Impact of Climate Change and Sea Level Rise on Sundarban Communities - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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
• f the Bay of Bengal
• The only habitat of the endangered Bengal Tiger
• Social
• High poverty rates and limited livelihood
• pportunities
• 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
• f 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
• ver 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