The probable impacts of climate change on poverty - UNDP

plants, biodiversity <strong>of</strong> the affected forest and forest based industries and infrastructure. Cyclone and storm surge
will simply destroy forest as well as homestead forest. Drought will affect forest causing drying up <strong>of</strong> branches and
leaves and soil moisture stress. Flora and fauna composition will be severely affected by sea level rise and salinity
intrusion. Temperature variation and erratic rainfall will <strong>change</strong> species composition and constraint germination
which will reduce forest production considerably.
6.6 Water Supply and Sanitation
<strong>The</strong> contexts <strong>of</strong> vulnerability <strong>of</strong> water and sanitation to <strong>climate</strong> <strong>change</strong> stimuli including variability and extremes
vary from region to region within the country. It is likely that the gradual <strong>change</strong> phenomena such as temperature
rise and erratic behaviour <strong>of</strong> rainfall will lead to increased water demand and drought while sea level rise and salinity
intrusion will deteriorate water quality in the coastal region. Climate <strong>change</strong> related extreme events particularly
cyclone and storm surge will damage water supply and sanitation infrastructure particularly in the coastal region.
Increase in summer temperature will increase water demand in the urban area for drinking and bathing as well as
industrial water demand for cooling system. <strong>The</strong> competition <strong>of</strong> demand may aggravate the current conflict
between domestic and industrial water supplies in the urban areas. Situation will be different in the rural area
where availability and quality <strong>of</strong> rivers and artesian wells and pond water in the dry season will be deteriorated.
Shortage <strong>of</strong> safe drinking water is likely to become more pronounced, especially in the coastal belt and drought
prone areas in the north-west <strong>of</strong> the country. It is also likely that saline water boundary will be pushed more
towards inland and vast areas will face severe water crisis in future. People now having access to fresh water will no
longer enjoy this service. Due to cyclone and storm surge, huge volumes <strong>of</strong> saline water will come to the land area
and contaminate freshwater ponds. <strong>The</strong>se will severely damage the existing drinking water sources. For instance,
ponds for the Pond Sand Filters (PSF) and dug wells may be flooded with saline water. It may also contaminate
hand tube wells and other sources as well.
It is likely that unavailability and low quality will accentuate the prevailing drinking water crisis in the dry season.
This will impose hardship on women and children, who are responsible for collecting drinking water for their
families. Saline drinking water may also result in increase health hazards, especially for pregnant women. It appears
that <strong>climate</strong> <strong>change</strong> is likely to adversely affect women more than men.
Climate is controlled mainly by the combined effects <strong>of</strong> atmosphere and hydrosphere. Naturally water is affected
by <strong>climate</strong> <strong>change</strong>, variability and extremes. Climate <strong>change</strong> affects water sector in different ways. In the monsoon,
excessive rainfall causes flood and water logging which results in scarcity <strong>of</strong> drinking water, water borne diseases’
outbreak, damage <strong>of</strong> crops, infrastructure (embankments, roads, educational and social institutes), reduces income
sources and livelihood options, and death <strong>of</strong> human beings and other animals. In the dry season, lack <strong>of</strong> rainfall
causes scarcity <strong>of</strong> water for drinking, household activities and irrigation as well as diseases like dehydration, scabies
and other infectious diseases. In the coastal area, cyclone and salinity intrusion affect fresh water sources severely.
Cyclone damages water infrastructure, increases contamination <strong>of</strong> fresh water sources with saline water, causes
water pollution which results in scarcity <strong>of</strong> drinking water and water for irrigation. Besides this, back water effects
and coastal inundation reduces sources <strong>of</strong> fresh water and thus food production and other livelihoods are also
affected.
Water and sanitation will face severe <strong>impacts</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>climate</strong> <strong>change</strong> in future. Scarcity <strong>of</strong> drinking and irrigation water
will be the major issue which will affect lives and livelihoods <strong>of</strong> the poor. Excessive water in the monsoon will
damage settlements and infrastructure, disease outbreaks and even death at higher scale compared to the existing
situation, whereas lack <strong>of</strong> rainfall in the monsoon will cause scarcity <strong>of</strong> water for drinking and sanitation. Drought
will also create scarcity <strong>of</strong> water for irrigation which will affect crop production and decrease livelihood options <strong>of</strong>
the poor. Cyclone and salinity in the coastal region will increase damage <strong>of</strong> fresh water sources and agricultural
land which will also affect the livelihoods <strong>of</strong> the poor. Besides that, water borne diseases will affect human health
severely.
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<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