Who can save the Sundarbans? 3rd Prize: Twinkle Arya
Gateway House Global Minds Essay Competition
3rd prize: Twinkle Arya
Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, Class X
Chandigarh
Who can save the Sundarbans?
The Sunbarbans, a UNESCO World Heritage Site shared by India and Bangladesh at the mouth of the Ganges River, is the world’s largest single block of mangrove forest. Of the 60 varieties of mangroves and mangrove associates that are found in India, the Sundarbans accounts for 50, many of which are rare. Mangroves are found at the inter-tidal region between land and sea, and not only serve as breeding grounds for fish but help protect coastal regions from natural disasters such as cyclones, storm surges and wind damage. The Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem, shared by India and Bangladesh, is recognized as a global priority for biodiversity conversation. Sea Level rise, due to climate change threatens the long term persistence of the Sundarbans forests and its biodiversity. Also, one of the world’s largest tiger populations could disappear by the end of this century as rising sea levels caused by climate change destroy their habitat along the coast of Bangladesh in an area known as the Sundarbans, according to the new WWF-led published in the journal climate change.
Globally, action should include limits on carbon emissions to slow climatic change. Regionally, potential adaptation activities should focus on better coordination among neighbouring countries to identify mechanisms that would increase sediment delivery and freshwater flows to be coastal region to support agriculture and replenishment of land. Locally, management activities that conserve habitat or limit threats include building dykes, developing and planting mangroves that can adapt to the rising seas and changing salinity, and limiting poaching or retaliatory killing of tigers and their prey. Large forest areas of Sundarbans have turned into forest villages with heavy with carbon dioxide in the environment. Local people destroy mangrove forest of the region unknowingly; they do not know the concept of climate change and global warming, India is experiencing some of the very real effects of climate change. So people should be made aware by organizing awareness campaigns.
Mangrove planting should be encouraged as It will arrest the rate of coastal erosion, making these islands survive longer. This is an immediate adaptation measure, and the people for the sake of their lives and livelihoods are taking this action collectively. However, it is evident that unless large scale measures to stop climate change by means of emission reduction are taken globally, a substantial part of the Sundarbans might disappear from the map!” A country like India cannot afford the costs required to adapt to the, impacts of climate change. Moreover, with a whopping 823 million poor population, India is one of the most vulnerable to climate change. While developed countries must take a much larger step to combat climate change, in our own interest we need to take definite measures to reduce CO2 emissions. We must de-carbonize our development. It is an energy revolution now or climate stability never situation.”
Now on the back drop of this alarming climate change crisis in Sundarbans, a joint venture should be initiated by the governments of Bangladesh and India to protect this unique ecosystem. The Sundarbans region is an ecosystem of which 40% region together in the areas of Indian Territory and 60% in Bangladesh. The tow countries should work together in the areas to tiger protect, mangrove protection and setting up embankments to combat climate change issues faced by the site over a long period of time. The governments should realize now that the course of action taken earlier have proved inefficient and incorrect, so this time the forum and the government should be all set to try its hangs on something innovative. Sundarbans are spread in India and Bangladesh and bilateral measures need to be taken to save ecosystem. They must pool in their experiences and working plans for conversation, Even NGO and civil society group should come together to protect these distinct forests. The forum should coordinate efforts in afforestation, management of mangroves and conversation for the tigers. Conversation team should strive an answer and make headway to secure the future of this precious forest. They should approach this task from all angles: training forest guards to strengthen law enforcement working with local communities to improve forest management, carrying out essential research, and reducing the conflict between tiger and man. they should also highlight the plight of the Sundarbans tigers and other dwellers to the world, to build the support and skills needed to save this unique environment, It is up to everyone to make sure that this unique forest does no disappear from the map.
The international community will have to take effective measures to protect the Sundarbans, the World’s larges mangrove forest and South Asia’s largest carbon sink, from the rising seas. The international community should provide funds and should ensure that they are used properly and effectively for adaptation purposes. One such suggestion is that developing countries in particular, should pass a Sundarban Climate Change Security Act. The act should be mandate all relevant ministries to have nodal officials who are concerned with looking at climate change need from the perspective of their ministry and be involved with planning and crating policies and action plans. There, should be a full study of Sundarban’s vulnerabilities and adaptation needs which include analyzing impacts on water resources, agriculture, biodiversity, ecosystems and human health.
Anticipatory actions should be contemplated in all development programmes and the act should ensure that the legal measures for both reactive and anticipatory adaptation needs are integrated into all relevant laws. The Sundarbans is globally recognized as an area of almost unique ecological and conservation importance. It has been short listed as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature a competition to rank the world’s natural marvels, under the slogan; “If we want to save anything, we first need to truly appreciate it.”
For the world to save the Sundarbans requires an appreciation of the fact that climate change is already disproportionately affecting large parts of the developing world, and that not only money and technology, but systems are also needed. Developing countries have a crucial role in identifying adaptation needs at an early stage, and preparing the necessary scientific, administrative and legal infrastructures for the implementation of adaptation plans. Developed countries need to shoulder their financial responsibility of preventing and compensating for climate change damage, but require proven evidence that a country has taken their responsibility of providing the necessary steps to ensure that the money and technology is used for its intended purpose. The countries in the world need to recognize that we are saving the Sundarbans not just for our benefit but to save the world from global climate change and this can be done only when nations, leaders, communities, societies, civil workers and people of the world join hands and start a joint venture to SAVE THE WORLD.
An NGO once said, “If saving the Sunderbans does not seems a bright idea, then at least save them for your secure future,” Thus, the hour of the need is to hear the call of the Sundarbans that are shouting loud to the world, “Save me save yourself or let me die and kill yourself.”