Bangladesh needs at least 4.17 billion US dollars for the construction of polders to save the lives of coastal people from sea level rise and storm surge, according to a recent study.

The study reveals that the sea level will rise at least by three metres due to global warming within 2050, sending the present coastal embankments under the seawater if those are not raised by 4 to 6 metres.

The Institute of Water Modelling (IWM) with financial assistance from Denmark conducted the study.

A, total ofTk 287,634 million M-iU fee-needed for yvwfcs forthe- < adaptB^n to storm surge and sea level rise — Tk 99.609 million for raising embankments of costal polders, Tk387 million for turfing, Tk 78,659 million for Toe protection, Tk 21,936 million for land acquisition (14,061 hectares), Tk 83,569 million for major protection work (167 kilometres). Tk 81

million for Velivera plantation, Tk 81 million for the improvement of internal drainage system and Tk 332 million forestation, according to the study.

"There will be waterlogging on 18 percent of land in the country’s costal region by 2050 while on 25 percent by 2100 even if the embankments are raised at least by 4-6 metres, " the study says.

The study stresses the need for planting trees in the costal belt to help subside storm surge and thus save lives and assets of the people. "A 600-metre wide forest will reduce the surge level by 50 cm."

Panel orvdimate Change (IPCC), the sea-level rise will wipe out more cultivated land in Bangladesh than anywhere in the world.

By 2050, rice production is expected to drop by 10 percent while wheat production by 30 percent due to water logging.

Experts fear Bangladesh will suffer most in the near future because of global climate change if it fails to take any effective measures.

Emaduddin Ahmed, executive director of the Institute ofWater Modelling (IWM) and a water expert, told UNB that Bangladesh will face numerous disasters because of climate change and will lose huge properties.

Additional money will be needed for adaptation of the coastal people as 18 percent of the coastal land will go under seawater permanently by 2050, he said. "The people of the region will also experience drinking water crisis, nd water irr the coastal areas will be contaminated by salinity."

Referring to the geographical situation of the Netherlands, the water expert said though the country is situated under sea level, its people are living there using cross dams surrounding the country and modem technologies.

"Bangladesh will also need to construct high dams in coastal areas using modem technologies. High power pumps will have to be set up to reduce waterlogging to ensure smooth farm activities in this region," he said.

According to him, the rich countries, particularly the western ones, are responsible for the global climate change, as they are emitting huge Carbon dioxide gas harming the environment.

"Bangladesh should draw attention of the world leaders in the ongoing climate change conference in Copenhagen and should seek funds for adaptation." he^uggested.

According to UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the global temperature would rise up to 1 degree centigrade in summer and 1.5 degrees in winter by 2050, resulting in sea-level rise by up to half a metre that will engulf 11 percent land in Bangladesh, affecting nearly 60 lakh people along its coastal belt.