Sinking Sundarbans islands underline climate crisis

Context: Cyclones are now routine in the Sunderbans. After Amphan caused widespread damage last year, Yaas has led to more damage. This article examines the climate crisis of Sundarbans in India.

About Sundarbans

• The Sunderban delta is named after a special type of mangrove tree called Sundari.
• These trees are very common in the mangrove forests of West Bengal.
• The Sundarban Delta is located from the Hooghly River in India’s state of West Bengal to the Baleswar River in Bangladesh.
• The Sundarbans is a mangrove area in the delta formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers in the Bay of Bengal.

Reasons behind the climate crisis of Sundarbans

• Deforestation: Trees are cut down rigorously from the mangrove forest for firewood. Thus, the green cover of the rich mangrove forest is vanishing.
• Soil Erosion: Another factor that has been posing a massive threat to the land is soil erosion.
• Water Attacks: There are not enough trees in Sundarbans to hold the soil during high tides and rain. It has become more susceptible to violent water attacks.
• Rising Water levels: Rising water levels have also degraded the cultivable land quality and reduced crop yield, leading to a food and drinking water crisis.
• Other Disasters: Devastating floods, intense storms, and torrential rain have become frequent. Cyclones such as Aila, Amphaan and Yaas have changed the geography of the land.

Conclusion

• During the COVID-19 lockdown, the people from Sundarbans had to fight the virus amid joblessness and cyclones such as Amphaan and Yaas. Devastating floods, intense storms, and torrential rains are posing a threat to Sundarbans.