A new study from the University of Portsmouth has sounded a global climate alarm, warning that rising sea levels are pushing saltwater inland at an accelerating pace – with severe consequences for water, food and communities.
Focusing on the Bengal Delta in Bangladesh – the world’s largest river delta – researchers tracked two decades of data from 50 monitoring stations.
They found that salinity levels have steadily risen, with stepwise increases since 2007, often linked to storm surges from cyclones like Sidr.
Salinity is rising faster and reaching farther inland than many people realise and it’s happening quietly with major consequences for water security, agriculture, and livelihoods. What we’re seeing in the Bengal Delta is not just a local crisis, it’s a signal of what’s coming for low-lying coastal areas around the world.”
Dr Mohammad Hoque, University of Portsmouth.
The findings reveal that human-made solutions such as embankments and dams may worsen salinisation by restricting freshwater flow.
With around 500 million people globally at risk from creeping salinity, the authors call for integrated action linking rivers, oceans and climate.
They urge urgent investment in salt-tolerant crops, water storage and basin-wide planning.
“The Bengal Delta is on the frontline of climate change, but it is not alone,” said co-author Dr Ashraf Dewan of Curtin University. “The patterns observed here are emerging in many of the world’s great coastal regions. What happens next depends on how quickly we respond.”
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