, it stands at 5,216 hectares. The breeding of Binadhan-10, another salt variety, also increased; in 2017 around 778 hectares were used to breed Binadhan-10, while it is now over 2,000 hectares.

Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) Senior Scientific officer Md Babul Akhter said, "After nearly 30 years of being uncultivated due to salinity, we have been able to bring 240 hectares of land under boro cultivation in the last two seasons."

"Our days have changed with the innovation of salt-tolerant rice varieties; rice cultivation has started again in Satkhira. It's been growing steadily for the past decade," said Nandi Dulal.

According to the Satkhira Agricultural Extension Department, currently the most popular saline tolerant BRRI Dhan-67 can tolerate salinity up to 12 dS/m (equivalent to 678 parts per million) for seedling stage up to three weeks and 8 dS/m (equivalent to 512 parts per million) for whole growth.

Fatema Begum, a farmer of Tala upazila said, "I have been cultivating rice as we are getting better production in recent years. In the last three years, we have been cultivating rice in shrimp orchards. This year BRRI-67 was planted.

Salinity and the search for adaption

Farmers in Bangladesh breed rice in Bangladesh in the three seasons Aus, T-Aman, and Boro, across four ecotypes, including irrigated, rainfed upland, rainfed lowland, and deep water. Rice farming is highly vulnerable to extreme weather such as floods, droughts, storm surges, and cyclones.

According to the study of the Bangladesh Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI) in 2010, the area affected by salinity in Bangladesh has increased by 26% over the past four decades. There were 1.056 million hectares of arable land affected by different degrees of salinity in 19 coastal districts in 2009, compared to 0.833 hectares in 1973. As per the SRDI, Bangladesh has 2.86 million hectares of coastal and off-shore arable lands.

The SRDI study found in 2009 that some 3,28,430 hectares of the area affected low to very slight from 2.0 - 4.0 dS m-1 salinity, some 2,74,220 hectares by slight salinity which is 4.1-8.0 dS m-1, some 3,51,690 hectares arable land affected by moderate strong and strong salinity ranges from 8.1-16.0 dS m-1 and some 1,01,920 hectares by very strong, which is over 16.0 dS m-1 salinity.

Though the currently available rice is tolerant of 8.0-10.0 dS m-1 salinity stress in Bangladesh, the salinity in more than half the arable land in five coastal districts has gone well past the 8 dS/m levels.

For 560,000 hectares in five coastal districts - Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Patuakhali, and Barguna - the salinity level now ranges between 8.1 and 16 dS/m.

BRRI said they are still struggling to cope with the salinity and around 5000,000 hectares of land still remains out of cultivation due to high salinity.

According to a research article in 2020 of BRRI titled "Enhancing Rice Productivity in the Unfavorable Ecosystems of Bangladesh", rice production in the saline ecosystem might increase by 11.75% by 2050, respectively subject to the dissemination of the saline tolerant rice cultivars in 75% of total salinity affected areas up to 12dS m-1.

It also suggested that "the higher yield potential and salinity tolerance (up to 12 dS m-1 for whole growth period) rice cultivars need to be developed."

How did the journey start?

Wild Uri-Dhan (Porteresia coarctata) is found in the saline estuarine coastal areas that can tolerate 10 dS/m-1 saline.

Recounting the first invention, Dr Abdus Salam said, "We were looking for the solution within the crisis-prone area as a process of adaption. IRRI helped us in our research to find out the solution.

"As part of our research, we sat with our expert member, Norwegian scientist Dr Michael, in London. Michael's first question was how many dS/m-1 salt tolerant rice we wanted to invent," said Salam.

"Everyone was looking at one another as we did not know how much dS/m-1 salt-tolerant rice grows in our country," said Salam.

"Suddenly, Uri-Dhan came to my mind as it can tolerate 10 dS/m-1 salt. I told him so. After passing the resolution we returned to the country; that was the beginning ...," added Dr Salam.

Now Bangladesh has around 16 salt-tolerant variants breeding on the 710km long coast of the Bay of Bengal.

BRRI Chief Scientific Officer and Director (Research) Mohammad Khalequzzaman said, "BRRI has developed 10 more salt-tolerant rice varieties in the last 15 years. Two new salinity tolerant varieties BRRI Dhan-97 and BRRI Dhan-99 have been developed for the latest Boro season. These two varieties can tolerate salt 14 dS/m-1 in seeding time and full life circle it can tolerate from 8-10 dS/m-1.

"As salinity is increasing along the coast of the country, BRRI is currently working on a total of 12,610 pollinators from 12 crosses to develop more sustainable and short-lived rice varieties," said Khalequzzaman.

The story is supported by International Centre for Climate Change and Development (icccad)

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salinity tolerant rice varieties in bangladesh

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salt tolerant rice varieties bring hope to bangladesh farmers

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salt tolerant rice variety in bangladesh

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Salt tolerant rice varieties bring hope to Bangladesh farmers

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Salinity intrusion makes thousands of hectares of land barren in coastal Bangladesh Coastal districts 25% of the country's rice production."

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"It was around 1958 when I was a second grader, we lost our homes into the sea. My father was a wealthy farmer with about 80 acres of farmland. After losing everything he fell into a miserable situation with our family. Not only our village but also the whole Batajora union of Sandwip was completely devoured by the sea causing at least 15,000 people homeless in the 1970s. We have moved to Horish pur another union of Sandwip. Here we lost our home twice again," said Rafiqul Islam, a former Union Parishad chairman of Horish Pur in Sandwip.
"I lost my home in the sea five times-every time sea makes us penny less. I never leave my hope-working hard every time, I had turnaround and elected chairman of Horishpur three times," said the high prolific climate migrant who was also the administrator for Sandwip municipality for five years.

The 72-year-old migrant came in a programme on February 25 in Sandwip's Rahamat Char 'Face to climate refugee,' arranged by Human24, a volunteer organization that is working to raise the voices of climate victims for climate justice, he said "Several hundred thousand of people displaced from Sandwip over the years like me."

Mokarom Hossain Manik, a farmer by profession said "I have been displaced several times from 1974-2019. Still, I am on run for a safe living place. One evening of 2000, my eldest daughter was suffering from labour pain and the doctor suggested admitting her to a good hospital in Chattogram city. As Sandwip is a sea-lock Island after 5 pm and rough sea it is difficult to move from here. However, we started our journey by a wooden boat for Chattogram. In heavy waves of bay in the middle of the Sea, my daughter gave birth to a toddler who was died.

Nurul Akhter who is an aspirant candidate for the next parliamentary election from the ruling party alliance also shared his story of how he lost his home in the sea several times. This is not mare story of these three people it is estimated that in the last 100 years, half of the Sandwip people were displaced due to sea level rise, extreme weather such as cyclones and increasing salinity in farmland.

Several settlements were built called Sandwippara or Sanwdip colonies in Chittagong and adjacent districts as the displaced people settled their homes.

According to a study through the integration of Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) titled "Coastline Change and Erosion-Accretion Evolution of the Sandwip Island, Bangladesh" by Dhaka University found that the Island was 502 square kilometers in 1880. However, the Island shrank to 290 km2 in 1979 due to the massive bank erosion. It is also noted that about 40% of the island in the east was eroded during the period between 1984 and 2007.

The Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS) found that the Island is losing at a rate of 1.51 km2 every year and roughly 1500 people are displacing every year. CEGIS data showed that from 1973 to 2020 the Island lost around 71 km2 displacing around 71,000 people.

Samrat Khisa, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Sandwip Upazila told The Business Standard, "About half of the Island devoured by the sea. Now the Island is approximately around 258 km2."

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, sea level rise and salinity intrusion are prominent coastal hazards in Bangladesh. Here Sandwip is no exception. Salinity increasing every year. Farmers are struggling to cope with it. There is huge shortages of irrigation for the crops.
Losing land, losing history
With the losing homes and farmland, the people are also losing their enriched history, the memory of childhood, and relation with relatives. As Namaste, Izzatpur, Batajora, Hudrakhali, and Rohini disappeared into the sea along with many other villages. These names are lost now.

In Sandwip there are many iconic figures were born. Many of their homes were lost in the sea.

The 17th-century poet Abdul Hakim (1620-1690), a Bengali poet, the iconic poet who considered shows the way of Bangla language and his famous poem Bangabani is content for seven grader students in Bangladesh was born in Sandwip.

In the medieval ages, Persian and Arabic tended to be court languages all over South Asia and were perceived by some as the languages to do literary work in. He criticizes the trend and concurred the heart of Bengali people. His home was also lost into the sea. After losing his home the generation of Sandwip also forgot him.

Muzaffar Ahmad co-founder of the Communist Party of India was born at Musapur village in Sandwip; AKM Rafiq Ullah Choudhury, a former member of parliament and also a Language movement hero of Kalapania; Mustafa Kamal Pasha former member of parliament; Fakhrul Islam, first mayor of Sandwip municipality lost their home in the sea.

Chowdhury Hasan Sarwardy, former lieutenant general of the Bangladesh Army from Katghar Union, the whole union is totally devoured by the sea by 1974 when he was 14 years old. He said that around 10,000 people were living in the sub-unit of the administration and the erosion started in 1972 just within two years all the area was devoured by the sea.

"We moved to Raikhali jungle of Kodela in Rangunia in Chittagong along with other 2,000 families. With losing our permanent address were are losing our history," said Chowdhury Hasan Sarwardy.

"Climate migrant is also a stigma, In Bangladesh, the people who are climate migrants are not given in charge of the important post in their service life. It is also an identity crisis," said Chowdhury Hasan Sarwardy.

"In all my papers my address is Katghar there is nothing but sea now," he added.

Saleh Noman, a journalist and coordinator of Human24 said "More than half of the residents here have lost their homes at some point in their lives due to sea level rise. Almost everyone is affected directly and indirectly. People have assumed that this is a very natural destiny though they are not responsible for it. We have taken this initiative on behalf of Human24 organization to spread the suffering of our people for climate justice and action to save people."

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The untold story of Sandwip's climate victims

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"It was around 1958 when I was a second grader, we lost our homes into the sea. My father was a wealthy farmer with about 80 acres of farmland. After losing everything he fell into a miserable situation with our family.

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Shamsuddin Illius , Mizanur Rahman Yousuf

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Vanishing giants: Extinction threatens Bangladesh’s tallest tree

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Boilma’s main threats are habitat loss, the absence of mother trees for seed production and poor natural regeneration

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The Karnaphuli river, the lifeline of the port city of Chattogram, is at risk of dying.

The city had once developed along the bank of the river. Now, the 667-metre-wide river has shrunk to 300 metres.

Accumulation of silt, erection of temporary pillars and platforms during the construction of the Shah Amanat Bridge, and disposal of human and industrial waste have caused the river to shrink.

Silt has deposited around the pillars of the bridge forming "chars" (low lying islands) that are slowly filling up the river.

Human waste, including plastic, polythene, etc produced by 60 lakh residents of the port city, and silt washed in from adjacent hills, have also created layers of sediment around the pillars.

Despite its immense importance, the land on both sides of the river is falling prey to influential "land grabbers". It has been quite a while since the river was dredged.

River protection activists, echoing former mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury's proposal made at the onset of the construction of the Shah Amanat Bridge, said if a suspension bridge had been built instead of a regular bridge, the river would not have reached this alarming state.

Experts and port users think that if necessary measures are not taken immediately, the river will shrink even further and will become unnavigable.

They warned that this will seriously affect business in the country's premier port city, and might have a negative impact on the overall economy as well.

Prof Sikandar Khan, former secretary to the Bangladesh Economic Association and presently the vice-chancellor of East Delta University, pointed out that Chattogram port is the economic lifeline of the country while the Karnaphuli river is the lifeline of Chattogram port.

"Around 80 percent of the country's total export and import is done through this port," he said, adding that if the Karnaphuli dies, the city will lose its port status as Chattogram port is solely dependent on the Karnaphuli river.

"Earlier, goods used to be loaded and unloaded at the port round the clock, but now unloading is done during high tide only. This is because the water becomes too shallow for lighter vessels to move up the river during low tide," he explained.

The Chattogram Port Authority's (CPA) average net income is around Tk450 crore every year. However, there was a downtrend in their income in the last two consecutive fiscal years. In FY2016-17, the net income of the port was Tk502 crore, but the amount dropped to Tk463.67 crore in FY2017-18, and to Tk430.68 crore in FY2018-19.

Iftekhar Saimul Chowdhury, Awami League secretary for law affairs, had opposed the construction of the bridge from the very beginning.

He told The Business Standard that the river is dying because of the bridge, and that he would not be surprised if the river turned into a canal in a couple of years.

On a recent visit to the river, The Business Standard found that during the ebb, large ships and heavy cargo vessels were unable to move along the river.

Only small water vessels could carry passengers to inland upazilas, while lighters (small ships) could not be used at all.

When contacted, Mahbubul Alam, president of the Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told The Business Standard that the economic cost of the death of the Karnaphuli will be enormous.

The river needs to be kept alive for the sake of keeping the economy vibrant, he observed.

Amin Ahmed, a resident of Char Patharghata, told The Business Standard that three-quarters of the river is now filled with sediment.

He added that, "The river will cease to exist in five to seven years if sediment continues to accumulate."

Abdus Sabur, who has been sailing motorised water vessels on the river for the last 30 years, said he no longer sees water under the bridge except around two pillars.

In 2016, a team from the Hydrography Department of Chattogram Port Authority inspected the bridge area, and could see water only around pillars 7 and 8. They observed that the other pillars of the bridge are surrounded by sediment.

Following the inspection by the team, the port authority sent a letter to the chief engineer of the Roads and Highways Department explaining the problem.

The letter, signed by Chief Hydrograph Commander MM Karim Chowdhury, urged the Roads and Highways Department to take measures to increase the navigability on the river, and remove the temporary pillars and platforms built during construction. The letter was sent three years ago, but nothing has been done about the problem as yet.

Port authority's Chief Hydrographer Mohammad Arifur Rahman said: "The temporary pillars cannot be moved as the roots of the pillars are almost impossible to detect. Besides, removing the pillars may change the design of the bridge, making it very risky in the end."

Bus and truck terminals and other structures are being set up on these silt-filled areas. Some influential grabbers have started the business of collecting and selling sand from the grabbed areas. This sand is kept in heaps on both sides of the river.

Even though the administration had once demolished the structures, new structures are being set up. Influential people are setting up a mosque to avoid eviction.

A bus driver, seeking anonymity, said that the local administration and leaders charge for parking buses and trucks in the terminals that have been erected on grabbed land beside the river.

He alleged that they charge Tk200-300 as parking fees from each bus or truck.

Sources at the Chattogram Canal and River Protection Committee say that during the monsoon, around 10 lakh tonnes of silt enters the Karnaphuli river from Chattogram and other hilly areas in the region.

The Karnaphuli flows through a very region, and its strong current carries the silt to the Bay of Bengal.

According to sources at Chattogram Wasa, in the absence of an adequate sewerage system, around three crore litres of household waste flows into the river every day. Several hundred tonnes of chemical waste from factories and industries along the river are also drained into the river.

Apart from the waste disposed of by the city corporation, tonnes of oil released from vessels also goes into the river.

A writ seeking measures to protect the river was filed at the High Court in 2010. Acting on the petition, a High Court bench directed the Chattogram deputy commissioner's office to report on the issue after an investigation.

The report said that there are 2,181 illegal structures on the grabbed land along the river. In February 2018, on the order of the court, the deputy commissioner's office demolished around 300 structures along the river. But the drive was halted soon afterwards.

In this regard, Ilias Hossain, deputy commissioner of Chattogram, said that the port authority leased out the land along the river for building a container depot.

He said the port authority will take the decision on demolishing those structures.

The High Court directed the port authority to demolish all illegal structures by April 9 this year. The port authority appealed to the High Court, and took time until May 18. There are allegations that the structures have still not been demolished.

"We are looking for alternative ways or to restart the dredging with new equipment," Omar Faruk, secretary to the Chattogram Port Authority, told The Business Standard. "But we cannot do anything with regard to the bridge over the river as it depends on the government's decision."

Aliur Rahman, general secretary of Chattogram Canal and River Protection Movement, said the port authority earns a lot of money through the Karnaphuli river.

"The 2018 High Court order has not been fully executed yet. The port authority should and must conduct the eviction drive," he said.

"If they do not take any action, I will file a contempt of court case," he added.

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shah amanat bridge destroyed karnaphuli river

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How Shah Amanat Bridge destroyed Karnaphuli

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Chattogram port's activity affected due to reduced navigability

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Swapna Das, a garment worker, lives in Chhinnomul (a large slum-like area for rootless people) of Jungle Salimpur area in Chattogram's Sitakunda upazila.

She has been living on the government land with her family since 2004 as her ancestral home in Sandwip was washed away by the sea.

Swapna wanted to enrol her only son, Batsya Das, at a school in Bayezid area, close to her workplace. In 2017, when her son turned five, she went to many schools in the area.

However, she could not admit him as he had no birth registration certificate.

Swapna later went to the local union parishad chairman, but he did not issue the certificate, saying that the child had no right to get it as he was living on a public land.

Like Batsya, thousands of children living in Chhinnomul do not have birth certificates, according to locals.

These children are facing problems with school enrolment in the port city.

"Around 12,000 children born in Chhinnomul do not have birth certificates," said Golam Gafur, a local union parishad member, and Kazi Moshiur Rahman, general secretary of Chattogram Mohanagar Chhinnomul Bastibashi Samannay Sangram Parishad.

Chhinnomul dwellers have come from different areas of the country and they have been living at Jungle Salimpur for a long time. The vast living area is a public land. So, the authorities do not want to permit the dwellers to live there for a long time.

The authorities demolished many slums in Chattogram city back in 2004. After that, around 10,000 dwellers of various slums went to live in Chhinnomul, some two kilometres from the city's Sher Shah area.

At present, around one lakh people are living in the 850-acre hilly land, where there is a special zone for blind and transgender people. Residents of the area have established schools, madrasahs, mosques, temples, churches and pagodas.

Children are studying in those schools but are facing problems with sitting for public examinations.

Addressing the problem, Tapan Sarbabidya, head teacher of SM Pilot Primary School, told The Business Standard: "This year, 196 students will take the Primary School Certificate tests. Of them, 25 have no birth certificates."

"We are struggling to prove their age," he said.

Yasmin Parvin Tibriji, acting deputy commissioner of Chattogram, told The Business Standard: "The children are not permanent residents of Chhinnomul. we asked the local union parishad chairman to issue the permanent residents with birth certificates."

"Someone's birth certificate is related to his or her national identity card. In the future, through birth certificates, the Chhinnomul dwellers will become voters," said Yasmin, also deputy director (local government).

"The people here have come from different parts of the country. We are trying to avoid their possible double entry in the official birth register. Moreover, we are doing it so that no Rohingya can get a birth certificate," she added.

Salauddin Aziz, chairman of Jungle Salimpur union parishad, said, "We do not issue birth certificates to those who cannot show proper documents."

"When we ask the Chhinnomul dwellers to provide documents that they are living in that area, they do not return with the required papers and then allege that we are not issuing birth certificates," he said.

Akhter Kabir Chowdhury, president of Socheton Nagorik Committee's Chattogram chapter, said not giving birth certificates to these children would lead them to become stateless.

"Education is one of the fundamental rights. However, it is unfortunate that these children are not getting the opportunity to get into recognised schools for not having birth registration certificates," he explained.

"The homeless parents of these children are living on a public land, which is not their fault," said Akhter.

"I hope the government will realise the matter soon and issue birth certificates to these children," he added.

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Born in public land, disadvantaged children deprived of birth certificates

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Children living in Chattogram's Chhinnomul are facing problems to enrol in schools as they do not have birth certificates

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Groundwater level in Chattogram city has declined by 20 metres over the past 40 years, mainly due to excessive withdrawal, leaving hundreds of tube wells useless.

Heavy industries have often used the shortcut of extracting groundwater instead of carrying water from far away rivers.

Now, they are also suffering as their water abstracting mechanism is failing to provide enough water needed for operation.

Experts have linked an ongoing severe water crisis to excessive extraction of groundwater. In reality, the industries themselves are somewhat responsible for their own miseries.

Take the instance of the PHP Float Glass Factory in Sitakunda, which is now meeting its demand for around one million litres of water per day by conserving rainwater, diverting water from hill fountains and piping in water from the Feni river. Meeting their daily water requirement has pushed the company's production cost up.

Mohammad Mohsin, vice-chairman of the PHP Family, said, "There is an acute water crisis. We ourselves are harvesting rainwater. We collect water from three fountains next to our factory. We have no access to groundwater."

Md Zaheer Uddin Dewan, supervising engineer of the Department of Public Health Engineering (Chattogram Circle), said, "The industries extract water by installing deep tubewells without taking any permission from the authorities."

He blamed climate change, presence of arsenic and salinity in groundwater, and increased salinity in river water for the water crisis.

Chattogram's domestic consumers are also suffering from the severe drinking water crisis.

Recently, lawmaker Engineer Mosharraf Hossain along with residents in Mirsarai demanded a ban on industrial use of groundwater to keep water available for people of the area. Some 3.5 lakh people of Mirsarai upazila now face a dwindling drinking water supply. Farmers are also finding it hard to get enough water for their crops.

According to the Department of Public Health Engineering, 12,785 tube wells installed by the government in the last 10 years and 30,000 privately installed tube wells in 16 upazilas of Chattogram have become unproductive.

About 50 lakh people out of 76 lakh in the district are suffering as the groundwater level has declined by 20 metres in the last 40 years in Chattogram, according to the Groundwater Resources Department of the Water Development Board.

Since cyclone Sidr in 2007, salinity in rivers had begun to increase exponentially, while industrial groundwater extraction had been going up significantly, said Dr Anwar Zahid, director of the Groundwater Resources Department.

With the growing number of industries, demand for water has also gone up manifold. On the other hand, tube wells and submersible pumps were installed in every village house. Earlier, groundwater was used only for drinking, now it is used for all kinds of daily activities as well, he added.

There are 1,250 small and medium factories in 17 industrial zones in Chattogram region. Many large industrial groups, including BSRM, Abul Khair Group, GPH Ispat, PHP Family, KSRM, T.K. Group, Sunman Group, SA Group, KDS Group, Confidence Group, and Mostafa Hakim Group have set up factories in Sitakunda and Mirsarai.

There are also significant investments by various multinational companies in the area. However, about 500 industries in the region are feeling the severe crunch.

The water crisis in different industrial zones in Chattogram has intensified in the last five years. In particular, the water crisis in steel and glass factories has put investments amounting to crores of takas at risk.

The BSRM factory in Mirsarai requires around one million litres of water per day.

Tapan Sengupta, deputy managing director of BSRM, told The Business Standard, "We are managing production by harvesting rainwater and collecting water from the Feni river. We have an agreement with the Water Development Board to bring water from the Feni river through a pipeline."

At present, the largest economic zone of Bangladesh, the Bangabandhu Industrial City is being developed on about 30,000 acres of land in Mirsarai. The industrial city, which is expected to employ at least 1.5 million people, will have a daily demand of about 500 million litres of water by 2031. The initial plan was to take water from the river Halda through Chattogram Wasa, but the river itself is in crisis because of the growing salinity.

Although the Chattogram Wasa gets 20% of their water from Halda, it often has to stop its pumps because of increased salinity in the river. In this situation, Chattogram Wasa is looking for an alternative source of water.

Chattogram Wasa Chief Engineer Maqsood Alam told TBS, "We are looking for alternative sources to supply water to Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Industrial City because of rising salinity in the Halda river. We are planning to bring water from the Meghna, which is 132km off the economic zone. The salinity of the water there is 12ppm."

When contacted, Paban Chowdhury, executive chairman of Bangladesh Economic Zone Authority (Beza), said, "We are optimistic that the project to supply water to the Bangabandhu industrial city from Meghna will be a successful one. We also have other sources to collect water."

"We have plans to take up a desalination project for the economic zone. So, there will be no water crisis," Paban added.

On the other hand, people and industrial establishments dependent on Karnaphuli and Halda rivers are suffering.

Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company Limited (Kafco) in Chattogram needs 800 tonnes of freshwater per hour to continue production. The company was supposed to collect the water from the nearby Karnaphuli.

But Kafko is not getting enough water as salinity in the river has also increased. As a result, the company is pumping underground water by seven deep tube wells.

Locals complain that the groundwater level has declined because of the excessive extraction by Kafco. Water is beyond the reach of shallow tube wells in the area. Even the ponds have dried up.

The Chattogram Urea Fertiliser Limited is dependent on a huge amount of water for its daily production. The company had to halt production for at least 72 days in 2020 due to the rise in salinity in the Karnaphuli.

Priyanka Chakma, deputy assistant engineer of the Public Health Engineering Department, Anwara upazila, said, "The groundwater level in different areas of Anwara upazila has gone down. Even some 75 metre deep tube wells installed by private enterprises now cannot lift water."

The Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry is worried about the water problem. They have already written to the industries ministry several times and once to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives to resolve the issue.

Mahbubul Alam, president of Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, "Currently, the water crisis is the biggest problem in Chattogram. Therefore, we have appealed to the industries ministry to provide a portion of water to Chattogram from the water that will be collected from the Meghna for the Bangabandhu Industrial City. If the water problem is not solved, there will be a large-scale disaster in Chattogram."

Additional Secretary (Law and Policy) to the industries ministry Mohammad Selim Uddin told TBS, "The National Policy-2021 is emphasising water resources in the industrial zones. Industries must focus on the use of rainwater and surface water. No industrial plant can run on groundwater. If necessary, they can purify river water and use it."

How water crisis is intensifying

In the last 12 years, the groundwater level has declined by 13 meters.

Scientists apprehend impending natural and humanitarian catastrophe in the region owing to a significant fall in groundwater.

They say if the arbitrary use of groundwater is not stopped, it will be difficult to handle the situation in the coming days.

Similarly, the water of the Karnaphuli and the Halda rivers has become unusable because of climate change. In the last 33 years, the salinity of the Karnaphuli has increased almost 3,000 times.

According to Chattogram Wasa, the maximum salinity in Halda was 90ppm in 2004, which increased to 11,000ppm after cyclone Yaas.

The industries along the Karnaphuli are also facing a water crisis.

However, experts say it is still possible to reduce the disaster with proper supervision and planning.

According to the Underground Water Resources Department, in 1968, deep tube wells would hit water level at a maximum depth of 10 to 12 metre. Now, water is hard to find even at a depth of 50 metre.

According to the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation's Groundwater Zoning Map- 2016, groundwater levels in 48 districts including Chattogram have depleted by 1.5 to 3 metres.

Anwar Zahid said, "Water could be found only at a depth of two metres in the Panchlaish area of ​​Chattogram in 1980, but now it is difficult to get water at a depth of 22 metres. The water level in the Agrabad area is about 18 metres below the ground."

"The location of groundwater in Chattogram is not the same as in other parts of the country. Due to the hilly terrain, the water table fluctuates because of sand and rock layers. Besides, the soil of the industrial areas of Sitakunda and Mirsarai is very rocky. As a result, the groundwater does not accumulate here," said Dr Anwar Zahid.

Dr Saleemul Huq, director of International Centre for Climate Change and Development at Independent University Bangladesh, said, "The increasing salinity in Halda and Karnaphuli rivers and in the groundwater is because of climate change impacts. It will deteriorate even more. We have to take steps to mitigate the impacts of climate change."

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groundwater level in chattogram declined

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excessive withdrawal of groundwater in chattogram

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water crisis in ctg due to excessive extraction of groundwater

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groundwater depletion scenario in chattogram

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Thirsty Ctg industries dry up water level

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Experts have linked an ongoing severe water crisis to excessive extraction of groundwater. In reality, the industries themselves are somewhat responsible for their own miseries

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On 29 September 1948, a large group of farmers had gathered on the banks of the Halda river. Their mission: to cut an oxbow bend of the river to save their cropland from flooding.

In the following hours, the farmers would cut the oxbow bend of the River Halda to straighten its flow but at a great cost. Clash with the police, who were there to stop the farmers from destroying the river, would leave scores dead. What they had not realised then was that their action that day would have far reaching consequences for one of the most unique natural breeding grounds in the world.

Around 80 years ago, an 8-kilometre stretch of the tidal River Halda with an oxbow bend was flowing through Purba Madarsha village in Chattogram's Hathazari. When it rained heavily, river water could not drain fast because of the bend, submerging vast areas of cropland on both riverbanks.

Villagers also had to travel an additional 8km to cross the river although the distance was only half a kilometre as the crow flies.

That is when they decided to cut the Barighona bend to straighten the river. But the local zamindar Ramakrishna Mahajan opposed it, as did the government, backed with scientific data.

As the locals were bent on having their way, the authorities imposed Section 144, a law prohibiting assembly of more than five persons, to tackle the situation. Flouting the order, locals started cutting the bend and in the ensuing melee the police shot dead at least 38 villagers - the official number of deaths was 10.

Such human interventions imperiling the Halda has been continuing for a long period - local villagers have changed the flow of the Halda by destroying at least 11 oxbow bends of the river between 1905 and 2002.

The Halda now flows in a much straighter way. The river's length has decreased by 25.25km to 97.75km from 123km.

Human destruction of river flow hurt fish habitats

Thus human pressure has hurt the river's ecology forever with the ultimate result of fish egg production falling steeply in the only natural carp breeding ground of the country.

According to the Department of Fisheries and the Chattogram University Halda River Research Laboratory, the number of eggs collected from Halda in 1945 was over 1.36 lakh kg, which dropped to 47,000kg in 2001, 21,000kg in 2012 and only 8,000kg in 2021.

However, good weather conditions still cause occasional blips in egg production. For instance, during the years when there was a lot of rainfall, favourable temperature and a minimum influx of saltwater in the waterbody, about 33,000kg of eggs were hauled in 2008, 23,000kg in 2018 and 25,536kg in 2020.

Experts say Halda is a unique river in the world because of its oxbow bends. These bends are the main habitats for carp fishes, where brood fishes lay eggs. People's destructive cutting of the bends have impacted marine life. Fish habitats have vanished, leading to damage to the world's best natural breeding ground for carps.

A study conducted by the Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute identified the destruction of 11 oxbow bends over the last 100 years as one of the 10 human interventions to the destruction of the Halda's biodiversity. Dr Md Manzoorul Kibria, professor of zoology at Chattogram University, was in charge of the Fish Biology Analysis chapter of the research.

Manzoorul told The Business Standard, "Every year between the Bangla months of Chaitra and Ashar, hill water flows into the river after thunderstorms during a full moon and a new moon. And, river water in the oxbow bends becomes muddy and foamy. Mother carps lay eggs during this time if physicochemical factors are created there and temperature stays favourable at 25-28 degrees Celsius."

Salinity is also a killer

Salinity in the Halda has been increasing because of temperature and sea-level rises due to climate change.

This year, the spawning was very poor in the absence of natural phenomena like downpours, hilly torrents and thunderstorms. On top of that, the eggs were spoiled because of increased salinity and high temperature.

On 27 May, salinity in the river increased 77 times than normal after tidal water rushed into the Halda with an unusual height under the impact of cyclone Yaas. Salinity was 36.9 ppt (parts per thousand), while it is only 0.5 ppt during normal times, according to the Halda Resource Laboratory of Chattogram University.

According to Chattogram Wasa, the maximum salinity found in Halda was 400 ppm (parts per million) in 2004, which gradually increased to 4,000 ppm in May 2021. But, during cyclones, the amount of salinity increases abnormally, such as during cyclone Sidr in 2007 when salinity rose to 11,550 ppm.

Dr Manzoorul said, "The presence of Patalnagini snakes in the Halda is evidence of increased salinity in the river. This species is frequently being found by fishermen in the river. Besides, several species of marine shrimps, including Laila, are now present in the Halda."

Three upstream dams are holding one-third of the river water. On the other hand, Chattogram Wasa pumps 180 million litres of water from the river daily. Halda Parallel Project pumps 250 million litres of water during the irrigation season. But, the Kaptai Hydropower Station does not supply enough water. As a result, saline water easily enters the waterbody from the River Karnaphuli, he said.

Abdur Rahman Rana, director of the Center for People and the Environment, a research institute on climate change, said, "Temperature is rising because of climate change, which is above 30 degrees Celsius during spawning time. Irregular rain and a rise in temperature are responsible for the destruction of the spawning environment in the Halda."

Dams and irrigation deplete water

Salda is a hilly village in Batnatali union of Manikchhari upazila of Khagrachhari. The River Halda is named after the village as it originates from a hilly flow there. It enters the district at Fatikchhari upazila at its north-eastern corner. Dhurung is the main tributary of Halda. The two streams would rapidly drain the upstream water causing a crisis in that region.

To mitigate water crisis of local farmers and bring surrounding barren agricultural land under cultivation, the Ministry of Local Government Rural Development and Cooperatives constructed a rubber dam 4.50 metres high and 12 millimetres wide on the River Halda at Bhujpur in Fatikchhari in the fiscal 2010-11. But this dam has now become another cause of the river's destruction.

A year later, another rubber dam was built on the Harualchhari canal 10km off Bhujpur, which is directly connected to the river. At the same time, a concrete dam was placed at the fast-flowing tributary Dhurung.

Because of these dams, at least six-kilometre upstream of the Halda remains dry for four months every year. Besides, the normal flow of water has been disrupted with the installation of 18 sluice gates in 19 connecting canals of the river, which hold about 35% of its river water.

Factory and residential wastes from Oxygen to Kulgaon areas in the Chattogram city go into the river through the Khandakiya canal.

Researchers say the environment and biodiversity of the river is now on the verge of collapse.

Dr Manzoorul said, "Rubber dam in Bhujpur holds 20% of Halda river water. Besides, about 15% more water is unable to flow downstream through Harwalchhari and Dhurung canals. Due to the dam, the presence of benthos, the staple food of carp fishes like Rui and Kalbaush, has almost vanished from a 20km area of the river. As a result, the presence of Kalbaush is only 3%, Rui 6%, Mrigel 20%, and Catla 70% in the river."

Ainun Nishat, professor emeritus of Brac University, said, "Fishes swim upstream when there is a thunderstorm after the Bangla month of Chaitra. Later, when the weather is favourable, the female lays eggs and the male fish releases sperm. The fertilisation happens with water turbulation. But fish habitats have been destroyed with the sluice gates."

Local resident Mostafizur Rahman Chowdhury said, "Local tea gardens are benefiting due to the rubber dam in Bhujpur. But the river has seriously been affected by the dam and local farmers have suffered a lot because of it. When the rubber dam is inflated for more than three metres, the flow of water downstream is completely stopped."

Will Halda survive?

The uncoordinated development projects of various government agencies such as rubber dams, dumping of sandbags and blocks, and sluice gates have brought this river to its death throes.

Besides, various industries along the river and the 100-megawatt power plant in Hathazari are also contributing to the river's pollution.

Prof Ainun Nishat said, "I think the Halda should be given a few years. Already salinity has increased anew. Nature has the power of rejuvenating. I think five years from now, the fish will go more upstream to lay eggs, and gradually they will try to adjust to the water."

He also suggested removing upstream rubber dams and releasing more water from Kaptai Lake to reduce salinity in the Halda.

In recent years, the government has taken different initiatives to save the river.

On 22 December last year, the government declared the Halda River as Bangabandhu Fisheries Heritage and imposed 12 restrictions.

The restrictions include: no fish or aquatic animals can be caught or hunted from the Halda river. The oxbow bends of the river cannot be straightened under any circumstances. No new rubber and concrete dams can be built on the river and its connecting canals. Water cannot be extracted by setting up new water treatment plants and irrigation projects without the permission of the Bangabandhu Fisheries Heritage Supervision Committee. Industries and other establishments cannot discharge any garbage into the river and fishes cannot be caught during the breeding season (February to July) in 17 canals connected to it.

Earlier, in 2015, an office order of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock decided to restore the Garduara bend of the Halda and keep the other bends intact. However, no initiative has been taken yet.

The district fisheries office implemented a project called the Halda River Natural Fish Breeding Restoration Project at a cost of Tk14 crore from 2006 to 2014.

It is meant to support the fishermen during the no-fishing period in the Halda. Under the project, in 2010, about 2,000 fishermen were given a loan of Tk10,000 per person for one and a half years. In 2011, they were given 40kg of rice for two months. The support continued until 2015. From 2013 to 2015, an average of 60kg of rice was given to each family every year.

In 2007, a 20km stretch of the River Halda from Sattarghat to Madunaghat had been declared a sanctuary.

The government has stopped tobacco cultivation on more than 100 acres of land on both banks of the river in Manikchari and helped the farmers with aid.

Dr Md Manzoorul Kibria said, "All types of fishing have been banned in Halda since 2010. Earlier, there was a balanced presence of all the fishes in the river. We need to ensure community-based fishing management to protect fishes and ensure balance."

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Halda's sorrow from climate change, human action

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Around 80 years ago, an 8-kilometre stretch of the tidal River Halda with an oxbow bend was flowing through Purba Madarsha village in Chattogram's Hathazari

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Mohammad Harun once owned a small plot of land on the Bay of Bengal coast, about 60 km south of Chattogram, the second-largest city in Bangladesh. He used it as a salt pan until it was acquired in 2015 to build a coal-fired power plant financed by China under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In return, Harun says he was promised a job at the plant.

That promise, he says, has not yet been kept. Meanwhile the SS Power One plant, one of 15 coal power plants planned in Bangladesh under the BRI, is being built.

Harun's story is repeated by his neighbours in Paschim Gandamara, a village in Banshkhali sub-district of Chattogram district. Most of the residents who have lost their homes and homesteads are smallholder farmers, fishers, or salt pan owners and workers.

But Harun is scared to protest. The authorities have been clamping down hard on dissent. The police have registered cases against thousands of residents and workers building the plant.

Since 2016, 12 workers and local residents have been killed in three incidents. The casualties happened when law enforcers opened fire on protesters rallying against the project and workers clashed with their Chinese managers.

"If we say anything they [the police] implicate us in cases to muzzle our voices. They have registered cases against unnamed people. So, any of us can be on their list. We can be arrested any time," Harun told The Third Pole.

The 1,320-megawatt plant is being built at a cost of USD 2.5 billion. One of the largest Chinese investments in Bangladesh, it was among the agreements signed in 2016 by Xi Jinping, China's president. The plant is a joint venture between SEPCOIII, a Chinese engineering company, and S Alam Group, a Bangladeshi industrial conglomerate.

No understanding of local sentiment

Right from the beginning, the project has been marked by violent protests. The latest occurred in April this year, when the plant's management refused to let workers take time off for Iftar - the prayer and then the meal that ends the day-long fast during Ramadan. Workers who left for Iftar had the period deducted from their time sheets.

Roman Khan, a worker at the SS Power One plant, told The Third Pole: "If we went for Iftar, our salaries were deducted." Mohammad Zakaria, another worker, accused the authorities of physically torturing the workers.

On 17 April, about 2,000 workers protested. At least seven of them were killed as police opened fire.

Later, a police investigation vindicated the workers. Deputy inspector general Zakir Hossain Khan said that the Chinese management had shown discriminatory attitudes towards Bangladeshi workers.

"The Chinese workers did not want to take a break when Bangladeshi workers went for Iftar or prayers. If Bangladeshi Muslim workers were absent during these times, their working hours were deducted," the senior police officer confirmed. He also identified language as a key barrier to communication between the managers and the workers.

The Chinese are not complying with our culture. It is the right of workers to get time for prayer and Iftar
Iftekhar Uddin Chowdhury, social scientist
Iftekhar Uddin Chowdhury, a prominent social scientist and former vice-chancellor of the University of Chittagong, told The Third Pole: "Their [the managers'] target is more production with less payment. So, they don't want to give a break. This is exploitative. It led to the unrest."

"Foreign workers have to comply with local culture and norms while working in any country," Chowdhury added. "But here the Chinese are not complying with our culture. It is the right of workers to get time for prayer and Iftar." He recommended orientation sessions on local norms for foreign workers and managers.

Criminal charges after protest

Despite the report by the senior police officer, criminal charges filed against 2,500 unnamed workers for the 17 April incident have not been dropped. A plant manager filed criminal charges against another 1,050 men.

Zahidul Islam, a worker at the plant, told The Third Pole: "Police shot and killed my colleagues. Now they are accusing us of those murders." Many workers have reportedly gone into hiding.

In 2016 and 2017, there were also instances of workers being killed in police fire at this same plant. Residents recall that four people were killed in 2016 while opposing the plant's construction; thousands were accused of violent behaviour.

"Many of them had to serve [time] in jail and many of them are still grappling with cases filed over clashes. Now after the recent clash in April this year, the police filed cases accusing thousands. This is another tool of harassment to muzzle voices raised against injustice," said Haider Ali Asif, another resident whose homestead has been acquired.

"The plant authorities accused me though I was not present at the places where the clashes took place. They took place inside the power plant. Now I am on the run to flee from arrest," Asif added.

In recent years, violent clashes between Bangladeshi and Chinese workers have been reported from other plants being built under the BRI.

Locals lose land and livelihoods to SS Power One plant

Watchdog organisation the Bangladesh Working Group on External Debt ( BWGED) has reported that 7,100 people were directly affected by the construction of the SS Power One plant. The S Alam Group has reportedly acquired nearly 250 hectares for the site.

Most of those affected are poor. They allege that they have received neither adequate compensation nor the jobs they were promised. Nurul Kabir, a 41-year-old resident, said that a fraudulent document had been prepared to purportedly show that he had sold his plot; he was then given an eviction notice.

"We have lived here for 70 years. My father built this homestead. The sale deed is completely false," a tearful Kabir told The Third Pole. "I have nowhere to go if I get evicted. All I want is justice."

Mohammad Mostain Billah, a spokesperson for the S Alam Group, said: "If anyone has such issues over land that he did not sell but it came to our name [sic] then he can file lawsuit against us. As a judicial matter it will be decided by court."

Billah promised "more jobs for locals" once the power plant is operational.

Fishers say they have been barred from the waters near the plant. "They dropped boulders in the sea to stop erosion and now we are not allowed to go there any more," said fisher Shafiqul Alam Manik.

Farming has also been affected. After the foundations of the power plant had been built, the nearby area became waterlogged every monsoon, making it harder to grow crops. Many residents have started to describe the plant as a " curse ".

On 11 June and 14 June 2021, The Third Pole's correspondent contacted SEPCOIII about the allegations published in this report and seeking the company's comments on the events described. A response had not been received at the time of publication. This report will be updated if a response is received.

Environmental impact of coal power plant

Bangladesh has recently been talking about phasing out coal. However, its Power System Master Plan ( PSMP) still has 33 coal-fired power projects with a total capacity of over 33,200 MW under construction or at pre-construction stages. If all are built, Bangladesh's coal-fired power capacity will increase sixtyfold.

By 2031, these plants will emit nearly 115 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. This will not only impact the environment and local livelihoods, it will also weaken Bangladesh's position as a country that suffers due to climate change though it has contributed very little to global greenhouse gas emissions.

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State violence suppresses opposition to SS Power One plant in Bangladesh

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Thousands of workers and displaced residents face criminal charges after police firing kills seven at a Chinese coal power plant

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For those living in Chattogram's Agrabad CDA residential area, the knowledge of the tide times and a tide chart is a must.

It might sound odd for living on land and working in offices or going to schools, but people living there must know when the tide water would come in and the roads and their lower level floors would go under water. This is what living in the high class residential area in the city is now where once the rich and famous of Chattogram used to reside.

When the neighbourhood goes under water at high tide, people usually stay cooped up indoors until the seawater recedes. Low-lying areas remain waterlogged for at least six hours a day.

"Tidal water stays for at least three hours. We have a calendar for tidal prediction and our days begin according to it," said Jashim Uddin, a resident at the posh area located at the heart of Chattogram city.

This is how the residents are coping with the twice-a-day inundation caused by high tide in the Bay of Bengal.

Not only Agrabad alone, around 69% of the areas of the port city get affected by high tides to various extents at different times, according to a survey of the Bangladesh Public Works Department.

Experts say Chattogram city, home to more than six million people, is highly vulnerable to flooding caused by tidal surges.

The city has its own unique struggles when it comes to adapting to the inevitable global climate change, they add.

Agrabad's elevation is 0.42 metres from the sea level but the daily average high tide is at least 2.51 metres, according to the Survey of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Army data.

The highest water level during spring tide has been recorded at 2.76 metres in the area

During a new moon, full moon and inclement weather condition, the situation turns worse when tides rise one or two metres higher than the regular one.

Flooding caused by the 2.51-metre high tides owing to a rise in water level in the River Karnaphuli -connected to the Bay of Bengal - forced many residents to abandon their houses.

Many well-off people have shifted their residences to Chandagaon and Khulshi residential areas.

The modern residential area built on 82.18 acres of land has now become almost abandoned.

Along with the flooding, salinity left by the sea water causes severe damage to structures in the city.

On a recent visit, it was found that rainwater was being pumped out from the residence of Saifuddin Malek, a US expatriate, built on 5,408 sq. metres of land on Road 22, to save it from inundation by tidal water.

"We have spent Tk30 lakh to build a higher boundary to protect the house from flooding. But we are still not feeling safe," said Malek.

The Chattogram Development Authority (CDA) residential area in Agrabad was home to the affluent people in the 1960s. High-ranking government officials, noted businessmen and politicians lived there as well.

Owners forced to abandon multi-million Taka houses

Two duplex houses on Road 21 in the CDA residential area were once home to late former minister LK Siddiqui and his wife Mahmuda Siddiqui.

The houses were built on 3,380 sq. metres of land in 1977. The Siddiquis lived there until 1992. But they had to completely abandon their homes in 2018.

"We moved to Dhaka in 1992 when water started entering the ground floors of the houses. We used to stay there occasionally while visiting Chattogram. But in the last 10 years, we could not stay there because of water," said Assan Siddiqui, eldest son of LK Siddiqui.

Mir Rezuan Hossain Tipu, former mariner and shipping businessman who built his home on 1,521 sq. metre of land on Road 21 in 1976, told The Business Standard, "We did not have this problem - water entering houses - until 1990. Gradual inundation of the area began after that year. We started elevating our ground floor. From the 1990s to 2019, I elevated my ground floor by around five feet, but it was useless as the water level continues to rise every year."

"In January this year, we had to abandon the house leaving behind a lot of memories of my childhood and of my parents. We are now living in a rented house," he said.

Home owners in the area also have to face financial losses as all 1,500 of them had to rent out their properties at less than market price, he said.

CDA Chief Engineer Kazi Hasan Bin Shams told The Business Standard, "We elevated roads by three feet last year, but they became submerged again this year. Tidal water is the main problem in the residential area. We are building tidal regulators in Maheshkhal. I hope it will save the area."

Agrabad commercial hub is not spared

The Agrabad commercial area - home to most business houses, including the World Trade Centre, Chattogram - in the port city is also affected by tidal water.

In the last two to three years, water started creeping up to the front of the trade centre opened in January 2016. Last year, tidal water flooded the whole area.

"I had not seen tidewater flooding the Agrabad commercial area two years ago. I could not even think of tidal water in front of the trade centre. In the last two years, we have seen the road in front of the lavish business centre go under water," said Mahbubul Alam, president of the Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The sea level rise and flooding not only hampers people's lives but also severely affects businesses in the commercial area.

The country's largest wholesale commodity market in Khatunganj and Asadganj loses at least Tk1,000 crore annually for the damage of goods and businesses from seawater flooding, claims Khatunganj Trade and Industries Association.
Inundation affects more city areas
Sea water rises by 0.5-2.5 metres in 18% of Chattogram city areas, including the CDA residential area in Agrabad, East Bakalia, south Bakalia, Halishahar, Sholokbahar, Muradpur, and Bahaddarhat. High tides ranging between 2.5 and 2.76 metres regularly submerge these areas.

In 51% of the areas, the water level rises by 2.5-4.5 metres, and they are mostly inundated during the rainy season, new moon, full moon and cyclones.

Chandagaon, Mohora, Chaktai, Kahtunganj, Asadganj, Chawkbazar, Patenga, and Kattoli areas partially go under water during high tides, said Lt Col Mohammad Shah Ali, director of a project for mitigating waterlogging and flooding in the city.

Chattogram Maa-O-Shishu Hospital, Sabujbag residential area and Halishahar adjacent to the CDA residential area also get flooded.

Experts attributed this every day flooding to the rise in sea level caused by global climate change.

Sholokbahar is the worst-hit area where the elevation is only 0.19 metres but the average high tide level is 2.50 metres.

The Halishahar residential area started experiencing waterlogging after 2005.

"After 2005, water started coming slowly. Now the area is inundated with at least one and a half metre high tide," said Golam Mostafa, president of Halishahar K and L Block Samaj Kalyan Samity.

"House rent has fallen by at least 40-50% because of the tide water flooding the area regularly," said Mostafa.

Only 22% of areas have elevations between five to 30 metres, which so far is considered safe from flooding. Nine percent of areas have an elevation of 30 metres to over 90 metres, which is considered a hilly area.

In 2017, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) estimated that Chattogram would be submerged in the next 100 years and over the next century melting glaciers could raise the sea level by 14.01 centimetres.

Every year, new areas in the port city are being inundated and tidal height is breaking previous records. On August 21-22 this year, tidal water for the first time flooded different jetties of the Chattogram port, causing exporters and importers to worry about damage to their cargoes.

On August 21, the tide was 4.81 metres high in Karnaphuli while it was 4.66 metres the next day.

What experts say

Professor Md Reaz Akter Mullick, head of the urban and regional planning department at Chattogram University of Engineering and Technology, told The Business Standard that sea level rise had greatly impacted Chattogram.

"Every year, the water level is getting higher while water retention areas [water bodies] are decreasing. Such areas decreased by around 50% in the last couple of decades," he said.

"We have to build tidal regulators so that tidal water cannot enter the city. We have to build water reservoirs in the city to store floodwater," said AKM Rezaul Karim, head of city planning of Chattogram City Corp, also a climate change expert.

"Pumps with generator facilities should be installed beside canals and water bodies so that additional water can be pumped out to the River Karnaphuli," said Karim, also the chief city planner of Chattogram City Corporation.

"There should also be green space and more canals," he added.
Government's move to regulate tidal water
The CDA and the Bangladesh Water Development Board are building 40 tidal regulators to prevent seawater intrusion into the city through the Karnaphuli.

Construction of five regulators are going to be completed within next year under a project titled "Canal re-excavation, expansion, renovation, and development to ease waterlogging in Chattogram city," said Project Director Lt Col Mohammad Shah Ali.

The water development board has also undertaken a Tk1,620 crore project titled "Flood control, addressing waterlogging and improvement of drainage facilities of Chattogram metropolis to mitigate Chattogram waterlogging".

Under the project, 23 tidal regulators will be built at the Chattogram airport, Moheshkhal, Shah Amanat Bridge, Kalurghat, and mouth of the River Halda.

The CDA is building another 12 regulators in Chaktai Khal and Rajakhal areas.

Professor Mullick said there should be a management solution to control dumping of waste in the drains.

"Otherwise, tidal regulators will not bring any benefit."

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Around 69% of the areas in the port city get affected by high tides to various extents

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Masuma Akhter, a resident of Moheshkhali Island in Cox's Bazar, began collecting and selling seashells when she was just a little girl.

As she grew up, Masuma married her neighbour Abdul Monaf after a 10-year romance, who she had first met while searching for seashells on the beach. Masuma nicknamed her niece Mukta (Bangla for pearl), the prized treasure found inside oysters.

Different types of seashells used to be an easy find in Ghatibhanga area, where the couple hails from. A much sought after marine commodity, seashells fuelled domestic coastal economy along the Bay of Bengal, until it slowly became overshadowed by climate change.

Masuma now works as a seamstress for her community, while her husband Monaf works in a fishing boat. The couple faces a constant struggle to make ends meet.

"When I had to give up collecting and selling seashells, my husband was unable to support our family on his income alone. So I learned sewing and began working as a seamstress to help out with the expenses. But we are not making nearly enough money," said Masuma, who gave up collecting seashells 12 years ago because of its growing scarcity.

The story of this couple is not an isolated incident as many are leaving their decades-old profession of trading seashells. The marine commodity is becoming scarcer due to habitat destruction triggered by the ongoing climate change.

"Climate change, [rising] sea surface temperatures, ocean acidification, pollution, development initiatives and human interventions are primarily responsible for changing or destroying mollusc habitats," said Dr M Shahadat Hossain, a professor at the Institute of Marine Sciences of the University of Chittagong.

Generations of people have long depended on seashells and other marine resources as a source of income.

On a steady path to extinction

For the past 15 years, at least 300 families have changed their professions from harvesting seashells to working as day labourers, fishermen or harvesting sea salt, according to local public representatives and people connected to these professions.

"My region was a hotbed for different species of molluscs and bivalve. Many people used to harvest them for collecting pearls, making ornaments, poultry feed, and lime. Some people, especially the Buddhists, also eat molluscs," said Nurul Amin, a former chairman of Kutubzum Union Parishad of Moheshkhali upazila.

"Gradually, the hotbed was destroyed, forcing people to change their professions," he added.

Experts have listed three primary reasons behind the steady destruction of mollusc habitats - sedimentation caused by morphological changes, increasing salinity in sea water due to artificial enclosures for cultivating fish, and rising sea temperatures.

Harvesting sea salt is also more profitable than collecting seashells.

"I can earn more than Tk300 a day by harvesting sea salt, compared to Tk150 I used to make by collecting and selling seashells," said Badiul Alam, 75, a resident of Sonadia Island.

"Nothing was the same after the 1991 cyclone, which claimed the lives of more than 138,000 people. The habitats of seashells were gradually destroyed. We were not getting seashells and pearls as before, so we left the profession," he added.

Badiul gave up collecting seashells around 20 years ago. He now catches fish and harvests sea salt to survive.

However, Md Shamsul Alam, 55, is among the very few who are still in the profession because he has no other option. "I am illiterate, I do not have other skills and have no land to harvest salt," he said.

Anisuzzaman Khan, a biodiversity conservation officer at the Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project's Biodiversity Conservation Programme, said: "Though sedimentation is a natural phenomenon in inter-tidal coastal [ecosystems], the enclosures are a barrier to the natural free flow of water and close the inter-tidal mudflat ecosystem.

"Molluscs along with other marine invertebrates, including crabs, oysters, bivalves, starfish, jelly fish, soft coral, sea pen, sea anemone, ostracods, annelida, platyhelminthes and nematodes prefer the inter-tidal sand and mudflats as their feeding, grazing, roosting and breeding ground."

Anisuzzaman added that when an enclosure is made in this habitat, the beach becomes infertile and biologically inert.

"When it comes to coral, pollution destroys its natural food pyramid and food cycle. Oil droplets from tourism boats and sediments carried by tides from sea, bury the coral and destroy its breeding cycle. Extreme temperature causes coral bleaching," he said.

He also blamed over exploitation of coral and molluscs for their disappearance around the St Martin's and Sonadia islands.

"If human-induced factors continue to accelerate the change in climate, then the local flora and fauna will fail to adapt quickly and become extinct," Khan said, pointing out how the very name of the island of Sonadia comes from the pearl extracted from the bivalve mollusc (Kortal), once found in superabundance there, but now on the verge of extinction.

"Molluscs are very sensitive and they die very quickly," said Pavel Partha, a researcher on climate change and the people living on river and coastal areas, adding that the rise of saline concentration and temperature is related to the ongoing climate change.

A cultural shift

The transition of coastal professions due to climate change has led to an even bigger cultural shift.

Dr Anupam Sen -- a noted social scientist and vice chancellor of Premier University, said: "Most people are now detached from the nature. So, they no longer give their children nature-inspired names."

The Bengali tradition of naming children after marine resources such as Mukta (pearl), Shukti (oyster), Jhinuk (bivalve), Saikat (beach), Probal (coral) and Saibal (algae), is becoming more rare in many parts of the country as their habitats are destroyed by pollution and climate change, said several social scientists and biodiversity experts.

"The livelihood of the coastal and rural communities near the Bay of Bengal has long been dependent on beaches, rivers and estuaries where algae, pearls and molluscs thrive. As such, people were fond of giving their children names or nicknames derived from nature," Dr Sen added.

Molluscs, pearls and coral were once commonly found in the natural ecosystem of the country's coastal area, making them an integral part of the local culture.

Is recovery possible?

A number of marine biologists and environmentalists have suggested intensifying conservation and creating alternative opportunities for the people who are still involved with harvesting molluscs as a way to protect the biodiversity from further degradation.

"People used to live alongside the nature, but for the sake of development we are now destroying nature. We have to be careful about nature, culture, and society and to live in harmony with nature," said Dr Sen.

As the whole ocean ecosystem is changing, other animals are also in danger, said climate change researcher Partha, who has called on the government to stop the illegal harvesting of molluscs and coral and focus on developing a blue economy based on marine resources.

"The government has made some efforts to conserve marine life in the country. In 1999, officials declared Sonadia an 'ecologically critical area' and banned mollusc harvesting to control further damage," said Zamirul Islam, Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Moheskhali upazila.

"We conduct regular drives to stop the illegal extraction of molluscs," he said.

Mohammad Moazzem Hossain, Chattogram Regional Director for the Department of Environment (DoE) said that the government has taken on a project that aims to enhance biodiversity at St Martin Island by engaging the local community in conservation initiatives and promoting eco-tourism.

The project will also initiate research and implement conservation measures for coral and develop a waste management system on the island.

The project is scheduled to be completed by June, 2020.

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Gone with shifting tides - how climate change is wiping out coastal professions, lifestyle

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The Bengali tradition of naming children after marine resources such as Mukta, Shukti and Jhinuk is becoming rare as their habitats are destroyed by pollution and climate change

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While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers' own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers' comments. Copyright © 2024 The Business Standard All rights reserved Technical Partner: RSI Lab

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Camminare per ore, giorni, settimane, mesi, nell'arsura del vento che brucia sulla pelle, della polvere e della sabbia che si appiccica al volto, alle mani, che entra negli occhi, intorno solo desolazione e scoraggiamento, dolore nelle poche o tante altre persone incontrate. Persone? Fantasmi sempre più evanescenti, ombre o meglio “negativi”, immagini rovesciate di una realtà che non c'è più. Di cui si parla come di una fiaba antica, di cui si ricordano appena colori e sensazioni. Come quando leggiamo che c'erano le giraffe nel deserto, o i dinosauri dove sono ora le nostre città.

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Climate changes and severe weather events such as El Nino may possibly lead to disasters, such as the floods that hit South America and Peru in particular. Agricutural farming and harvesting therefore represent a challenge and populations turned to cattle and stock. The peruvian guinea pig has been eaten for centuries dating back to the pre-Incan times. Indigenous peruvian and Andean communities saw the guinea pig as a valuable source of proteins which could supply an adequate intake throughout the year while compensating the lack of domesticated animals which were harder to stock at high altitudes.

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In the rural village of Bakori in northern Nigeria, where the golden savanna once stretched as far as the eye could see, lived the Adewale family. For generations, they had tilled the fertile soil, relying on the land to sustain their livelihoods. However, as the effects of climate change intensified, the once-reliable rains became erratic, and the land struggled to yield bountiful harvests. One fateful day, as the scorching sun beat down relentlessly on the parched earth, the Adewale family made a painful decision. They packed their few belongings and bid farewell to the land that had sustained them for so long. With heavy hearts, they embarked on a journey of uncertainty, seeking refuge from the harsh realities of environmental degradation. Led by their matriarch, Mary Adewale, the family set out on foot, the shimmering waves of heat distorting the horizon ahead. As they traversed the arid landscapes, memories of their ancestral home weighed heavily on their minds. The journey was grueling, with each step a testament to their resilience in the face of adversity. After days of arduous travel, the Adewales finally arrived at the bustling city of Lagos, a stark contrast to the tranquil simplicity of their village. Here, amidst the ceaseless urban bustle, they sought to rebuild their lives and find a new sense of belonging. With the help of local aid organizations, they were able to secure a small plot of land on the outskirts of the city. Over the next five years, the Adewale family slowly adapted to their new surroundings, drawing on their agricultural expertise to cultivate the infertile soil and create a semblance of the life they had once known. Through sheer determination and unwavering solidarity, they transformed their humble plot into a thriving oasis, embracing sustainable farming practices and becoming advocates for environmental stewardship within their adopted community. According to the Climate Mobility Guidebook for Youth and Children released in 2023, more than seven million people were displaced in Africa for 2022 due to climate change impact. Despite the hardships they endured, the Adewales later found hope in their resilience and in the unwavering strength of their familial bond. Their story became a testament to the human spirit's capacity to endure, adapt, and strive for a better future, even in the face of climate-induced upheaval. As the years passed, the Adewales' once-barren corner of the world blossomed into a beacon of resilience and sustainability, inspiring others to embrace environmentally conscious practices in the ever-changing landscape of climate-induced mobilities. Their journey, marked by adversity and tenacity, served as a poignant reminder of the interconnectedness of humanity and the imperative of collective action in confronting the complex narratives of climate change-induced migrations.

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Bappi Das, was trying to control water which was falling from the roof to her bed in the evening of the rainy season in 2022. Her struggle went into vain as there were several holes in dilapidated corrugated sheets used in the roof by the slum lords. Bappi and her family migrated to Chittagong city as their home was swallowed by the Bay of Bengal at Banshkhali coast around a decade ago. She lost her father before leaving her native town. Now 18 years old Bappi is meeting her daily bread and butter working in a garment. The most tragic event in her life was when she was around 15 and came to the slum he got married to a coworker, she gave birth to a boy. But the happiness was not last long as her husband left her around a year ago. With an old mother and son, Bappi is struggling to meet daily needs. They have ended up in the newly built slum at the Bank of Karnaphuli River for a low-rent. Here she is struggling every moment for life. Bappi doesn't know where the end of this life is! Like Baappi, around 30,000 climate migrants move to Chittagong city every year to find an alternative livelihood, but here they also face their most difficult challenges. The victims of slum life include early marriage, trafficking, sexual work, and drug trafficking.