Bio-physical Attributes of Coastal Villages under Climate Stressed Environmental Conditions in Bengal Delta, Bangladesh

Abstract

The bio-physical attributes of two coastal villages—Bara Kupat and Henchi—situated in the Ganges Tidal Floodplain are assessed through estimation of chemical attributes of surface and groundwater and soil, and appraisal of floristic composition following standard methods. The dissolved cationic abundance in surface water follows the trend as Na+>Ca2+> Mg2+> K+ while that of groundwater is Na+ > Mg2+ > Ca2+ > K+. The trend of dissolved anions in surface water is Cl - > SO4 2- > HCO3 - > PO4 3- and that in groundwater is Cl - > HCO3 - > PO4 3- > SO4 2- . The major controls of hydrochemistry is the process of evaporation and crystallization and the samples represent Na+-Cl - type water where the alkali metals are exceeding the alkaline earths and strong acidic anions exceed weak acidic anions. Such water generally creates salinity problems both in irrigation and potable uses. The soils of the villages are strongly saline but alkaline. Such physical attributes support only 56 floral species in Bara Kupat and 20 in Henchi—much fewer than already observed in home gardens of coastal Bangladesh. The environmentally stressed conditions—as revealed by analysis of water and soil, and floristic composition—may aggravate when the consequences of rapid changes in climate pattern is taken in to consideration.