A Study of Morphological Changes in the Coastal Areas and Offshore Islands of Bangladesh Using Remote Sensing

Bangladesh is a country where 80 percent of the land is below 1 meters from the MSL. The small country with a huge population is already known to the outside world for her vulnerability to natural hazards. Among the impacts of climate change, the serious concern for Bangladesh is the relative sea level rise (RSLR). A 45-centimeter sea level rise in Bangladesh may dislocate about 35 million people from 20 coastal districts by 2050. In a worst-case scenario, Bangladesh could lose nearly 25 percent of its 1989 land area by around 2100. The process of erosion, deposition and accretion are common phenomenon in the deltaic country. This study based on remote sensing data tries to examine the erosion, accretion and net gain/loss of land in the Coastal Areas and Offshore Islands of Bangladesh and recommends measures to enhance the process of accretion to save millions from becoming environmental refugees.