The views of the people living and coping with the everyday effects of climate change in India are explored here through an innovative 'Photo Voice' presentation created by Shibaji Bose of the Indian Institute of Health Management Research (IIHMR), the India comunications officer on our Uncertainty from Below project.

1. UNCERTAINTY
THROUGH THE LENS
Shibaji Bose
IIHMR
Uncertainty from Below
JNU/STEPS Symposium on Exploring Pathways to
Sustainability
Delhi 10 February 2014

2. The ‘lived’ experiences of the mundane daily
rhythm of uncertainty have been captured
through a visual narrative of the Below by
the researchers of the STEPS ‘Uncertainty
from Below’ project.
We are thankful to those who have enriched us with visuals to depict
the true nature of uncertainty

3. URBAN INDIA- DELHI & MUMBAI

4. A few kilometers away from where
we are sitting….a river enters the
city of Delhi; the river is arguably
the main source of water to the
city….

6. Some of the offerings that we greet
Yamuna with…..

9. Bathing in Uncertainty…
Substantial population of Delhi – the Below - use
toxic water of Yamuna

11. The ‘scarred’ river exits the city of
Delhi…

13. The ‘hills’ of Delhi …
A Planned waste disposal site just by the side of
a government hospital

15. Glimpses of the ‘lived’ experiences
in Delhi through the smoke screen
of uncertainty
Living with the waste…

17. Living amidst the waste……

21. The creeks of Mumbai and the left
over greenery in Delhi…..

23. KUTCH- GUJARAT

24. The fodder of Banni – Asia’s
biggest grassland – is fast
vanishing due to over grazing and
increasing salinity

26. Over encroachment of Ganda Bawal
(Proscobis junifora) is also a case for the
degradation of
the grass cover in the Banni…..

28. Pastoralists heading out in search of greener
pastures - Rampant state sponsored land
grabbing by the industrialists and vanishing
grasslands are finally taking its toll….

30. Women from Ashirawandh (a sleepy hamlet by the
Arabian sea) are being forced to collect mangrove
saplings – which act as a buffer against the
approaching sea - for livestock fodder; Their
erstwhile lands for earmarked for collection of
fodder have now been taken over for the
burgeoning SEZs

32. Depleting fish reserves
– sea level temp rise has made the fishing
season unpredictable
the boats of poorer section of the
fishermen community stay moored at the
Jackaw port during what was earlier the
peak fishing season …
…..fishing has become a risky business

34. Deserted hutments of the fisherfolk
There is a considerable increase in
migration trends….

36. SUNDARBANS-
WEST BENGAL

37. Majority of 3000 kms of embankments are
temporary and are the mercy of natural …
and political forces……

39. Breaches in embankments are common
especially during high tides.
Islanders face uncertainty from both
river erosion and the sea level rise….

42. Salinity ingress – ‘untouched’ ponds …
• Depleting water supply
• Loss of freshwater fish - a common source of
nutrients for the islanders
• Agriculture land unfit for cultivation
• Food insecurity widespread in the Sunderbans
Cyclone Aila & the ‘silent killers’ continue to haunt
the islanders

45. Large-scale migration of the men
folk…..

47. Women now form the majority
inhabitants besides the aged
and the children…..
STEPS researchers at a remote village
sandwiched between the river and the
sea

49. Men take “15 tides” for a fishing trip
or out-migrate to distant lands. Due
to fishing ban from ‘above’ , women
have restrictive options and secretly
collect prawn seeds….

52. Not unusual for children to join
their mothers. They now participate
in crab collections – a new trend
since ‘Aila’

54. A dwelling on the verge of being
washed away….
Ghoramara island is no more
Half of Mousumi and Lohachar
islands remain
For many of the islanders daily
survival is the main and the only
concern

56. We would be using
‘photo voice’ - a
participatory action
research tool - to reveal
real life experiences and
to enable the Below to
record and reflect their
adaptation strategies to
battle climate change
- Thank you