Sea level rise and worsening storm surges are making life increasingly precarious in southern Bangladesh’s low-lying deltas, flooding homes and filling fields with salty water that keeps rice from growing. The Bangladesh government predicts rising sea level could displace about 20 million people from Bangladesh’s coastal districts by 2050. Unlike shrimp farming, crabs can be raised in small ponds and demand less up-front investment, said Muhammod Zulfikar Ali, mayor of Mongla Port municipality. Some experts, however, warn that crab farming may not be enough to sustain families in increasingly risk-prone southern Bangladesh. “Unsafe migration or crab farming are people’s own efforts, what we call autonomous adaptation, but it can only provide limited relief.”Government loans, to help communities scale-up adaptation efforts that work, could help, he said.

Source: Dhaka Tribune March 18, 2018 09:33 UTC