Bangladesh has recently been recognized as one of the countries that is most vulnerable to the effects of global climate change. The country is naturally susceptible to annual floods, tropical cyclones, tornadoes, and tidal bores, due to its low-lying floodplains and proximity to the Bay of Bengal. These calamities are expected to increase in frequency and severity as climate continues to change.

Satellite image of Bangladesh, showing the border and the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta.

In 1998, the most severe flooding in modern history hit Bangladesh. Thirty million people were made homeless as floodwaters covered two-thirds of the country and destroyed 300,000 homes. Combined with the effects of deforestation, soil degradation and erosion, the increased rainfall, rising sea levels, and increasingly severe tropical cyclones resulting from climate change will seriously affect agriculture, water and shelter. As two-thirds of the population work in agriculture, the effects will be felt in human health, food security and the economy.