ABSTRACT
Geologically major part of Bangladesh is occupied by one of the largest deltas of the world, formed by the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna River system (Fig. 9.1). The quaternary deposits cover more than 85% of the country and the rest is by the folded tertiary sedimentary rocks. Unique geographic and tectonic position and geomorphologic conditions have made Bangladesh meeting place of natural hazards especially most vulnerable to climate change and sea level rise (SLR). Himalayas in the North, close to the subduction zone and Bay of Bengal in the South have made Bangladesh vulnerable to climate changes. Cyclones, storm-surges, floods, droughts, river and coastal erosion, are common in Bangladesh (Alam, 1997). Some part of the country is within the seismic zone. The country has a very low and flat topography, except the Northeast and Southwest regions. It is almost entirely an alluvial deltaic plain with hills on the Northeast coast and Southeast margins. About 10% of the country covering 14,000 km2 is hardly 1 m above the mean sea level (MSL). One-third of Bangladesh is under tidal influence.
