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In 2009, for example, Cyclone Aila damaged the embankments on the Kopotakkho River, and saline water entered Koyra Upazila, where Tuli’s family lives. As a result, freshwater sources in southwest Bangladesh were almost destroyed. In most areas, water wells don t work because the salinity is increasing not only in shallow aquifers, but also deeper ones. The river embankments are eroded and groundwater sources are flooded by saltwater.
The excess salt can lead to hypertension, which raises the risk of strokes, heart attacks, and miscarriages.
Although women tend to drink less water overall, thanks in part to their long walks, this leaves them vulnerable to high blood pressure, heart disease, and kidney diseases, issues that can also affect the health of newborns.
Ismail Gazi, 85, also lives in Koyra and suffers from high blood pressure. With his wife and daughter-in-law unable to walk long distances, he must walk more than 3 miles, outside of the monsoon season, to collect drinking water for his family. “It s my duty,” he said, “every morning and evening.
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原文来源：https://undark.org/2021/08/04/the-water-crisis-in-climate-vulnerable-bangladesh/
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