Climate Change and Sustainable Livelihood Programmes: A case study from the Indian Sundarbans

The impact of global warming, through the predicted sea level rise, on Sundarbans estuary, in the Bay of Bengal is an inevitable phenomenon. While the mitigation measures have to be primarily at the global level as well as at local level, the adaptation strategy will also involve participation of global and local communities. This study has clearly shown that the people living around the mangrove forests have to be provided with a sustainable alternate livelihood to cope with the increasing salinity in the region. As regards the destructive livelihood activities practiced by the villagers of Sundarbans, generating employment through other livelihood options and training in skill development have to be resorted to. However, all these socio-economic activities need huge amount of fund support at the beginning. Since Sundarbans mangrove, if properly conserved, can store billions of tonnes of carbon thus mitigating the effect of global warming, the people of the region also need to be duly compensated under REDD+ projects. The study has shown the prospect of conservation of Sundarbans mangrove flora and fauna through active participation of local people. The global community cannot avoid their commitment for conserving one of the largest sink for atmospheric carbon.