Of all the countries at risk from the consequences of the climate emergency, the largest and most populous is Bangladesh. Home to more than 160 million people in an area barely larger than England, the country’s average altitude is less than 10m above sea level, making it very vulnerable to sea level rises.
Like much of the Indian subcontinent, Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon climate, with a cool, dry season from October to February, a hot, humid season from March to June and a rainy season from June to October. Typical locations get 150-250cm (60-100in) of rain a year, while towards the east of the country there may be as much as 375cm (150in).
Heavy rainfall often brings flooding, as the waters enter the sea via the huge deltas of the Brahmaputra and Ganges rivers, which drain into the Bay of Bengal. In autumn this may be exacerbated by tropical cyclones, whose heavy winds and torrential downpours can lead to storm surges, as happened from 2007 to 2009. These do not just cause immediate death and destruction, but also damage land needed to grow crops such as rice to feed the large and growing population.
