Impact of Climate Change and Sea

Level Rise on Sundarban Communities

Conserving Now, Preserving Future

Sundarban: Key Features • Ecological

• Celebrated ecological habitat among the three largest single tract mangrove forests

• Most bio-diverse and Most significant Fish Nursery of the Bay of Bengal

• The only habitat of the endangered Bengal Tiger • Social

• High poverty rates and limited livelihood opportunities

• Lowest per capita income and per capita land area compared to Small Island Developing States (SIDs), more people than 18 SIDs

• Persistent pressures from sea level rise, salinization of soil and water, cyclonic storms and flooding

Conserving Now, Preserving Future

Coastal Changes: Sea Level Rise and Increase in Salinity • Sea Level Rise

• Sagar Island: Sea level rise estimated at 17.8 mm per year between 2001 and 2008, compared to a rise of 3.14 mm per year during the preceding decade

• Climate change is only one part of the explanation • Compaction of settled lands translating into sinking

land levels • Ongoing sedimentation of the estuary • Overarching geomorphological changes of the delta

as a whole • Salinity

• Main causes: storm surges and tidal effects. Fresh water supply into the region that counteracts this stands reduced

• The Bengal Basin tilting gradually in an eastern direction due to sediment loading and tectonic subsidence

• river courses have shifted east central and south-western coast of Bengal, are largely bypassed by the main rivers of the delta, limiting fresh water input

Conserving Now, Preserving Future

Cyclonic Storms and Flooding • Sundarban area is cyclone-prone, monsoonal

and low-lying • More than 4 cyclonic events per year of varying

wind forces • Cyclonic storm hitting the Sundarbans area

have increased in intensity between 1951 and 2010

• The increase in intensity is attributed to the increase in Sea Surface Temperature

• 1891-1994: 90 cyclones (35 severe) • Cyclones alone account for about 45% of all

losses in the Sundarban • People exposed to disaster events (2000-10)

92% (83% in India, 99.6% in Bangladesh)

Conserving Now, Preserving Future

Cyclonic Storm Tracks in Bay of Bengal 1891-2007

Adaptation: Preserving Ecosystem for Sustainable Livelihoods • Population increased from about 1 million in the 50s to

over 4 million today • Exposure to natural disasters leaves few choices for the

people of Sundarban • Migration, change in livelihood • But few consider migration as first choice (film)

• State actions: • Preserving mangroves as the first level of defence • Mobilising communities to take action rapidly and

cyclone proof themselves • Building up strategies for sustainable use of

natural resources • construction of non invasive infrastructure to

support sustainable livelihoods • Insurance coverage to the stakeholders of key

livelihood sectors

Conserving Now, Preserving Future

Conserving Now, Preserving Future