The Sundarbans, abutting the Bay of Bengal is home to about 7.2 million people; about 2.7 million in Bangladesh and the rest in India. Due to global warming the region is experiencing rise in sea surface temperature and sea level, increasing frequency of severe storms, and consequently, net land loss. What choices do communities and administrations have in the region? (i) Abandon and retreat, (ii) enhance resilience, or (iii) anticipate and facilitate transitions. This paper attempts to answer this question on the basis of a generic adaptation decision framework (GADF). The problem of climate vulnerability of the Indian Sundarbans is superimposed on the GADF to help administrations rationalize between choices. The threat of climate change-induced displacement in the ecoregion is real and the paper recommends a functional alliance between Bangladesh and India to bilaterally address environmental security issues, implying guarding against environmental degradation, and consequently, social disorder and conflict.
Danda, AA; Ghosh, N; Bandyopadhyay, J; Hazra, S
Managed retreat: adaptation to climate change in the Sundarbans ecoregion in the Bengal Delta
Journal Of The Indian Ocean Region