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SES Professor C.K. Shum Collaborates with Mershon Center on Study of Migration Crisis in Bangladesh

May 13, 2020

SES Professor C.K. Shum Collaborates with Mershon Center on Study of Migration Crisis in Bangladesh

An eroded rice field alongside a river in Bangladesh

School of Earth Sciences professor and Distinguished University Scholar C.K. Shum, in collaboration with the Ohio State University's Mershon Center, has been researching how climate change can affect the safety and security of entire nations.

This issue is no more evident than in Bangladesh, where rising sea levels, increased frequency of extreme weather and other impacts related to global warming are causing a migration crisis for the entire region.

“Bangladesh, one of the if not the most densely populated coastal nations in the world, is the poster child for the adverse effects of climate change with seasonal floods, droughts, cyclone-induced storm surge and floods, saltwater intrusion ... (and) the threat of sea-level rise, exacerbated by rapid sinking of land,” said Shum. "Bangladesh is a prime example of why researchers across disciplines, including those at Ohio State, need to work together to study the susceptibility of communities in at-risk areas. Rising sea levels and coastal vulnerability in Bangladesh impacted more than just the country’s agricultural yield; they have dramatically altered lives throughout the country.

For more information, check out the article on the ASC College News page here.