Save Sundarban

Introduction

Where the land meets the sea at the southern tip of West Bengal liesthe Indian Sundarbans, a stretch of impenetrable mangrove forest of great  size and bio-diversity.

The Sundarbans (Bengali: সুন্দরবন, Shundorbôn) is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world.This area is approximately half the size of the area of mangrove that existed 200 years ago, the other half being cleared and converted to agricultural land. The name Sundarban can be literally translated as "beautiful jungle" or "beautiful forest" in the Bengali language (Shundor, "beautiful" and bon, "forest" or "jungle").

The name may have been derived from the Sundari trees that are found in Sundarbans in large numbers. Alternatively, it has been proposed that the name is a corruption of Samudraban (Bengali: সমুদ্রবন Shomudrobôn "Sea Forest") or Chandra-bandhe (name of a primitive tribe). But the generally accepted view is the one associated with Sundari trees.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sundarban is a vast area covering 4262 square kms in India alone, with a larger portion in Bangladesh. 2585 sq. kms of the Indian Sundarban forms the largest Tiger Reserve and National Park in India. The total area of the Indian part of the Sundarban forest, lying within the latitude between 21°13’-22°40’ North and longitude 88°05’-89°06’ East, is about 4,262 sq km, of which 2,125 sq km is occupied by mangrove forest across 56 islands and the balance is under water.

The Sundarbans are a part of the world's largest delta formed by the rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna. Situated on the lower end of the Gangetic West Bengal,21°13’-22°40’ North and longitude 88°05’-89°06’ East, it is also the world’s largest estuarine forest.

The Sundarbans is inhospitable, dangerous and monotonous.  Dense mangrove forests occupy 56 islands and the balance is under saline water which flows through numerous tidal channels and creeks. It is difficult to approach and even more difficult to spend time in. But for those who dare, it must be one of the most attractive and alluring places remaining on earth.

How to reach Sundarban

Sundarbans is accessed from Kolkata ( Calcutta) by traveling either towards the South East or the South West. The South West route takes one through Diamond Harbour to Kakdwip and Namkhana. You can take a boat from these places or from Gangadharpur and visit Lothian Island and surrounding areas.

The South Eastern route is more popular. You drive 86 kms through wetlands and agricultural land to reach Sonakhali. You can take a 3 hour boat ride from Sonakhali jetty to Sajnekhali Tourist Lodge or cross over to Basanti. From Basanti you can take an auto-rickshaw ride to Gadkhali (11kms). At Gadkhali take the ferry to cross the Bidya river to arrive at Gosaba. A Cycle Rickshaw ride will take you to Pakhiralaya in about half hour. Sajnekhali is across the water from Pakhiralaya.

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Save the Sundarban: The Facts

Developed nations have to realise they must cut carbon emissions. It's the people of Sunderbans who are paying the price for no reason.Climate Change predicts that extreme weather, along with just a 45 cm rise in sea level would submerge 75 percent of the Sunderbans.

Climate and Energy expert said "the sinking Sunderban islands are one of the first climate hotspots in India. It sets a precedent for the impacts of sea level rise which poor populations in low lying coastal India will face in coming. Increased displacement of people due to loss of habitation and land will increase India's count of climate refugees and add to the burden of poverty under which we are already reeling. At this critical juncture where we only have eight years to act, strong and time bound mitigation measures must accompany measures for adaptation".

A country like India cannot afford the costs required to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Moreover, with a whopping 823 million poor population, India is one of the most vulnerable to climate change. While developed countries must take a much larger step to combat climate change, in our own interest we need to take definite measures to reduce CO2 emissions. We must de-carbonize our development. It is an energy revolution now or climate stability never situation.

Mangrove planting will arrest the rate of coastal erosion, making these islands survive longer. This is an immediate adaptation measure, and the people for the sake of their lives and livelihoods are taking this action collectively. However, it is evident that unless large scale measures to stop climate change by means of emission reduction are taken globally, a substantial part of the Sunderbans might disappear from the map!

According to the findings from the report of "vulnerability assessment of the Sunderbans island system in theperspective of climate change", the vulnerability of the Sunderbans to climate impacts is very high in comparison to other coastal areas of India. Over 70,000 people from the Sunderbans are under the risk of losing their habitat permanently due to sea level rise, increased cyclone intensity and flooding by the year 2030.