Climate change makes its presence felt
Temperatures rising abnormally in Barisal
Murad Ahmed, Barisal
Climate change is making its impact felt in Barisal region, with rainfall and temperatures rising abnormally in summer and cold conditions declining in winter. The changing weather pattern has badly affected agricultural production in Barisal region as a result, with the drought conditions deteriorating.
As a result of the change in climate conditions, the cultivation of chillies, mug, a kind of pulse, and vegetables has primarily been affected. Monirul Islam, deputy director of the flowers and fruits department of the Agriculture Extension Department of Dhaka, who has worked for several years at the field level in Barisal region, explained that though such heavy rain is helpful for paddy cultivation, it is dangerous for the cultivation of vegetables.
He cautioned that it was a dangerous trend that temperatures of over 35 degrees Celsius have been recorded here in October in the last two years.
He was hopeful that salinity would decrease following the heavy rain, but warned that storms may hit the region within the first week of December this year as a result of the abnormal climatic conditions.
The meteorological office recorded cold conditions hereat 7.3 degrees Celsiusfor only three days in January this year. Temperatures of 10 degrees Celsius were recorded for only four days, according to the Barisal met office records.
The highest recorded was 37.6 degrees Celsius on April 24 this year and was over 36 degrees Celsius for at least 23 days this year. Breaking all records of the past 49 years, 274.4mm rainfall was recorded in Barisal city in 13 hours on August 21 this year. The previous record was 268mm rainfall here in 24 hours in 1968. Again, 2565mm rainfall was recorded here last yearthis was the highest recorded rainfall in the past 10 years. This year, already 2187mm rainfall has been recorded here in the past six months. Only 209mm rainfall was recorded in April and May last year but 485mm was recorded this year in the same period.
The agricultural expert, Monirul Islam, also said the abnormal situation of rainfall has been a cause for concern. Rain used to come over two-and-a-half months in a year in Barisal in previous years but has increased to six months in a year over the past two years. This is abnormal, he pointed out, as in previous years, rainfall occurred over long durations of time, but now heavy rain falls within a few hours. The situation has badly hit the cultivation of vegetables.
Climate change in the region has not only affected agricultural production, but has also generated cyclones like Sidr, Reshmi and Aila, experts added. Farmers complain that widespread siltation, flood protection embankments and ring dams have separated natural water resources from croplands and have deprived their fields of the benefits accruing from the natural flow of high and low tides.
Sources in the local meteorological department said the total amount of rainfall in Barisal was 2005mm in 2006, 2227mm in 2007, only 983mm in 2008, 1020mm in 2009 and 1679mm in 2010, 1918mm in 2011, 1622mm in 2012, 1530mm in 2013 and 1452 in 2014, 2565mm last year and 2187mm in the past six months. Over the past 10 years, the second highest amount of rainfall (2251mm) was recorded in 2013 and the third highest of 2227mm was recorded in 2007. At the same time, the lowesta paltry 983mmwas recorded in 2008.
