Ongoing Adaptation Measures of The Sundarban Mangrove Resource Users under Changing Climate

Abstract

Sundarban, the largest mangrove, is full of resources such as fish, crustacean, mollusk, shrimp, wooden trees, herbs, honey, golpata, etc. Local people directly or indirectly depend on those valuable resources. Climate change affects the ecosystem of Sundarban. The resource dependents are vulnerable with climate change. An attempt was made to perceive the adaptation measures of the Sundarban mangrove resource users under changing climate. The study was conducted in different points of Sundarban mangrove forest. The study covered the environmental impacts, livelihood conditions, adaptation mechanisms of the resource users. One hundred and fifty resource users were randomly selected from Sundarban West, Shyamnagar Upazila, Satkhira and interviewed with a structured questionnaire from July 2013 to March 2014. Data interpretation showed that the fishermen, wood cutters, honey collectors, golpata collectors, shrimp PL collectors and others were in the range of 20–above 80 years and had been fishing, wood cutting, honey collecting, golpata collecting, PL collecting for their livelihood. They mentioned that the abundance of fishes, fuel woods, honey, golpata and shrimp PL was reduced considerably since few years ago. Majority of them reported causes behind the changes as less rainfall, high salinity, high temperature, siltation of water bodies, intensity of drought and irregular seasonal variation. The resource users adapt themselves by changing their occupation (29.3%) and 3.3% respondents were almost workless, depend on other people of their family. Among the 29.3% occupation-changed people, 6.7% is day labor, 4.7% brick worker, 4% motorcycle driver, 3.3% petty business, 3.3% building maker, 2.7% construction worker, 2.7% carpenter and 2.0% fish farmer. About 2.7% people mentioned that their family members migrate towards town, 10% people produce salt-tolerant rice (BARI Dhan 40, 41, BINA Dhan 7), fish (Tilapia, koi), carrot, sugar beet. About 10.7% respondents are engaged in golpata collection, 8%, 7.3%, 6% and 5.3% respondents are engaged in PL collection, honey collection, shrimp culture and wood collection, respectively. About 7.3% women participate in work: homestead gardening (4%) and salt cultivation (2.7%). About 36%, 33.3%, 17.4%, 11.3% and 2% resource users followed the above adaptation mechanism to adapt to cyclone, flood, salinity intrusion, river erosion and drought, respectively. The study mentioned the climate hazards and ongoing adaptation measures of the Sundarban mangrove resource-dependent peoples with climate change.