Coastal Nation Unveiled: The Land of the High Tides
The Sundarbans, a sprawling mangrove forest region spanning India and Bangladesh, has become the frontline of a battle against climate change. A new project titled "Tide Country" by photographer Swastik Pal documents the significant adverse impacts of rising sea levels and increasing temperatures on the Sundarbans and its inhabitants.
The Sundarbans, famous for its vast mangrove forests, is under threat. Rising sea levels and storm surges are leading to increased salinization of water and soil, causing valuable mangrove species such as Heretiera fomes to migrate and even disappear [1][2]. This, in turn, affects the livelihoods, health, and safety of the local poor communities who depend on the mangroves for their survival.
The altered ecosystem also reduces the productivity of land and labor, leading to diminished natural resources and increased poverty and food insecurity [1]. Higher temperatures and sea-level rise exacerbate the frequency and intensity of cyclones and floods, heightening risks to human health and increasing vulnerability to extreme climate events [1][4].
Swastik Pal began his journey through the Sundarbans four years ago during the onset of monsoon. He found the landscape shifting like a sand dune from one island to another due to the tides. His project, Tide Country, aims to capture this changing landscape and its impact on the people who live there.
The monsoon of four years ago was one of the fiercest in the last decade, and several thousand people once lived on islands in the Sundarbans, but they are now at risk of being washed away or have already been submerged [6]. The Sundarbans is experiencing a conflict between human existence and the sea, with land being dragged away.
Moreover, an impending conflict between humans and wildlife is also a concern in the Sundarbans. As the mangrove ecosystem's role as a natural barrier against storms, erosion, and a carbon sink is jeopardized by these climatic changes, damage to the mangroves can lead to increased carbon emissions, contributing further to climate change [3][5]. Human pressures like urbanization and agriculture limit mangroves' natural landward migration in response to rising seas, compounding vulnerability [4].
In conclusion, the findings of Tide Country present the Sundarbans as a frontline example where climate change-driven sea-level rise and warming stress both the mangrove forest ecosystem and the impoverished human populations dependent on it. Building resilience and adaptive strategies grounded in multidisciplinary research is crucial to ensure the survival of this unique ecosystem and the communities it supports.
- Swastik Pal's project, Tide Country, focuses on the environmental-science aspect of the Sundarbans, showcasing how climate-change influences the region's mangrove forests and its inhabitants.
- The magazine community should highlight the Sundarbans as a critical area, battling both the environmental effects of climate-change and the challenges faced by its climate-vulnerable communities.
- Adopting sustainable-living practices at home-and-garden levels could help reduce carbon emissions, which in turn, could benefit the environment-dependent Sundarbans community.
- Art pieces focusing on the lifestyle and struggles of the Sundarbans' people can be a powerful means to raise awareness about climate-change impacts and promote the preservation of their mangrove forest.
