SANTOSH K. GHOSH & UNMESH KIRTIKAR Centre for …Presentation by Unmesh Kirtikar) The changing...

SUSTAINABILITY OF COASTAL AREAS IN CLIMATE CHANGE : BENGAL DELTA

A Case-Study from India

9th EMECS 2011: GLOBAL SUMMIT ON COASTAL SEAS

August 28-31, 2011

Baltimore, Maryland, USA

SANTOSH K. GHOSH & UNMESH KIRTIKAR

Centre for Built Environment

2/5 Sarat Bose Road, Kolkata, India.

(Presentation by Unmesh Kirtikar)

The changing coastal areas of Asia in the context of rapid population andeconomic growth and climate change has created problems. There are manymegacities located in and around the coastal area.

-----------------------------9th EMECS 2011: GLOBAL SUMMIT ON COASTAL SEAS

INTRODUCTION

LARGE CITIES IN RELATION TO CURRENT CLIMATE-RELATED HAZARDS

The unsustainable development pattern has damaged the ecosystem withconstruction, pollution, erosion, sedimentation, changing of biodiversity andnatural disaster. Isolated piecemeal action has limited success and a holisticregional planning is required. A case study of Bengal delta of Bay of Bengalwith complex biodiversity area includes world heritage sites and has manylessons.

INTRODUCTION


VULNERABILIY OF MEGA CITIES TO NATURAL HAZARDS

Source : Munchner

Ruckversicherungsgesellschaft

(2004) Megacities – Megarisks;

www.munichre.com/publications/30

2-04271_en.pdf


INTRODUCTION

SUNDERBANS THE ACTIVE DELTA IN INDIA

Located in West Bengal State in INDIA The Western (Indian) Part of the largest Active Delta of the World The (Himalayan) Ganges – Brahmaputra River Delta at the Mouth of Bay of Bengal Falling South of Tropic of Cancer between Latitude 21 31’-22 40’N & Longitude 88 05’-89 06’E

I N D I A


INTRODUCTION – case study bengal delta

The Bengal delta, located in eastern India and Bangladesh is the largest in theworld with 1 million ha of land and water. The lower part is known as Sunderbans(Sunder- ‘beautiful’ and bans – ‘forest’) A part of Bengal delta is Unesco’s WorldHeritage site and is under Biosphere programs. Total Sunderban biosphere is 9630sq km, with 112 km coastline.


SCOPE

Map Source : GEOLOGICAL

SURVEY OF INDIAMap Source : GEOLOGICAL

SURVEY OF INDIA

SCOPE

Characteristics of the Sunderbans :

• It has largest mangrove forest in Asia

• It has wild life sanctuary with tigers, birds, snakes etc.

• It is full of rivers canals estuaries, streams and wetlands

• It has low land, islands and forest lands


SCOPE

Characteristics of the Sunderbans :

• It has about 4 million people scattered in small communities

• It has small industries, small port, fishing and agriculture

• It has local crop, culture and built and local handcrafts, boat repairing fishing netand cage repair with collection of honey etc.

• There are mixture of people and culture with pilgrim centers.


SCOPE

Kolkata (Calcutta) Metropolitan area

with 15 million population is on the

top and there are more than 100

islands, some inhabited and some with

small population near Bay of Bengal.

There are small towns, villages,

forests, wild life, rivers, canals,

estuaries etc.

Often cyclone like Aila comes to wide area in the Bengal delta

SCOPE


• It is vulnerable to cyclone, storm and flooding

• There is destruction of mangrove and other forests

• There is unsustainable pattern of development

• With tidal wave and sea level rise there is intrusion of salt water .

Soil Erosion

Effects of Cyclone

Deforestation of mangroves

SCOPE


METHODS

• THE UNESCO HAS DECLARED IT AS ONE OF THE BIOSPHERES, 9630 SQ KM IN AREAAND WORLD HERITAGE SITE IS ABOUT 1400 SQ KM, 910 SQ KM LAND AND 490 SQMWATER.

• IT INCLUDES WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES. THE TIDAL SWAMPS AND ESTUARIES AREDEGRADED BY DEFORESTATION, LOSS OF MANGROVES, UNSUSTAINABLEFARMING, FISHERIES AND HUMAN SETTLEMENTS.

• THESE AREAS ARE IDENTIFIED AS * CORE AREA* BUFFER AREA* TRANSITION AREA

• THE UNESCO'S PROGRAM COVERING THESE FUNCTIONS :

1. CONSERVATION – PRESERVING, FLORA, FAUNA, LANDSCAPE ETC. 2. DEVELOPMENT –SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, ECOLOGICAL 3. LOGISTIC – EDUCATION, TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDING 4. CONSERVATION, ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CONCEPTS AS PART OF

INTEGRATED HOLISTIC PLAN.


METHODS

MANY GOVERNMENTS HAVE ENACTED COASTAL REGULATIONS.

NEW COASTAL REGULATION ZONE OF GOVT. OF INDIA

FOUR AREAS

1.AREAS BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW TIDE LINE AND ECOLOGICAL SENSITIVE AREAS LIKE MANGROVES, BIOSPHERE ETC.

2.AREAS ALREADY DEVELOPED – CLOSE TO SHORE, LINE HERITAGE AREA, FORESHORE ACTIVITIES AREA.

3.UNDEVELOPED AREAS – RURAL AREAS.

4.SPECIAL AREAS, ISLAND ETC

PREVIOUS SET BACK LINE OF 500 M HAS BEEN REPLACED BY VULNERABILITY FACTOR TO NATURAL AND MAN MADE DISASTER. THIS IS BASED ON ELEVATION, GEOMORPHOLOGY, SEA LEVEL TREND ETC. PERMISSIBLE ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN LISTED.


RESULTS

Sunderbans is one of the largest mangrove areas in the country with an approximate population of 0.5 million living within the biosphere.

Sunderbans is being affected by the sea level Rise. Further local Communities face hardship due to lack of infrastructure facilities.

Some specific programs have been taken like restoration of mangrove forests which protect from storm and cyclone and flooding and help in aquatic production.


RESULTS

Local fishing system in brackish waste water


• Various cooperative societies have been formed by fishermen and farmers. The StateGovernment of West Bengal has set up monitoring units. Various NGOs are also working.

RESULTS

• There is increasing control mechanism. An Ecotourism project proposal has been rejectedand some resorts, illegally built have been ordered demolition. There are prohibitoryorders for deforestation and other activities.


RESULTS

• Coastal Zone Regulation 2010 has been amended a new concepts of hazard line has beenintroduced but detail guidelines are yet to be prepared.

The following are the measures taken in the draft Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2010which address the issues relating to fishing community:

i) To ensure livelihood security to the fishing communities and other local communities

ii) To conserve and protect coastal stretches, its unique environment and its marine area

iii) To promote development through sustainable manner based on scientific principles takinginto account the dangers of natural hazards in the coastal areas, sea level rise due toglobal warming.

iv) Control discharge of untreated sewage, effluents, solid waste, both from inland and shipsin the territory.

v) Enable coastal study and in regard with the climate change and occurrence of disasterwhich has serious impacts on the life and property of the fishermen communities.

However no restrictions are imposed on any fishing activities and allied activities of thetraditional fishing communities in the water area.


RESULTS

• Restoration, reclamation and rehabilitation activities have been proposed.

• Special attention is to be given to settlements and designed to withstand floods andcyclone – special rehabilitation centre for climate refugees and new building code arerequired.

• Multipurpose project like Community development and community participation is to beencouraged.

• A number of training programs for awareness for climate change, eco-development,aforestation etc. have started. There are some sustained efforts for communitydevelopment.


CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATION

• The Bengal delta specially the Sunderbans is an ecosystem and its planning will bedifferent for integrated coastal zone management. Ecosystem, spatial, development andsocial parameters are to be integrated with several impacts like vulnerability, naturaldisasters, climate change sea level rise .

• A regional coastal environmental plan based on analysis of interrelation amongst physical,spatial development and environmental ecological process and human activities and socialeconomic objectives is necessary.


CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATION

THANK YOU FOR SAVING ME -----------------------------9th EMECS 2011: GLOBAL SUMMIT ON COASTAL SEAS

SANTOSH K. GHOSH & UNMESH KIRTIKAR Centre for …Presentation by Unmesh Kirtikar) The changing...

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