Sundarbans Programme

The Sunderbans is the world’s largest mangrove ecosystem spread over an area of 9,630 Sq. Km. in India. Apart from being a unique mangrove ecosystem the region supports one of the highest densities of the Royal Bengal Tiger. The delta consists of 102 low lying islands of which 48 are inhabited. The islands and its ecosystems including the community are severely stressed on availability of natural resources and highly vulnerable to changes in climate. Several factors are responsible for increasing vulnerability of the local community.

Climate change is leading to increased salinity and higher tidal surges, permanent submergence of land masses increasing the vulnerability of communities and having an untold impact on the ecosystem and biodiversity of the area. Recent research based on satellite imagery has revealed that sea level is rising in Sunderbans at an average rate of 3.14 mm a year. A rise of upto 1 metre is expected to inundate about 1000 Sq. Km. of the delta. In the past two decades four islands (Bedford, Lohachara, Kabasgadi and Suparibhanga) have been submerged with 6000 families rendered homeless. Scientists from University of Calcutta and Jadavpur University have predicted that one of the largest islands (Sagar islands) will lose at least 15% of its habitat area by 2020. Communities are already responding by adjusting the timing of cropping, changing crop types, and increasing rainwater harvesting and building island mud barrages.

Establishment of fodder and fuelwood plantations in the villages as a livelihoods option is expected to lead to decrease the pressure on mangroves. Other adaptation options include agroforestry methods, including establishment of a small inland plantation is proposed along freshwater canals and ponds in order to both reduce the threat of sea-level rise and provide valuable livelihood benefits to the villages.

People and Mangroves

On the east coast of India, lies a cluster of 102 low-lying islands in the Bay of Bengal, famous for its unique mangrove forests. The Sundarbans delta, spread across India and Bangladesh, is the largest mangrove ecosystem in the world but is now losing its land resources to the rising sea level and coastline erosion. Studies suggest that climate change is leading to increased salinity and higher tidal surges, permanent submergence of land mass and increased vulnerability of communities and biodiversity. It has been found out that the relative mean sea level in Sagar Island and adjoining areas of the Bay of Bengal is rising at the rate of 3.14 mm per year (Hazra et al. 2002). The projected loss of area for 12 of the most vulnerable seafacing islands by 2020 is between 3 per cent and 32 per cent.

The CCIFEH Programme has selected Mousuni Island, in India, out of the 54 inhabited islands, as a pilot site to observe and study these impacts and to introduce adaptation strategies in the villages of this island to combat the effects of climate change. Mousuni is a small island, covering about 24 sq km, with a population of 20,000. There are sand beaches on the western and southern sides; the rest of the shore is mud.

Shore erosion is a normal phenomenon in an active delta but takes place very gradually. However, in the recent years this island has been facing acute problem of accelerated coastline erosion as well as periodic flooding of homestead and productive agricultural lands. This has a major impact on livelihoods as rice cultivation is the main activity on the island. Climate change is forcing the inhabitants of the island to change crops or shift to later months. Moreover, the cultivation of some crops have been seriously hampered as there is a marked shift in paddy planting season, which has been pushed by two months over the last 30 years, squeezing out whatever little scope there was for a third crop.


As part of a new initiative the programme seeks to develop state level awareness generation towards effective participation by the local stakeholders in vulnerability reduction from extreme climatic events. In doing so the initiative will look forward to :

1. Establishing institutional processes with local Civil society organisations and other stakeholders
2. Build capacity through awareness generation of local communities and CSOs
3. Promote the role of grass roosts level civil societies through development of a model resource centre