The Sundarbans mangrove forest, located on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers across India and Bangladesh, is climatically vulnerable. It has experienced rising sea levels, increasing sea surface temperatures, and more frequent and intense cyclones. This has depleted the mangrove forests and decreased populations of endangered species like the royal Bengal tiger, reducing biodiversity. Long term climate resilience plans aim to promote renewable energy, conservation, and explore how local communities cope with climate-related uncertainties.

1. Climatic Vulnerability of the
Sundarbans in South Asia

2. Overview
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The Sundarbans - one of the largest mangrove forest in the world.
Lies on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of
Bengal.
Covers two countries – India and Bangladesh (more than half of it in India, the
rest in Bangladesh).
Status of reserved forests in both countries.
Inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List - Natural Site.
Sundarbans National Park (Indian side), inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage
List, in 1987
The Sundarbans (Bangladesh side), inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List,
in 1997
Climatically vulnerable zones
Capturing the spectrum of climatic events – erosions, submergence, cyclone
Differential effect of climatic events

3. • Sundarbans – Covering two countries in South Asia – India and Bangladesh
• Deltaic islands – slowly submerging due to global warming

4. Sundarbans National Park (Indian side), inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List, in 1987.

5. Scientific Findings on Climate Change in the Sundarbans
• Sea level rise increase at 17.8 mm/year between 2000 and 2009
• Increase in Sea Surface Temperature (SST) in Sundarbans for all three seasons- pre-monsoon,
monsoon and winters
• Shift in the monsoon patterns
• Higher disaster risk with more frequent and intense cyclones and higher damages to
infrastructure

6. Depleting Mangrove Forests

7. Climate Change impact on the Sundarbans
- Decreasing population of royal Bengal tiger and other endangered wildlife
- Reducing biodiversity
- Climatic uncertainties lead to extinction of many flora and fauna

8. Climate Resilience
• Long term plan and implementation of use of
renewable energy sources
• Participatory development of Environmental
Management and Biodiversity Conservation
Plan
• Participatory success story from the
Sundarban's Tiger Project
• STEPS Centre Project “Climate Change and
Uncertainty from Below and Above” to study
how do people deal with uncertainty about
climate, disease or natural disasters like
floods?
• Explores how different people see climaterelated challenges and resilience – residents of
the Sundarbans, informal health workers &
NGO workers
Visualization by Anup Kumar Das
http://anupkumardas.blogspot.in