Bangladesh is a land where agriculture, the economy, and daily life are deeply intertwined with nature. The people of this country predict the future of crops by observing the clouds in the sky and judge the security of their livelihoods by watching the flow of rivers.
But in recent years, nature seems to have begun losing its normal rhythm. The cycle of seasons is no longer as stable as before. Summers are becoming longer, winters shorter, and even the monsoon is often behaving irregularly.
Amid this abnormality, fears have emerged that a powerful or “super El Niño” may once again become active across the world.
“El Niño” is not an ordinary weather phenomenon. It is a powerful natural cycle within the global climate system that affects the weather of many regions of the world through changes in the temperature of the distant Pacific Ocean. Bangladesh is not located directly on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, but it is deeply connected to the South Asian monsoon system.
As a result, changes in Pacific Ocean temperatures may ultimately impact Bangladesh’s agriculture, food systems, public health, and economy as well. Experts fear that if a strong El Niño becomes active this time, the monsoon season in Bangladesh may be delayed, rainfall may decrease, and heatwaves may occur more frequently.
The experience of 2024 still remains vivid in people’s memories. For 36 consecutive days, temperatures ranging from 36 to 42 degrees Celsius prevailed across different parts of the country.
Vast areas stretching from Chuadanga, Rajshahi, and Khulna to Dhaka and Mymensingh seemed to turn into a blazing inferno. Schools had to be closed, electricity demand rose dangerously, and hospitals saw alarming increases in patients suffering from heatstroke, dehydration, and diarrhea.
This reality is not merely a story of changing weather—it is also a harsh reflection of social inequality. The people most affected by extreme heat are day laborers, agricultural workers, rickshaw pullers, and low-income communities.
Those who lack adequate cooling facilities at home and cannot afford to stop working become the first victims of nature’s harshness. In other words, the impacts of climate change are not only an environmental crisis; they are also a question of social justice.
For Bangladesh’s agricultural sector, this crisis is even more alarming. The country’s Aman rice depends heavily on monsoon rainwater, while Boro cultivation requires extensive irrigation.
If the monsoon is delayed, the planting of Aman seedlings will be disrupted; prolonged droughts will dry out the land, while sudden excessive rainfall may flood the fields. As a result, food production will decline, and the prices of rice, wheat, and other essential commodities will rise in the market.
The greatest burden will fall on middle- and lower-income people. The drought-prone areas of the northern and northwestern regions will face even greater risks. Pressure on groundwater resources will increase, and rivers, canals, and wetlands may dry up.
At the same time, if the flow of freshwater into coastal rivers decreases, salinity levels will rise, posing serious threats to agriculture, drinking water, and fisheries.
The most concerning issue is that Bangladesh now stands face to face with two opposing forms of extreme weather at the same time—on one hand, prolonged heatwaves and droughts; on the other, intense rainfall and sudden floods occurring within short periods.
This clearly demonstrates that climate change is no longer a fear for the future—it is a harsh reality of the present.
In this situation, merely expressing concern will not be enough. What is needed is long-term state-level preparation. The development of drought-resistant crops, water conservation, advanced weather forecasting systems, reform of urban drainage systems, and special preparedness in the health sector to combat heatwaves are now demands of the time.
At the same time, unplanned urbanization, the encroachment of canals and water bodies, and the destruction of the environment must also be stopped.
It must be remembered that nature never takes revenge—nature merely restores balance. The question is: will we take seriously these warning signs of nature’s attempt to restore balance, or will we remain indifferent, thinking, “let things continue as they are”?
