vital to take environmental dangers seriously or else it can upend all the progress:
destroy crops, flood cities and outbreak of droughts (Sachs 2010).
The International Conferences on climate change like the ones held in Geneva
(1996), Kyoto (1997), Bonn (2001), Montreal (2005), Copenhagen (2009), Durban
(2011) Doha (2012) and others discussed the “2 degree centigrade” rise is global
temperature. But according to the latest reports, there is going to be a “4 degree
centigrade” temperature rise. (Carrington 2013; Kemsley 2013; PTI 2014). This
indeed further enhances the urgency for sustainable development and calls for
immediate and drastic measures to reduce global carbon footprint and check the
transfer of forested land into farm land or pastures. Forests absorb huge amounts of
carbon dioxide and act as carbon sinks along with oceans. However, when
large-scale deforestation is carried out, trapped CO 2 gets released in the atmosphere
and adds to global warming (Friend 2013). Also, deforestation in such a mammoth
scale is endangering biodiversity. The world oceans have also become far more
acidic than ever before, threatening the survival of millions of marine flora and
fauna (Sachs 2010). It has also been observed by Scholars that all over the world the
water table have declined sharply in the past few decades. The polar ice caps have
started melting alarmingly making the sea levels go up with the additional flow of
water (Graham 1999). But a global fresh water crunch is being predicted in the
coming decades. In fact, World Wars are expected in the future over access to water
(Goldenberg 2014; Judge 2013). Rainfall patterns are also changing dramatically all
over the planet (Pinto 2014; Ghoshal 2014) and widespread droughts are also being
predicted in the near future (Sachs 2010). That these predictions and assessments
are correct are being established by the fact that some of these disturbances
can already be seen in different parts of the world (Pallavi 2014; Misra 2014;
Manocha 2014).
Thus, the occurrences of unforeseeable events are increasing in number, the
future of us and our planet is indeed in grave danger. Having established global
warming and the subsequent sea level rise, scientists have started to consider the
impacts in each sector and regions in a 4 degree temperature rise scenario (Warren
2011).
This paper is an attempt to show the effects of climate change and loss of
biodiversity on this ecologically sensitive region, for this is the prelude to what
perhaps all the coastal communities would be facing subsequently, if immediate
steps are not taken otherwise.
1.1 Introducing the Study Area
The Sunderban group of islands hosts one of the largest mangrove forests in the
world (Rawat and Wikramanayake 2015). These islands are situated at the mouth of
the biggest delta in the world; the Ganga Brahmaputra delta formed by the deposition of silt brought down by these mighty rivers and their numerous distributaries.
These islands are cris-crossed by numerous distributaries, creeks and canals making
Is There a Tomorrow?: The Story of Survival …
357
destroy crops, flood cities and outbreak of droughts (Sachs 2010).
The International Conferences on climate change like the ones held in Geneva
(1996), Kyoto (1997), Bonn (2001), Montreal (2005), Copenhagen (2009), Durban
(2011) Doha (2012) and others discussed the “2 degree centigrade” rise is global
temperature. But according to the latest reports, there is going to be a “4 degree
centigrade” temperature rise. (Carrington 2013; Kemsley 2013; PTI 2014). This
indeed further enhances the urgency for sustainable development and calls for
immediate and drastic measures to reduce global carbon footprint and check the
transfer of forested land into farm land or pastures. Forests absorb huge amounts of
carbon dioxide and act as carbon sinks along with oceans. However, when
large-scale deforestation is carried out, trapped CO 2 gets released in the atmosphere
and adds to global warming (Friend 2013). Also, deforestation in such a mammoth
scale is endangering biodiversity. The world oceans have also become far more
acidic than ever before, threatening the survival of millions of marine flora and
fauna (Sachs 2010). It has also been observed by Scholars that all over the world the
water table have declined sharply in the past few decades. The polar ice caps have
started melting alarmingly making the sea levels go up with the additional flow of
water (Graham 1999). But a global fresh water crunch is being predicted in the
coming decades. In fact, World Wars are expected in the future over access to water
(Goldenberg 2014; Judge 2013). Rainfall patterns are also changing dramatically all
over the planet (Pinto 2014; Ghoshal 2014) and widespread droughts are also being
predicted in the near future (Sachs 2010). That these predictions and assessments
are correct are being established by the fact that some of these disturbances
can already be seen in different parts of the world (Pallavi 2014; Misra 2014;
Manocha 2014).
Thus, the occurrences of unforeseeable events are increasing in number, the
future of us and our planet is indeed in grave danger. Having established global
warming and the subsequent sea level rise, scientists have started to consider the
impacts in each sector and regions in a 4 degree temperature rise scenario (Warren
2011).
This paper is an attempt to show the effects of climate change and loss of
biodiversity on this ecologically sensitive region, for this is the prelude to what
perhaps all the coastal communities would be facing subsequently, if immediate
steps are not taken otherwise.
1.1 Introducing the Study Area
The Sunderban group of islands hosts one of the largest mangrove forests in the
world (Rawat and Wikramanayake 2015). These islands are situated at the mouth of
the biggest delta in the world; the Ganga Brahmaputra delta formed by the deposition of silt brought down by these mighty rivers and their numerous distributaries.
These islands are cris-crossed by numerous distributaries, creeks and canals making
Is There a Tomorrow?: The Story of Survival …
357