State disaster management minister Javed Ahmed Khan launched work on loss and damage assessment in the Sunderbans at a meeting held at Kolkata Press Club on World Environment Day.
Khan stressed that mitigating the climate risk of Sunderbans was critical for Kolkata’s security. Incidentally, mayor Firhad Hakim formally launched work on Kolkata’s climate action plan during the meeting.
The meeting was organised by non-profit Environment Governed Integrated Organisation (EnGIO) with support of Prabha Khaitan Foundation and My Kolkata.
“We recently visited and witnessed first-hand scale of climate-triggered disaster impacts in the Sunderbans; which, according to experts, is only expected to rise unless we assess related possible loss and damage. Unless Sunderbans is saved from climatic changes, Kolkata will be in trouble,” said Khan in the meeting, adding that he expects the report to come up in a few months and plans to use it for the benefit of Sunderbans.
“As per our assessment, the area has suffered economic losses worth Rs 1.5 lakh crores, about USD18.2 billion, from three cyclones — Bulbul, Amphan and Yaas — since 2019,” said Khan.
“With logistic help of the state disaster management department and technical help of Climate Network South Asia, Observer Research Foundation Kolkata and others, we would soon undertake the loss and damage assessment in the Sunderbans, mainly in the most impacted parts of the islands such as Hingalganj, Gosaba, Patharpratima, Sagar, Namkhana,” said Sujata Basu of EnGIO.
“The recent prediction in IPCC AR 6 Report has identified Sunderbans as a major candidate for loss and damage discourse and possible financial and other support. The proposed assessment is an endeavour in taking forward the agenda through an evidence-based process,” added another expert from EnGIO.
The Sunderbans delta — the largest mangrove delta in the world — is one of the most climatically vulnerable regions of the world. The region has been impacted by both long-term and immediate impacts of climate change — cyclones, flood, salinity, erosion and likewise — and has suffered severe losses and damages over the last decade; which has been increasing with time.
Recently a high-power government team from the department of disaster management and civil defence, including ministers and senior officials as well as Sunderbans affairs minister Bankim Hazra and independent experts have visited the region to assess the modes of disaster risk reduction and decided on a roadmap that includes an assessment of loss and damage in the area vis-à-vis climate change.
Experts pointed out that apart from instant losses and damages triggered by climate change-driven extreme weather events, there have been severe long-term impacts.
Professor Abhijit Mukherjee, a water expert from IIT-Kharagpur and editorial board member of the international environment science journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters observed that “more than 60 per cent of the surface and shallow groundwater has salinised over the last two decades owing to the impact of climate change”.
Senior bureaucrats from several countries present at the meeting shared their concerns about rising climatic impacts in the Sunderbans and Kolkata.
“A significant proportion of the population living in the region are at risk of internal migration, which is of great concern. We share Sunderbans, and hence the concern, with you. Incidentally, one-third of Bangladesh runs the risk of being inundated owing to rising water adding to the migration and woes,” said Andalib Elias, Bangladesh deputy high commissioner in Kolkata.
“The British government has earlier supported Kolkata Municipal Corporation in drafting a plan for low carbon climate resilient urban growth and looks forward to contributing in the preparation of two plans for which works have been launched today,” pointed out Yemi Odanye, British deputy head of the mission in Kolkata during the meeting.
Manfred Auster, German consul general in Kolkata, told The Plurals that he would be happy to share case studies and related inputs to facilitate the preparation of climate plans announced by KMC and the disaster management department in the meeting.
