When the sea moves inland: A global climate wake-up call from #Bangladesh's Delta
As sea levels climb and #weather grows more extreme, coastal regions everywhere are facing a creeping threat: salt. #Salinization of #freshwater and #soils adversely affects 500 million people around the world, especially in low-lying #river #deltas.
The western parts of the delta, already more prone to tidal influence, showed the fastest increases in salinity. The data suggests that the combination of #SeaLevelRise, reduced freshwater flow, and increasingly frequent storm surges are all contributing to the inland movement and retention of saltwater.
Since about 2007, many parts of the delta have experienced stepwise increases in salinity, often linked to powerful storms like #Cyclone #Sidr. These changes can devastate crops, erode #FoodSecurity, and force communities to move. While the analysis focused primarily on environmental data, it underscores how salinity intrusion is increasingly a threat to livelihoods, public #health, and regional stability.
