Geography Society Spotlight

Published by Bancroft's School on Tuesday 17th of October 2023

Chloe, a budding geographer currently in her last year at Bancroft's, is on the cusp of embarking on an exciting academic journey, with hopes set on studying Geography at university.

With a diverse range of interests, Chloe brings a unique and insightful perspective to our discussions. Among her notable experiences, the Geography field trip to Wales stands out as a significant highlight. Chloe joined us for A Level Geography without having studied the subject since Lower Fourth and has been thriving ever since.

Climate Crisis and Migration in Bangladesh

By Chloe A (Upper Sixth)

Interested in the migration patterns existing in my local borough, I decided to present my Geogsoc presentation on the topic of the Bangladesh climate migration crisis.

I mainly focused on the root causes of the issue, including the rising of sea levels due to the melting of glacial ice in the Himalayas and the increased intensity of extreme weather events, as well as issues regarding the water resource policies of neighbouring countries.

Moreover, I explored the Sundarbans, the so called ‘Lungs of Bangladesh’, protecting the region due to the mangrove forest’s incredible carbon sequestering ability, acting as sanctuary for biodiversity. I also looked at the devastating consequences of climate change on the country’s sinking coastal villages, leading to extreme overpopulation in the capital, Dakah, which has now become the most densely populated city in the world.

Finally, I finished by evaluating the government’s responses to the issues as well as their plans for the future. These included creating climate migrant-welcoming coastal towns with increased government investment in flood defences as well as economic opportunities and public services.

Overall, I enjoyed presenting my research and answering questions such as what factor I though was the most influential in the cause of the climate crisis? Here, I reached the conclusion that geopolitics had a large role to play regarding the destruction of ecosystems and increased flooding, exacerbating the already existing climate change issues rather than offering effective and sustainable solutions to these problems.