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PEOPLES’ PERCEPTION OF CLIMATE CHANGE INPEOPLES’ PERCEPTION OF CLIMATE CHANGE INPEOPLES’ PERCEPTION OF CLIMATE CHANGE INPEOPLES’ PERCEPTION OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN

SAGAR ISLANDSAGAR ISLANDSAGAR ISLANDSAGAR ISLAND

PROJECT FUNDED BY SPMU,ICZMP, IESWM, DEPARTMENT OF

ENVIRONMENT, GOVT. OF WEST BENGAL

REPORT PREPARED BY: REPORT PREPARED BY: REPORT PREPARED BY: REPORT PREPARED BY:

PARIBESHPARIBESHPARIBESHPARIBESH UNNAYANUNNAYANUNNAYANUNNAYAN PARISHADPARISHADPARISHADPARISHAD

People’s Perception of Climate Change

Paribesh Unnayan Parishad

Research Team

(Paribesh Unnayan Parishad)

Field Researchers

Saheba Khatun

Santanu Das

Amit Sen

Abhishek Das

Mohan Dolui

Research Advisors

Dr. Pranjalendu Roy

Dr. RinaChakraborty

Dr. Amales Misra

Research Coordinator

Dr. Santanu Mitra



Preface

We are grateful to the State Project Monitoring Unit of the ICZM project in Sagar Island for giving us

the opportunity of exploring into and preparing the report on People’s Perception of Climate Change

in Sagar Island. Sagar Island is the most densely populated island in the Indian Sunderban area of

the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta region. This region is thought of as one of the most vulnerable

regions due to rising water level, coastal erosion and frequent cyclones. Two adjoining islands,

Bedford and Lohachara have already been submerged under water. Another island called

Ghoramara, located immediate north of Sagar Island, has lost two-third of its land mass. People

from these islands are now settled in different parts of Sagar Island. But Sagar Island is also not safe.

It has already lost significant land to coastal erosion. If coastal erosion and rising sea-level continues,

it is not long that Sagar Island with its 2.2 lakhs population will meet the same fate as its neighboring

islands. It is probably this concern that prompted ICZM authorities to examine the perception of the

local people about climate change in Sagar Island and explore the degree of adaptability and

resilience among the people.

For effective designing and successful implementation of any action plan, especially, rural

development plan, it is imperative to win the confidence of the people, so that they do not feel

that it is being imposed on them. Probably this is yet another reason to understand the perception

of the community members.

In preparing this report we have taken help of number of people and drawn information from

different sources. We hereby acknowledge the financial assistance obtained from ICZM project at

Sagar Island. Our special thanks to Mr. Tarun Debnath for his unflagging encouragement. We are

also grateful to the residents of Sagar Island without whose active cooperation this report could

not be completed.

Kolkata, 29.08.2013 Amales Misra

Secretary, PUPA



Introduction

Climate change is a reality and a global phenomenon. The Fourth Assessment report of the Inter-

govermental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has expressed concern that the average global surface

temperature has increased by 0.74 C during the last 100 years or so. The snow covers on mountains

and glaciers have melted perceptibly in both the hemispheres and consequently there has been

rise in the sea-level. The average rise in the sea level has been estimated as 1.8 mm per year

between 1961 and 2003.

It has been also observed that the primary and major adverse impacts of climate change will be on

the coastal regions. The intensity and frequency of extreme events like, coastal flooding, cyclones,

coastal erosions, changing rainfall pattern and so on, are likely to increase significantly. As a result,

there will be large scale loss of life, natural, as well as, physical resources. This can also result in

significant in-land and off-island migration from the coastal areas. The poor would be the worst

affected as the climate induced disasters would affect natural resources, live-stock and agriculture

on which they are primarily dependent on. Besides, there is also the threat of loss of shelter.

A new class of poor will evolve, that is, those who have not been born poor but rendered poor by

climate change. The psychological distress will be much higher for this class as they may have to

adapt to a new environment, new place, new profession, adjusting themselves to lower economic

and social status. In short, their live and livelihood may suddenly take a downward dip.

According to Climate Change Policy Paper II by Prof. Sugata Hazra, nearly 2000 lives are lost in India

due to cyclones, flood and heavy rain. Even though the global increase in sea level during the last

century has been a little over 20 cm, the rise has been significantly higher in the delta regions of

the India due to deltaic subsidence and siltation. Sagar island is one of the hundred and two islands

in the Indian Ganges-Brahmaputra deltaic region, the largest deltaic region of the world. It is also

the largest and the most populous of the islands.

Objectives

The broad objectives of the survey in Sagar Island are:

• To understand the perception of the local people regarding climate change.

• To document the impact of climate change on the lives and livelihoods of the local

residents.

• To document the adaptability and resilience developed by the local residents



• To evolve strategies to prevent and face challenges of climate change.

Methodology

The methodology adopted in preparing this report is qualitative and comprises Focus Group

Discussion (FGD) and Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) with the community members. Face to

face discussions with senior members and school teachers, who are aware of the history of the

island and climate change, were also undertaken. Since the island has an elongated shape with

north-south extension being five to six time higher than east-west extension, it was divided into

three parts; north Sagar, central Sagar and south Sagar.

In north sagar, the FGD & PRA were carried out in villages Muriganga, Kastala-Phulbari,

Bamankhali, Govindapur-Devimathurapur and Shikarpur. In central Sagar the villages were

Kamalpur, Rudranagar, Jibantala, Harinbari and Khasramkar. The villages in south Sagar were

Dhablahat (Shibpur), Purushottompur, Mansadip and Gangasagar.

To collect comprehensive information about people’s perception of climate change, its impacts and

resilience by the community members, FGDs with different community groups like male & female

SHG members, landless laborers, farmers, housewives, fishers and senior members of the

communities, were conducted. In each village two to three sessions of FGDs with different

community groups were conducted. To get a picture of the extent of coastal erosion three

participatory maps have been prepared. These were in the villages of Govindapur, Devimathurapur,

and Muriganga (Iswarimohanpur & Collectorgainje)

Here it may be noted that by climate change we have meant changes in the normal conditions of

the natural environment, that is, air, water and soil during the last two decades in Sagar Island.

According to IPCC TAR, 2001,Climate change – Refers to a statistically significant variation in either

the mean state of the climate or in its variability, persisting for an extended period (typically

decades or longer).Climate change may be due to natural processes or external forcing, or to

persistent anthropogenic changes in the composition of the atmosphere or in land-use.However,

since our objectives are to bring out the perception of the people about climate change and change

in their lives and livelihoods, our analysis will be primarily qualitative.

Sagar Island

Sagar island

88

Ganges

northeastern

the

separates it from the mainland to the

Island

Bengal

of

the Indian Ganges

of about 211993

has 43 villages and a population of over 160,000

largest delta block is located in the extr

Sundarban.

Muriganga. Both the rivers meet Bay of Bengal on either side of the

Sagar Island. The entire island is channeled like vein with numerous brackish water creeks which act as spill

channels for the tidal water and makes the island more suitable

channeled like vein with numerous brackish water creeks which act as spill channels for the tidal water and

makes the island more suitable for aquaculture. Sagar Island is totally disconnected from mainland by tidal

river and can be reached only by water transport. The block consists of

I, MuriGanga –II, Ghoramara , Daspara Sumati Nagar

Gangasagar and Dhablat, covering 43 vill

which is roughly five square kilometres in area. This small island in river Hoogly is very much vulnerable and

sensitive to coastal erosion and sea level rise.



Sagar island (21° 37′ 21′′ N to 21° 52′ 28′′ N and 88

88° 10′ 25′′ E) is the westernmost island of the

Ganges-Brahmaputra delta, West Bengal state,

northeastern India. . It lies at the mouth of

the Hugli (Hooghly) River, an arm of which

separates it from the mainland to the east. Sagar

Island lies on the continental shelf of Bay of

Bengal about 100 km (54 nautical miles) south

of Kolkata. It is the largest inhabited island in

the Indian Ganges- Brahmaputra deltaic region with a popu

of about 211993 (2011 census) and 360 sq. km in area.

has 43 villages and a population of over 160,000

largest delta block is located in the extreme western sector of

Sundarban. This island is surrounded by two rivers, i



channels for the tidal water and makes the island more suitable for aquaculture. The entire island is



iver and can be reached only by water transport. The block consists of 9 gram Panchayets viz

Daspara Sumati Nagar - I, Daspara Sumati Nagar – II, Ramkarchar,

Dhablat, covering 43 villages. Ghoramara Island is a separate island under sagar block


sensitive to coastal erosion and sea level rise.



N and 88° 02′ 17′′ E to

Brahmaputra deltaic region with a population

and 360 sq. km in area. The island

has 43 villages and a population of over 160,000 Sagar Island, the

eme western sector of

This island is surrounded by two rivers, i.e. Hoogly and



for aquaculture. The entire island is



gram Panchayets viz., MuriGanga -

II, Ramkarchar, Rudranagar,

ages. Ghoramara Island is a separate island under sagar block




CLIMATE OF SAGAR ISLAND

The air temperature data in Sagar Island for 80 years (1891-1970) reveals 0.6 °C increase in the average daily

minimum temperature and 0.1°C increase in the average daily temperature. Progressive increase in

temperature from January to May followed by a decline with the onset of south-west monsoon

from June onwards and reaches minimum during the end of the year. The water temperature also

follows the same trend in this region. The monsoon season spreads from June to end of

September, when the island experiences most of the rainfall. According to a study by Chand et al

(2012), Sagar Island is experiencing extended and extreme summers & short winters.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Avg. Monthly Temperature in deg. Centrigrade

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Avg. Monthly Rainfall in mm

According to Hazra et al (2002), sea-levels in the Indian sub

Sagar Island and adjoining Bay of Bengal th relative mean sea

the record of past 25 years, the rate of

which is significantly higher than the rateof 3.14 mm / year observed during previous decade

Findings

According to Shri Jagannath Maity, a retired school teacher and

a knowledgeable expert on the history of the island, the recent

human settlement is about 200-250 years old.

was densely covered with forest which was slowly denuded to

provide land for agriculture and human s

during his childhood, that is about 80 years ago, Shri

recollects, the island was surrounded by dense mangrove forest.

of this forest.

The island is subject to nearly all the

faces heavy coastal erosion, the intrusion

devastating, like the Aila) and depressions.

been eroded and another island to the north of Sagar

of its land mass to the river. A large number of displaced families from Lohachora and Ghoramara

have settled in Sagar Island. Regions like

facing problem of coastal erosion while, s

saline water intrusion during high

experts, the sea level is rising faster in this regio

Besides the usual and expected outcomes of loss of live

like lands and ponds, a socio-economic change is also taking place within the island. The dynamics

of this change is not only interesting but equally complex. The settlement of climate change

displaced population from other islands in the common properties of Sagar island, migration of

male family members of climate change affected families from Sagar isla

country in search of jobs, the emergence

status and profession of these people are



levels in the Indian sub-continent are rising at a rate 2.5mm/year, but in

Sagar Island and adjoining Bay of Bengal th relative mean sea-level rise is about 3.14 mm/year.

rate of relative mean sea levelrise comes close to 8 mm / year,

which is significantly higher than the rateof 3.14 mm / year observed during previous decade

, a retired school teacher and

a knowledgeable expert on the history of the island, the recent

250 years old. At that time it

was densely covered with forest which was slowly denuded to

provide land for agriculture and human settlement. Even

during his childhood, that is about 80 years ago, Shri Maity

recollects, the island was surrounded by dense mangrove forest. At present there is very little trace

The island is subject to nearly all the possible impacts of climate change in the coastal regions. It

the intrusion of saline water, frequent cyclones (sometimes

devastating, like the Aila) and depressions. Two neighbouring islands, Bedford and Lohachura have

nd to the north of Sagar island, Ghoramara, has lost nearly two


have settled in Sagar Island. Regions like Muriganga, Gobindapur and Beguakhali in Sagar

facing problem of coastal erosion while, some regions like Dablahat and Jibantala faces

saline water intrusion during high-tide, especially during the monsoon season.

experts, the sea level is rising faster in this region due to siltation, which is raising the river bed.

Besides the usual and expected outcomes of loss of live, livestock, agriculture, physical resources

economic change is also taking place within the island. The dynamics

this change is not only interesting but equally complex. The settlement of climate change


male family members of climate change affected families from Sagar island to other parts of the

the emergence of a new class of first-generation poor and changing social

status and profession of these people are all in this socio-economic cauldron.

Shri Jagannath Maity



continent are rising at a rate 2.5mm/year, but in

level rise is about 3.14 mm/year. Considering

evelrise comes close to 8 mm / year,

which is significantly higher than the rateof 3.14 mm / year observed during previous decade.

At present there is very little trace

in the coastal regions. It

of saline water, frequent cyclones (sometimes

Two neighbouring islands, Bedford and Lohachura have

island, Ghoramara, has lost nearly two-third


Muriganga, Gobindapur and Beguakhali in Sagar island is

ome regions like Dablahat and Jibantala faces problem of

during the monsoon season. According to

n due to siltation, which is raising the river bed.

agriculture, physical resources

economic change is also taking place within the island. The dynamics

this change is not only interesting but equally complex. The settlement of climate change


nd to other parts of the

generation poor and changing social

Shri Jagannath Maity



People’s Perception about Climate Change

In all the FGDs the general perception of the people about climate change in Sagar island was more

or less uniform. Some of the common changes reported by the community members are listed

below.

Rise in summer temperature, with drying up of ponds in the middle of April, two or three weeks

earlier than normal. Winters are also less intense. Some felt that summer nights are hotter as, now

they have to sleep in the open.

Monsoon has been delayed by about one month from mid-June to mid –July and continues till mid-

October. This is accompanied by irregular rainfall, which is affecting paddy cultivation. However,

after a long time, this year’s monsoon arrived in time.

The cause of this change, according to the senior members of the communities is cutting down of

forests to accommodate the needs of the growing population.

The people,in general, did not feel that the sea-level is rising, but in Dhablahat, the participants felt

that sea water was inundating increasing area in successive years.

The common perception was that soil has lost its natural fertility, become hard and lost water

retentive capacity due to use of increasing amounts of chemical fertilizers. Two or three years

earlier, 7 kg/bigha of fertilizer was required but now 9 kg/bigha is required.

Due to the use of pesticides, fishes in the paddy fields are decreasing. Fishes like magur, lata, crabs

and snails are not found, causing a change in the biodiversity.

During the last 10 to 15 years there has been a shift from paddy cultivation to betel vine. According

to the participants of the FGDs, the reason for this shift is low productivity of paddy, increasing cost

and use of fertilizers and irregular rainfall. Paddy requires large stock of water at particular seasons,

but betel requires continuous watering but in smaller quantity.

However, according to the community members, the frequency of cyclones has decreased. During

the last seven or eight years the norwester (Kalbaishaki) has been rare.

Two specific impacts of climate change that has become a major concern among the people in

Sagarisland are those of coastal erosion and intrusion of saline water.



Coastal Erosion

Coastal erosion has been a major problem in nearly all the islands in Sunderban. This natural process of

accretion and erosion carries on continually in this deltaic region. Nayachar (near Haldia), to the north of

Sagar island is a result of accretion while vanishing of islands Suparibhanga, Lohachora, Bedford and nearly

two-third of Ghoramara is due to erosion.

In Sagar island places like Iswaripur and Collectorgaunge in Muriganga,Beghuakhali, north-east corner of

Kastala, Shikarpur, Bamankhali, Mandirtala and Dhablahat are

experiencing coastal erosion. But north-west corner of Kastala and

portion of Shikarpur are also experiencing accretion. An area

which experienced large scale erosion about eighteen years ago

were the villages of Govindapur and Devimathurapur. A significant

portion of fertile land (the lost area was known as Laxmipur) was

lost leaving hundreds of people homeless and landless. Many of

them are now settled in Kaylapur and Govindapur and those who have lost their entire land are settled in

makeshift houses along the mud embankment (bund). Now most of them work as laborers in other’s fields

or are van-rickshaw drivers. The young men have migrated to South Indian States and Orissa in search of

work.

Climateaction, 27/12/2006

The red line from North to South on

the map shows the present coast line

of village Govindapur. The land on the

right of the line is now eroded.



Community Action

Just after the devastating bank erosion at Govindapur in 1985, the community members plunged in

regenerating forests along the coast. The members of a local CBO (Arun Uday Sangha) started planting

Babla (Acacia nilotica). Later with help from Tagore Society and panchayet, mangrove forest was

generated. A bamboo cage was also constructed more than a kilometer along the coast. The senior

members informed that since then coastal erosion has been arrested and there has been no breach

of mud embankment, even during the Aila.

Exploitation of Common Property Resources

Even though the forest was generated by voluntary efforts of the community members and has protected

the village from soil erosion and breach of embankment, according to the perception of the community

members, there is large scale exploitation of the forest. The poor directly depend on the forest for fuel,

fodder and crabs. In fact we came across four families in Govindapur whose livelihood depended on

catching and selling crabs. But unfortunately, some of the wealthier and influential members of the

community were not ready to sacrifice their share of the common property. Resistance by the other

members led to tension between the two groups in the village. Since the local administration was indifferent

it was not possible to stop them. Now, some villagers are even taking bamboo from the cage along the

coast.

+

CHAMPION OF RESILIENCE Sri Kartik Chandra Manna lives in Govindapur Village with his parents,

sister and an elder brother. Their family lost their farm land to River Muriganga and now they

have become landless. His father raised the family by working as a laborer and driving the

rickshaw van. Now he is sick and stays at home. His elder brother now works as a laborer. Kartik

goes to the local school in the day time and supports the family by driving a rickshaw van after school. He has passed

the secondary education and wants to continue his studies. He wants to become a medical practitioner. May his dream

come true.



Saline Water Intrusion

Sagar Island is protected from tidal surges by man-made mud embankment along the coast. Some

senior members of the communities recalled that about seventy or eighty years ago the coast-line

had another layer of protection, the mangrove forests. The mangrove forests protected the mud

walls from direct thrust of the tidal waves. But the mangrove forests are gone in almost all the

places because of coastal erosion and deforestation by the community members. As a result the

old and weak mud embankments have been exposed to the direct thrust of the tidal surges. Places

like Shibpur (Dablahat) and Jibantala, during the monsoon and post monsoon seasons, are

inundated by high tidal waves. The saline water enters through the breaches or over the mud

embankments into agricultural fields and houses in the low lying areas. The salinity of the soil in

these fields increases significantly, making it unfit for agriculture for at least three to four years.

Where the inundation is frequent or regular the fields have to be left vacant. Houses are built along

the raised brick laid roads to prevent entry of flood water or in case, water crosses over the road,

the people can quickly vacate the house and take shelter on the roads. At Shibpur at Dablahat,

there is a two storied primary school where the children take shelter along with their books and

other valuable things. The people were also concerned about the saline water crossing over the

embankments of the sweet water ponds, making the water saline and killing the sweet water

fishes. It causes problem of finding drinking water for cattle and bathing water for the people.

Deserted (due to coastal erosion) Police Station and

village at Collectorgaunge at Muriganga.



Live & Livelihood

It is well documented in the literature on climate change that the live and livelihood of the people

affected by climate change are perceptibly altered. In most cases they lose their shelter, land,

livestock and in more unfortunate cases the lives of their family members. They are left on their

own to survive without any resources except for meager government aids. During our survey we

came across a number of climate-change affected families who shared their experiences during the

FGDs.

In village Govindapur and Devimathurapur there were a number of people who have lost their

belongings, that is, land and house, and were converted to beggars. They had to live on whatever

their neighbors provided. Since once they were landlords cum farmers , initially,the other landlords

cum farmers were hesitant to hire their services as labor in the fields. But with passage of time

their befallen economic status has been accepted by the community. Now they don’t have problem

getting a job of a laborer. Some of them have also become van-rickshaw drivers. The younger

generation is migrating to South Indian states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Andaman and so

on to work as laborers in the construction industry. During the summer, when the ponds dry up,

the women do not have easy access to bathing water. They have to carry water from the tube-well

for bathing and do so on alternate days or once in three days. Those people who had lands

elsewhere in the island like Kaylapur, Nagendragaunge and Mahendragaunge have settled their.

However, there is migration also among these families. Their agricultural land has become so

fragmented that it cannot sustain all the family members.

Saline water intrusion at Shibpur (Dhablahat)



`

In Shibpur, at Dhablat, the cause of intrusion of saline water was breach in the mud wall during

Aila, on 25. 09. 2009. The wind and the tidal surge were so strong that in no time the low-lying

areas of the village and adjoining villages were flooded with saline water. The men and women ran

out of their houses with their children and valuables in search of safer places. Most of the houses

had their roofs blown away. No places to take shelter, lands and crop destroyed, the people took

refuge in the near -by schools. The breached embankment has not yet been repaired and saline

water keeps on entering during monsoon and post monsoon high tides. The consequences have

been not much different from the displaced people of Govindapur. There has been migration of the

male working members as they had no land for agriculture. They were converted from farmers and

farm workers to farm laborers and laborer in the construction industry. The upbringing of their

children are left to the mothers. Thus the women have to manage all the household chores as well

as outside work.

During summer and monsoon seasons there is problem of potable water. The tube-wells dry up in

the summer and sometimes are flooded during the monsoon. In the summer, the people in all the

villages complained of diarrhea and other gastro-intestinal diseases.

FGD and Saline

water intrusion

When we visited Dhablat (Shibpur) village

there were hardly any working male

population. There were only housewives,

senior community members and

schoolchildren. The male members of most

families have migrated out of Sagar in search

of work.



During our survey we realized this additional psychological and social stress in the words and eyes

of these climate change affected people. An elderly lady, with tears in her eyes said “we had over

60 bighas of land in Ghoramara, twenty laborers used to work and eat in our house daily, but now I

have to go to others’ house to work”. In Govindapur, many senior members while discussing about

their present economic conditions, referred to their past standard of living with eyes full of tears.

Projection-2020

According to the Report on Climate Change Adaptation in Coastal Region of West Bengal, by Prof. Sugata Hazra, the

estimated number of displaced people from their original habitat during the last 30 years in the islands of Indian

Sunderbans is 7000. This number is likely to increase to nearly 70,000 by 2020. The projection for some of the islands

are given below :

Ghoramara 1600

Sagar 28,000

Mousuni 5700

Namkhana 15000

G-Plot 6000

Dakshin Surendranagar 12700

Total 69,000

Evolving People’s Strategies to face the Challenges of Climate Change

Poorer than the Poor

Climate Change gives rise to a new class of poor, who are poorer than the poor. They have no income, no physical

resources of their own (except labor) and no shelter. They have all the characteristics of the poor, and a little more;

the psychological and social stress of losing one’s resources to nature’s fury. It is something when you are born poor,

but it is something else when you become poor. This point is best driven home if we borrow an example from Prof.

Daniel Kahneman

“Mr. X had $9000 and he lost $4000, now he has $5000

Mr. Y had $1000 and he won $4000, now he has $5000”

Are they equally happy?

The above example can be slightly reframed to suit our purpose,

“Mr. X had $9000 and he lost $4000, now he has $5000

“Mr. Z had $5000 and he still has $5000”

Are Mr. X & Mr. Z equally happy?

What really matters here is not the state of your wealth, but how you have reached it.



During the FGDs and PRAs a number of suggestions have been put forward by the people to

prevent and face the challenges of climate change. Obviously, these are based on their perception

of climate change and its causes. We list them in this section.

• To increase awareness among the people about climate change, especially among the

school children.

• To regenerate different species of mangrove forests, along the coast. This has to be done

with the voluntary help of the local people and local CBOs/NGOs under expert guidance.

The people specifically wanted the administration to keep out of the work of plantation,

except for funding and monitoring. The direct involvement of the local administration gave

a tacit signal that the forest is a Public Property and everyone has the right to exploit it.

• To develop social forestry by planting trees along the embankment, streets and roads.

These they felt would provide fuel wood for the poor people.

• To build some shops and stores, selling essential commodities and medicine in every village

on raised concrete platforms so that they remain open even during floods or other

disasters.

• To provide technical and vocational trainings to the youths of the affected families so that

they can get alternative employment as they can no longer depend on their lands.

• To promote rain water harvesting so that water for irrigation is available during the dry

season. The proposal of the people was to trap rainwater in portions of the canals by setting

up sluice gates. However, consequences of this proposal need to be verified by experts.

Alternatively, it was also proposed that roof-top rain-water harvesting may be developed

for kitchen garden and vegetable cultivation. This may be conceived a step towards

nutrition security.

• To promote climate resilience agriculture and pisciculture. Some farmers informed that

certain variety of paddy (dudweswar) was found to be salt-resistant and grew well after

saline water intrusion during Aila. In some ponds, where there was intrusion of saline water,

salt- resistant fish varieties like bhetki and pyrachanda survived.

• To promote commercial production of organic compost and vermin-compost. Vermin-

compost appeared to be widely used in betel vines, but not so much in paddy or vegetable

cultivation. This they said was due to shortage of compost compared to requirement. Some

farmers who use vermin-compost and other organic manures reported that the productivity

was higher and required very little inorganic chemical fertilizer.



Concluding Comments

We conclude the report by sharing our experiences and lessons learned during the FGDs and PRA. Our

first experience is that there is an immediate need for sharing of experience and information among the

different community members. This is because successful resilience practices were not shared effectively.

Probably, this requires a concerted effort from the authority, like setting up of a Climate Change Research

Centre, with the responsibilities of dissemination of information, scientific examination of people’s ideas,

documentation of climate change records and capability of disaster warnings and climate change

management. For instance, in Govindapur regeneration of mangrove forests by the community members

have arrested coastal erosion and protected the mud embankments from tidal surges. We found that this

information was not known to many of our participants in other areas of the island. Again, the idea of salt-

tolerant agriculture and pisciculture has neither been tested scientifically nor popularized.

Even though the belief among the scientific community is that the sea-level is rising in the Sunderban deltaic

region, the common people appeared to be unaware of it. The possibilities of alternative agricultural

practices like integrated farming, salt tolerant paddy cultivation and pisciculture, organic farming, bag

cultivation for vegetables are some areas which need to be explored. Roof-top rain water harvesting should

also be encouraged to store sweet water for irrigation in the dry season. The mud enbankments are to be

repaired and maintained, along with regeneration of mangrove forests along the coast. The community

members should be involved in these activities.

The role of women in those families where the male members have moved out of the island for better job

prospects plays a pivotal role in the family. Their physical and mental stresses need to be attended.

Providing safe and easily accessible potable water, constructing relief centers with good sanitation facilities

ensuring proper (including vocational and technical) education to the children are some basic requirements.

References

Chand, B.K., Trivedi, R.K. and Dubey, S.K. (2012), Climate Change in Sundarbanand Adaptation

Strategy for Resilient Aquaculture, CIFRI Compendium on Sundarban, Retrospect and Prospects.,

CIFRI, Barrackpore, Kolkata.

http://climaction.blogspot.in/2006/12/global-warming-claims-first-inhabited.html

Mandal, S , B. U. Choudhury, M. Mondal, and S. Bej(2013), Trend analysis of weather variables in

Sagar Island, West Bengal, India: a long-term perspective (1982–2010), CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 105,

NO. 7, 10

Mishra, S. (2010). ‘Abar Kharar Kabale Paschim Banga’, Saar Samachar , Oct-Dec.Vol. 48, No. 3



Hazra, S., Ghosh, T., Das Gupta, R. and Sen, G. (2002). Sea level and associated changes in

the Sundarbans, Science and Culture, 68(9-12)

Appendix

Datewise Description of Activities Activities

Date Place Activity Participants in the Meeting Remarks

06/04/13 Govindapur

primary

School

Meeting with

SHG members

Members of 7 SHGs

07/04/13 Govindapur

primary

School

Workshop with

local residents

Local people along with

knowledgeable ones

18/04/2013 Gobindapur &

Debi

Mathurapur

Door to Door

survey ( Land less

due to erosion),

(Major affected

but not land less)

iii) Affected but

middleclass

people

1.Bimal Bag, 2. Kanai

Mondal, 3. Smt. Tapati

Barui, 4. Smt. Kabita Bag, 5.

Smt. Kalyani Hazra, 6. Shake

Saha Alam Abu bakkar,

14/05/2013 Dhablat,

(Manasa Para

& Lakshmi

Bazar)

FGD with

Fishermen Group

1.Ashutosh Mondal, 2.

Gopal Jana, 3. Swapan Pal,4.

Gurupada das, 5. Mahatosh

Mondal, 6. Chitta Das, 7.

Nitai Das, 8. Bomkesh Giri,

9. Gobinda Samanta, 10.

Monoranjan Das, 11.

Ansuman Mal (teacher), 12.

Santanu Gayan (Teacher)

21/06/2013 Gobindapur,

Ramakrishnap

ur & Debi

FGD with Mixed

Group,

1.Gopinath gharui, 2. Nimai

Haldar, 3. Gour hari Das, 4.

Uttam Mondal, 4. Pradip

Mapping of

affected area



Mathurapur Purkait, 5. Sambhu Mondal,

6. Golam Md. Shek

sahajahan, 7. Uttam bag, 8.

Babu Bag, 9. Judhistir Barui,

10. Ananta Pal, 11. Vikhari

Buniad, 12. Narayan Das, 13.

Babu Bag( G P member), 14.

Sarbashar Mistri,

22/06/2013 Mandirtala &

Bamankhali

Interview, FGD

with Farmers’

Group

Mandirtala - 1.Sudhir Das,

2. Narayan Bag, 3.

Narugopal Das, 4. Nripen

Das, 5. Smt. Somashree Bag,

6. Smt. Supriya Das, 7. Smt.

Chikan Pradhan,

Bamankhali – 8. Ashis

Mirdha, 9. Joy Krishna Das,

10. S.K. Abaidulla, 11. Shake

Ahamed, 12. Birendranath

Das,

Mapping of

affected area

(Bamankhali

23/06/2013 Purusatyam

Pur,

Dhablahat &

Daktar Bari

Interview, FGD

with Mixed

Group

1. Pritambar Jana, 2. Smt.

Bharati Jana, 3. Smt. Rahini

gayan, 4. Pijus Kanti Manna,

5. Lakshman Baidya, 6.

Pritambar Das, 7. Santanu

Gayan

24/06/2013 Phulbari,

Kashtala &

Ganga Sagar

Interview (Ganga

Sagar), FGD with

Fishermen &

others Group

Ganga Sagar- 1. Sudarshan

Das, 2. Smt. Annyapurna

Das, 3. Smt. Chikan Patra, 4.

Jhuntu Pramanik, 5.

Lakshman Mondal, 6.

Debdulal Das, Phulbari-

Kastala – 7. Kajal Bera, 8.

Smt. Asha Lata Pradhabn, 9.

Kamalakanta Patra, 10. Nishi



Kanta Patra, 11. Smt.

Daibaki Giri, Md. Mosha

Kah, 12. Shek Monu

25/06/2013 Muriganga

(Ishwaripur,

collector Ganj,

Durgapur),

Sikarpur &

Dhaspara

Interview

(Sikarpur), FGD

(Dhaspara &

Muriganga) with

Mixed Group

Sikarpur – 1. Iswar Mirdha,

2. Haraprashad Bhunia, 3.

Tufan Das, Muriganga - 4.

Pulin barui, 5. Paresh Das, 6.

Basudev Das, 7. Rabin Patra,

8. Ashoke Das, 9. Biplab

Mondal, Dhaspara –

Members of ‘Mahamaya

dishari SGSY’

Mapping of

affected area

(Ishwaripur,

Collectorganj)

24/08/2013 Dhabla Hat

(Monsa Para)

Interview, FGD

(Dhabla Hat)with

veteran Mixed

Group

1.Santosh Karan, 2.

Mahadev Karan, 3. Golok

Kalsar, 4. Abanti Das, 5.

6.Ashutosh Mondal, 7.

Gopal Jana, 8. Swapan Pal,9.

Gurupada das, 10.

Mahatosh Mondal, 11.

Chitta Das, 12. Nitai Das, 13.

Bomkesh Giri, 14. Gobinda

Samanta, 15. Monoranjan

Das, 16. Ansuman Mal

Interview – 17. Golok Maity,

18. Gourhari Mondal, 19.

Srikanta Sri, 20. Gangaram

Bhunia, 21. Smt. Mondakini

Maity,

25/08/2013 Muriganga,

Sikarpur,

Compani Char

& Dhaspara

FGD with Mixed

Group

1.Pulin Barui, 2. Paresh Das,

3. Basudev Das, 4. Saktipada

Singh, 5. Bijay barui, 6. Iswar

Mitra, 7. Gopiram Das,

peoples’ perception of climate change inpeoples ...pupaamargram.org/pdf/newsletter/champion...

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