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Ashar Chor - A Vanishing Island

Khaled Hasan

http://www.khaledhasan.com

Ashar Chor is a split of land marooned in the Bay of Bengal on the coast in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is only one meter above sea level. With no early warning system in place, consequences from natural disasters and the ever-evolving impact of global warming, make Ashar Chor is one of the most dangerous and unpredictable places to live and work.

The current predictions for the future of Bangladesh are bleak. A global rise in temperatures has increased flooding in the south and the desertification of the north. And while sea-levels could rise more than one meter by 2100, a water rise of just 40cm in the Bay of Bengal would submerge 11% of the country's land area in the coastal zone. This will create up to 10 million climate change refugees.

In Ashar Chor, the only means of income is dry fish (Shutki). The whole community is dependent on the small dry fish industry in order to live. Over the last 10 years increasingly unpredictable weather and rising sea levels have been having a huge effect on the community’s ability to survive.

Due to constantly rising sea levels, the people of Ashar Chor are being forced to move further and further inland. It is only a matter of time before the land is reclaimed by the sea.