How do rising sea levels affect the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta?

Rising sea levels, driven by global warming, pose a significant threat to the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta by exacerbating coastal flooding, storm surges, and erosion.12

The primary impacts include:

• Saltwater Intrusion: As sea levels rise, seawater encroaches into freshwater surface and groundwater supplies. This process, known as saltwater intrusion, contaminates drinking water and damages agricultural land by increasing soil salinity, which can render wells useless and harm local ecosystems.3
• Increased Inundation: The delta is highly vulnerable to flooding. Rising seas, combined with more intense tropical cyclones and storm surges, increase the frequency and severity of inundation in low-lying areas, threatening infrastructure and displacing populations.123
• Ecological Disruption: Increased salinity can lead to freshwater salinization syndrome, which depletes oxygen in water and threatens the survival of fish and plants. This poses a direct risk to the region's biodiversity, including the Sundarbans mangrove forests.13

These environmental changes create significant humanitarian and economic challenges for the region.3