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A Web of Vulnerabilities: Eco-fragility, Poor Livelihoods and Cyclones in Sundarban Region, India

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Disaster Studies

Part of the book series: Disaster Studies and Management ((DSDM))

Abstract

This paper examines the nature and characteristics of the Sundarban Delta and juxtaposes them with disasters that threaten and reshape the region—its flora, fauna, the people and their livelihoods. It elaborates on the rich biodiversity of the delta and elucidates the problems faced by the local population, largely poor and dependent on natural resources, which are dwindling. A dynamic and longitudinal approach reveals how pressure cascades into distress and pushes people out of their villages to look for a livelihood in order to survive. The paper highlights the need for more involved forms of governance for the region especially from the perspective of proactive disaster management while taking account of the long-term needs of the human population and the environment, which are specific to this unique area. With rising sea levels, Sundarbans is one of the major climate change hot spots on the globe.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    http://www.sundarbann.com/2015/12/sundarban-is-natural-habitat-of-worlds.html (Accessed on: January 18, 2018).

  2. 2.

    http://www.bangladeshstudies.org/files/Bibliography_2000-2005_Jan-16-2012.pdf (Accessed on: January 18, 2018).

  3. 3.

    River Symposium, Presentations on Wetlands and Water Management available here—http://riversymposium.com/about/conference-proceedings-2016/ (Accessed on: January 18, 2018).

  4. 4.

    Referenced from this web page: http://riversymposium.com/about/conference-proceedings-2016/ (Accessed on 18 January 2018).

  5. 5.

    Reference: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, 2016 (http://www.internal-displacement.org/global-report/grid2017/pdfs/2017-GRID-part-1.pdf) Accessed on: January 18, 2017.

  6. 6.

    In a reply to a Lok Sabha question on missing people, the Minister of State for Home Affairs shared some shocking data from across the country. In the year 2011–12, 14,000 adults and children have disappeared from West Bengal. Most of them are believed to have been swallowed up by the huge trafficking trade. The statistics shared by the government: More than 8000 girls have disappeared, another 5500 males have also been reported missing by their families. Buyers refer to villages like Sandeshkhali as “a source area”.

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Acknowledgements

The first draft of this paper was developed during the residency programme of the Rockefellar Foundation at Bellagio, Italy. The support provided to develop this idea is gratefully acknowledged.

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  1. Jamsetji Tata School of Disaster Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India

    Janki Andharia

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  1. Janki Andharia
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Correspondence to Janki Andharia .

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  1. Jamsetji Tata School of Disaster Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

    Janki Andharia

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Andharia, J. (2020). A Web of Vulnerabilities: Eco-fragility, Poor Livelihoods and Cyclones in Sundarban Region, India. In: Andharia, J. (eds) Disaster Studies. Disaster Studies and Management. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9339-7_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9339-7_17

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