Sea Level and Infrastructure

A 1 m rise in sea level would inundate 18% of Bangladesh’s total land, directly threatening 11% of the country’s population. Impacts would be mostly around Dhaka and Khulna region. Backwater and coastal storms could affect 60% of the population. The major port of Mongla would be at risk, as would one-eighth of the country’s agricultural land and 8,000 km of roads. The costs of protection would be substantial. 4,800 km of existing coastal defences would need upgrading and an additional 4,000 km of new defences would be needed.