Coping up with Climate change in Sundarban using Various Information Facilities

摘要

In the wake of awareness about global climate change, Sundarban Biosphere Reserve with its 4.1 million strong human population features as one of the most vulnerable areas. Being the world's largest delta Sundarban receives second highest quantity (1670 million tons) of sediments and is thus, subjected to gradual subsidence. This is giving rise to additional acceleration to the eustatic rate of sea-level rise in Sundarban. As a result, sea facing Islands are vanishing, famous Gangasagar Temple had to be shifted north twice, the salinity of surface and subsurface waters of the estuary is on the rise. Several endangered mammals, reptiles became extinct during last 100 years. The mangrove plant community, migrates from outer to mid estuary, Sundari (Heritierafomes)trees are stressed. Tigers are migrating from the south to northern forests closer to the habitation. Man animal conflict increased, Tigers'health is also physiologically stressed and they are much lighter than peninsular tigers. Due to increase in more saline resistant mangroves like Avicennia marina, A. alba density of pneumatophores increased in Sundarban resulting in fewer success of prey catch for the tigers. This also might have told upon tigers'body weight.Nearly half a million inhabitants of Sundarban are facing the hazards of losing land and house to become climate refugees. 15% of the embankments of Sundarban are vulnerable to over toppling of tidal inundation within the agricultural areas.In view of above, coping up with the climate adversities in Sundarban became expedient. The 21st Conference of Parties of UNFCC (21st COP) also aims at "Increasing the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development, in a manner that does not threaten food production ". Therefore it prompts in Sundarban for a Massive rainwater harvesting which can dilute the shallow aquifer and make it fit for farm irrigation. Large scale mangrove plantation on new char lands can make up for the drowned mangrove covered south facing Islands. Height of vulnerable embankments can be raised to prevent inundation of farm lands by saline tidal waters.Advance rehabilitation planning for the possible climate refugees of inhabited vanishing Islands and reintroduction ofindigenous saline-paddy varieties are the coping up steps