The effects of climate change on human life have been extensively investigated.  Numerous scientific research projects have been published that show that climate change has undermined human development across many countries including India. Globally, each year, about 1.2 million people die from causes attributable to urban air pollution and 2.2 million from diarrhoea largely resulting from lack of access to clean water supply and sanitation. Furthermore, 3.5 million die from malnutrition and approximately 60000 in natural disasters. This is a huge loss of life.

Researchers have found that there is a close link between local climate and the occurrence or severity of some diseases and other threats to human health. It is estimated that climate change contributes to 150,000 deaths and 5 million illnesses each year, and the World Health Organization estimates that a quarter of the world's disease burden is due to the contamination of air, water, soil and food.

It is also evident that all populations will be affected by a changing climate, but the initial health risks vary greatly, depending on where and how people live. People living in megacities and coastal, mountainous and polar regions are all particularly vulnerable in different ways. The groups who are likely to bear most of the resulting disease burden are children and the poor, especially women.

India has witnesses several natural disasters in the past decade, which includes cyclones (Gujarat – 2001 & West Bengal – 2009-Aila), earthquakes (Gujarat – 2004, 2007 & 2008), floods (Bihar-2004) and tsunamis (southern peninsular coast of India – 2004). Climatic shocks have been striking with higher frequency and intensity causing severe damage to life and livelihoods. Erosion of traditional livelihoods among the vulnerable contributes to the increasing poverty and the perpetuation of poor health status among the vulnerable communities.

Climate change is no longer a debate in the case of the Sundarbans. The Sundarbans are part of the world’s largest active delta, with a network of tidal rivers, channels, creeks, islands, mudflats, coastal dunes, changing landscapes and climatic hazards. It is characterised by a vast cover of mangrove forests with a rich variety of flora and fauna. The area outside the reserve forest is made up of 54 islands, and is home of about 4 million people.  This is the human face of the Sundarbans, which epitomizes abject poverty, deprivation, and acute struggle against geographical challenges.

According to a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report, “Sundarbans in South 24 Parganas is highly vulnerable to climate change and it is estimated that 15 percent of the region will be submerged by 2020. Neglecting the Sundarbans can have global implications.” The report further adds that the island blocks of Basanti, Gosaba, Kultali, Patharpratima and Sagar need special attention as they are most vulnerable to natural disaster.

From their learning experiences, the community has realized that disaster response in terms of providing relief services were not enough and at best, could only provide short-term solutions. The extent of damage as a result of disasters cannot be resolved by short-term interventions.  For more lasting results there is a need to increase community capacities and resiliency and minimize the community’s vulnerabilities to various hazards. Disaster preparedness activities ensure effective responses to the impact of hazards, as well as increase the community’s consciousness about risks and how they can act to reduce their exposure to hazards. Building a disaster-resilient community focusing on disaster risk reducing interventions is a key strategy in capacitating people to manage calamities and disasters. Founded on the simple truth that “a prepared community is a safe community,” this strategy’s main objective is to reduce the impact of hazards and potential damages to life, the environment and livelihood in the community. It also maximizes the use of limited resources in the community and ensures that the community is prepared for any eventuality. 

The importance of mangrove in view of the above has encouraged attempts to mitigate the impact of disasters through restoration and rehabilitation of mangrove forests by both governmental and non-governmental actors in the region. Afforestation is seen as a means to combat the loss of natural coastal belt by safeguarding river embankments thus reducing the risk of flooding and protecting pro environment livelihoods.

SSDC planted more than 10,00,000 Mangrove saplings at 27 Hectare of the Sundarbans by involving 28 SHGs to undertake the activity of plantation. The members of the Self Help Groups who belong to the most vulnerable communities, were trained on raising mangrove saplings in nurseries. Support in the form of training, raw materials (i.e. manure, decomposable polythene bags, nets and bamboo) were provided. The activity cycle comprised of women collecting the mangrove seeds from the forest and raising them in nurseries. In the next phase the members were involved in setting up the bamboo guard walls and finally the plantation activity. The minimum daily wage as per government rules was guaranteed for them.

Their economic empowerment will tow them away from environmentally degrading and dangerous livelihoods like collecting prawn seeds from the estuaries. Thus they will be instrumental in protecting the environment of the Sundarbans while elevating the health status of, their families. The awareness generation value of their involvement in the project cannot be understated as they will act as agents of social and attitudinal change to usher in a better tomorrow for the people of Sundarbans.

The role of children in protecting the mangrove saplings also needs a special mention here. The Children’s Groups have furthered the cause of the protection of the plantation sites against intrusion by grazing cattle. They remain vigilant and drive away the goats from the vicinity of the sites. They also inform the concerned owners to take appropriate measures to keep their cattle under supervision so that they do not venture to the sites. They also kept vigil to desist people from venturing to the sites in effort of prawn seed collection.