“My name is Shadu Charan Mondol. I am 72 years old and I live in Shingertoly on the banks of the River Malancha in Bangladesh. My house is built on a dyke (on the left in the photo here). It has already been destroyed six times because the dyke didn’t hold. At high tide, the sea pushes further and further upstream. The water level began rising 60 years ago, but in the last ten years it has risen faster. The spring tides in June and July are even more dangerous: they cause the highest water levels. We have already been forced to rebuild the dyke farther away from the river many times, but this is an ongoing problem and there is no space left for us to move any further.”
– Shadu Charan Mondol (2013)
CHANGES IN INDIAN SUMMER MONSOON RAINFALL
(1860 to 2090¹)
The black line represents the historical average (1985–2015), while the colored lines show different climate scenarios (SSP1-2.6 to SSP5-8.5). From 2000 onward, rainfall increases in all scenarios—the higher the emissions, the stronger the increase. The growing intensity and unpredictability of the monsoon could have far-reaching consequences for millions of people in the region.
FROM SIX SEASONS TO THREE
Bangladesh is severely affected by the rising sea level, which could flood one-fifth of the country. In 2022, a third of the country was underwater after heavy rainfall. Climate change exacerbates the situation, as cyclones bring saltwater inland, rendering soils infertile. The monsoon, which once governed the weather patterns, is becoming increasingly unpredictable. Too little rain leads to droughts and crop failures, while excessive
rain causes flooding and destruction. These extreme weather events, including prolonged dry periods and intense heavy rainfall, are making agriculture increasingly insecure. Rice farmers, who once relied on their harvests, now have to buy rice. Many people are forced to abandon their fields and seek new sources of income, contributing to rising rural-to-urban migration.² ³