The probable impacts of climate change on poverty - UNDP

extreme. Key difference will be frequency, intensity and scale <strong>of</strong> the problem. Similar to the present situation, flood
will have both positive and negative <strong>impacts</strong> in future. Flood will affect aquaculture infrastructure, pond siltation,
habitat <strong>of</strong> fish breeding at larger scale while increased area under inundation and long duration is likely to increase
open water fisheries. Drought will affect fish growth, breeding & production, increase disease vulnerability, reduce
fishing season and reduce broods <strong>of</strong> natural SIS. Probable <strong>impacts</strong> <strong>of</strong> cyclone are almost similar to existing <strong>impacts</strong>
but severity will be increased which will affect poverty at wider scale. Salinity intrusion and erratic rainfall will also
affect fish production.
6.4 Livestock
Assessment <strong>of</strong> <strong>impacts</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>climate</strong> <strong>change</strong> on livestock is also limited. However, it is suggested that extreme
temperature and <strong>climate</strong> <strong>change</strong> related natural disasters would affect livestock significantly. High temperature
would affect livestock in a number <strong>of</strong> ways: causes great discomfort as in the case <strong>of</strong> human, decreases feed intake
and alters nutrient metabolism leading to high loss <strong>of</strong> energy and the combined effects <strong>of</strong> discomfort and nutrient
metabolism reduces their productivity, resulting in financial loss for the farmers. Apart from extreme temperature,
natural disasters such as cyclone and tidal surge as mentioned above, also cause immense loss and sufferings to
livestock through destruction <strong>of</strong> forage crops as well as housing. Deaths <strong>of</strong> livestock due to cyclone and storm
surge are huge in the coastal area.
<strong>The</strong> consultation workshops and key experts’ interviews state that livestock sector is badly affected by <strong>climate</strong>
variability and shocks. Flood, cyclone and sea level rise have major <strong>impacts</strong> on livestock. Flood causes loss <strong>of</strong>
livestock, damage pasturelands which increase fodder scarcity and diseases <strong>of</strong> livestock. Cyclone and storm surge
causes huge loss <strong>of</strong> animal lives and shelters, damage <strong>of</strong> fodder, poor health and disease outbreak. Ultimately it
results reduction <strong>of</strong> livestock population. Sea level rise and associated coastal inundation leads to inundation <strong>of</strong>
pastureland and increase animal feed scarcity and increase incidence <strong>of</strong> animal diseases. It also reduces animal
rearing coverage. Drought hampered the production <strong>of</strong> livestock, increase management cost through incidence <strong>of</strong>
diseases and increase food scarcity which results poor health <strong>of</strong> livestock. Besides, salinity intrusion, temperature
variation and heat wave cause harm to livestock affecting fodder land and health <strong>of</strong> poultry and other
domesticated animals.
It is difficult to have perception on the <strong>impacts</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>climate</strong> <strong>change</strong>, variability and extremes on livestock because
there is no baseline information on these exist. But it is easily perceived that death and production <strong>of</strong> livestock will
decrease considerably with increasing intensity and frequency <strong>of</strong> shocks. Production <strong>of</strong> livelihood will also
hampered due to decrease <strong>of</strong> grazing lands, increase death <strong>of</strong> livestock etc. <strong>The</strong>se will lead to decrease health
status affecting meat and milk production.
6.5 Forestry
Cyclone and storm surges along with salinity intrusion are the major shocks for forestry sector, stated by the key
experts. Cyclone damages forest and scale <strong>of</strong> damage depends on severity <strong>of</strong> cyclone and storm surges. <strong>The</strong> supper
cyclone Sidr destructed one-quarter <strong>of</strong> the Sundarbans and almost 100% afforested trees along its path. It has been
observed that all the trees at road sides as well as homesteads <strong>of</strong> about 10 to 15 years old have been destructed by
the Sidr. It means, 10-15 years <strong>of</strong> investments <strong>of</strong> individuals on homestead forestry as well as afforestation have
been simply diminished within only a few hours. Salinity intrusion has also adverse effects on freshwater forest
ecosystem. It affects adversely the flora and fauna composition. Flood and river bank erosion moderately affect
forest and cause loss <strong>of</strong> biodiversity, mortality <strong>of</strong> flood susceptible trees and plants and destroy both aquatic and
terrestrial ecosystems.
In the north-western part <strong>of</strong> the country, drought badly affects trees and plants due to moisture stress <strong>of</strong> the soil.
Branches and leaves <strong>of</strong> trees are dried up due to lack <strong>of</strong> moisture and excessive evapo-transpiration. Besides, erratic
rainfall, heat wave, and temperature variation cause harm to germination <strong>of</strong> seeds and transfer <strong>of</strong> species from one
place to another. Temperature variation brings <strong>change</strong>s in species <strong>of</strong> natural hill forest.
A large number <strong>of</strong> people depend on forest resources particularly on the natural forest and forest product. Forestry
sector will be affected by <strong>climate</strong> induced shocks and <strong>change</strong>s at higher scale. Flood will cause loss <strong>of</strong> trees and
<strong>The</strong> Probable Impacts <strong>of</strong> Climate Change on Poverty and Economic Growth and
the Options <strong>of</strong> Coping with adverse Effect <strong>of</strong> Climate Change in Bangladesh
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