Bangladesh's Coastal Crisis: Salinity Threatens Water, Food, and Health
The southwest coastal belt of Bangladesh faces a severe water crisis during the dry season, with salinity intrusion causing a range of health issues and threatening food security. The country, one of the most vulnerable to climate change, is combating rising salt levels through a mix of international, national, and local initiatives.
During the monsoon, rainwater fills clay pots and tanks, providing water for a single crop of paddy. However, when the monsoon ends, this water runs out, leading to saline taps, failing tube wells, and a long walk for safe water. Deep tube wells often draw brackish water, and those who can afford it buy water, while others carry drums or jars for kilometres. The health concerns are significant, including skin diseases, dysentery, burning during urination, high blood pressure, reproductive issues, and malnutrition among children. To address this crisis, monthly salinity checks at key water points, protecting high-risk groups, strengthening water security, and improving communication between agriculture and health managers are recommended. Schools can serve as safe water anchors and learning hubs by maintaining low-salinity supplies and teaching students about salinity monitoring. Women bear the brunt of water collection and care for sick children, while poor farming households watch their paddy lands turn into shrimp enclosures. Local adaptation efforts include rainwater harvesting, pond-sand filters, deep tube wells, and salt-tolerant rice varieties, but these face barriers like high costs, poor maintenance, and cyclone damage. Durable and locally owned solutions are needed to protect coastal communities from salinity intrusion, which is rising with the climate change signal.
Bangladesh is tackling the salinity crisis through a combination of local, national, and international efforts. These include developing salt-tolerant crops, improving water infrastructure, and strengthening local communities' resilience. However, with the climate change signal increasing, more durable and locally owned solutions are crucial to protect the coastal communities from this structural crisis affecting water, food, and health.
