Proceedings of Sundarbans Platform Meeting-I Kolkata, India

Home , Abdur Razzak Molla, Biman Banerjee

Public Disclosure Authorized PROCEEDINGS OF SUNDARBANS PLATFORM MEETING-I

Public Disclosure Authorized

KOLKATA, INDIA

BACKGROUND

In 2010, prior to signing the Sundarbans MoU between Bangladesh and India, a Sundarbans Platform was organized involving experts from both countries. This was an informal guild of experts, which has stopped the discussions since 2012. Now, we plan to organise series of meetings to engage members of the said Sundarbans Platform with an aim of reviving the platform so as to be able to contribute to future discussions on the Common Sundarbans Multistakeholder Platform and the thematic networks for technical studies. Around 15 such meetings are envisaged with different group of stakeholders, (Legislators, Government officials, NGOs, Academicians, and Media).

First platform meeting has been convened on 20 January, 2015 at Bijoy Kumar Banerjee Hall, Assembly House Kolkata by Honourable Speaker of West Bengal Legislative Assembly. The meeting had Hon’ble members of the Standing Committees on Panchayats & Rural Development, Land and Land Reforms and Sundarban Development, Environment, Forests and Tourism, Social Welfare, Disaster Management and Refugee Relief & Rehabilitation; and Hon’ble Members representing the Sundarbans region.

This meeting not only helped us to share information about the project but also to receive inputs on the plan as well as the draft discussion paper covering the organizational design for the Common Sundarbans Multistakeholder Platform.

Broad agenda of these platform meetings were to discuss the conservation and development issues facing Sundarbans in light of climate change and repeated disasters. This dialogue is part of a process to support resilience planning for the Sundarbans. These multi-stakeholder engagements are means to provide stakeholder input to government decision making, strengthened by participatory processes that facilitate transboundary knowledge generation and sharing.

FIRST PLATFORM MEETING

Held at Bijoy Banerjee Hall, West Bengal Legislative assembly.

20 January, 2015

Agenda: To discuss the conservation and development issues facing Sundarbans in light of climate change and repeated disasters.

Participants: Members of Legislative Assembly

------

Introduction

The first platform meeting is part of a multi-stakeholder initiative by WWF-India in association with EnGIO. This platform provided an opportunity for discussion to develop an alternative scenario based on the best available current knowledge and research to mitigate disaster risk. Members of West Bengal Legislative Assembly, Ministers and Members of the Standing Committees were part of this dialogue which is expected to help in building a multi-stakeholder engagement process to develop a collaborative and integrated conservation and development plan for the Sundarbans landscape. It is expected to create a win-win situation for both population under climate/disaster risk and the landscape of a global importance .

Objectives

a. To discuss the conservation and development issues facing Sundarbans in light of climate change and repeated disasters. b. Seek opinion on landscape specific ways and means which will support resilience planning for the Sundarbans for disaster risk mitigation and long term sustainability and; c. Identify places within this region which presents opportunity for planned and resilient urbanization with adequate disaster risk opportunities besides public, social, infrastructural development.

Welcome Address

Shri Biman Banerjee, Hon’ble Speaker, West Bengal Legislative Assembly

Shri Biman Banerjee welcomed the participants and introduced WWF, WORLD BANK and EnGIO to other Honourable elected members of the house. He also praised the joint initiative taken up by the group to support sustainable development of Sundarbans landscape. He stressed that such initiatives are urgently required to create win-win situation for both man and environment in a landscape of global importance.

Meeting Introduction and Overview

Shri Jayanta Basu Director, EnGIO

Mr. Basu expressed his deep gratitude to all participants. He expressed the concern that Sundarbans stand extremely vulnerable; being further exaggerated by climate change. The ecosystem is being repeatedly stretched like a rubber band and is experiencing the rubber band resilience syndrome (repeatedly stretching a rubber band or bending a metal wire weakens the material so that it is more susceptible to breakage than before the deformations began). Sundarbans is affected by both long term impact like sea level rise as well as immediate impacts like increasing frequency of high intensity tropical cyclones. The ever increasing population pressure in Sundarbans enhances the vulnerability of the landscape. The landscape vulnerability has not been yet adequately addressed nationally and internationally.

Introducing WWF-India and its Sundarban program

Dr. A. Anurag Danda Head, Sundarbans landscape

WWF-India is having an engagement in this region since the 1970s. It made significant investments in this landscape since 2003 and since 2007 a dedicated team and programme is in place for the Sundarbans which has worked on issues of biodiversity conservation including tigers, working with local communities to develop strategies for adaptation to climate change, and providing access to modern energy services. Besides pilot and demonstration projects, WWF-India has engaged with the policy-making process at provincial, federal, and multilateral levels, and has been able to positively influence policies. WWF-India’s work has resulted in the notification of a new wildlife sanctuary in the Sundarbans spread over 550 sq.km in 2012 and setting a baseline for tiger numbers in Sundarbans. Earlier this year, the World Bank has proposed a fund for transboundary cooperation on Sundarbans as part of the South Asia Water Initiative based on the proceedings of a transboundary workshop that WWF-India had convened.

However, given the multiple deficiencies across sectors in the region, there is need to scale up models on the ground as well as maintain the engagement at different levels to realize the vision of Sundarbans as a climate resilient eco-region that supports biodiversity, ecosystem services, and sustainable development. The key challenges to maintaining this ecosystem and its tiger population are related to developing sustainable alternative livelihoods for local communities, developing clean energy solutions and addressing poaching of tigers.

Expert views

Understanding River Dynamics in Sundarbans

Professor Kalyan Rudra Geographer and River Expert Chairman, West Bengal Pollution Control Board & Advisor, Department of Environment, Government of West Bengal Professor Rudra began with a geomorphic prologue of Sundarbans. Sundarbans, the largest delta in the world, receives the highest sediment load globally but still is not growing - rather shrinking - from North-apex. The Bengal Basin covers an area of 1,40,975 sq. km out of which sub-aqueous Delta and Bengal Delta cover 23,362 sq. km and 57,506 sq. km respectively. He highlighted the geomorphological uncertainty of the delta and also highlighted the issue of erosion of the river banks in different parts of Sundarbans. He explained the threats emanating from change in river dynamics and enlightened the participants by describing the situation during high intensity weather events. The river expert believes that we must leave meandering space for the rivers. Detailed study required to understand the optimum space required by the river and appropriate design and location of embankment. The river expert concluded with the statement that he does not have solution to combat the above; but requested the participants to comment and find solutions and strategize accordingly.

Challenges to human development and growth in Sundarbans due to climate change.

Shri Subhas Chandra Acharyya Consultant, WWF-India

Shri Acharyya briefly discussed major issues of concern in Sundarbans landscape which are segregated sectorally and given below: Agriculture: Changing monsoonal trend, increasing temperature, longer summer, shorter winter, water scarcity during dry season, water logging in rainy season, increasing pest & diseases of crops, increasing soil and water salinity, damaging crops & crop infrastructure like betel vine yards. Fisheries: Fish yield decreasing-rising temperature, water quality deterioration, acidification etc, damage of brackish water bheries , increasing trend of disease outbreak in fishery stocks, decreasing fish catch in rivers & estuaries and less catch in deep sea-fishing. Other livelihoods activities : Increasing pressure on extraction of aquatic and forest resources results in human-wildlife conflict. Self-Employment: Dilapidated transport infrastructure, increasing air pollution, poor absorbing capacity of workforce in the existing livelihood options. Food insecurity : High population density, marginal land holding. Health : Increasing stress on drinking water supply, nutrition deficiency amongst women & children, increasing trend in vector and water borne diseases, disease and deaths aftermath of cyclonic event like Aila (2009).

Finally, he requested inputs from the participants on desired path for sustainable development process and adaptation strategies. He also added a caveat that any further delay in intervention will further worsen the situation.

Comments and recommendations by Honourable Members of West Bengal Legislative Assembly

Shri Abdur Razzak Molla, MLA Constituency-Canning East Comments: Embankments were built during the Zamindari system when the then delta was pre-mature. Post-independence, lack of serious initiatives towards the betterment of embankments is quite visible. Most of the embankments were repaired in a piece-meal manner. In the past, fresh water flow in the region from perennial rivers kept the salinity regime under check and “Dudhnonta” or less saline condition favoured the growth of Sundari tree. The present high salinity regime only favours mangrove associates like Avicennia and Portesia species. He also pointed out that valuable timber mangrove species will not thrive under present condition and strategies are required to afforest valuable timber species.

Recommendation: a. Stop illegal extraction of forest resources. b. Monitor the exit points of the forest and cease the resources which are extracted illegally.

Shri Jayanta Naskar, MLA Constituency-Gosaba Comments: He is well aware of the distressing condition of Sundarbans. Nature, Wildlife and Communities of Sundarbans are interdependent as well as interconnected. Heavy siltation in river and creeks are of major concern. He also pointed out that the rate of river bank erosion has increased over the years. There is also noticeable change in weather that has caused shift in cropping pattern in this region. Salinity of inland fresh water sources and soil has adversely impacted agriculture and especially cash crop cultivation. Cash crops like water melon, green chili and beetle-leaves can’t be grown properly in many areas. This lead to migration of the community members during agriculturally lean season when the fresh water availability is scarce. He also stressed that displacement of population is not a solution.

Recommendation: a. There is no need to shift the embankment as it will involve displacement of large population. b. Dredging of the rivers and creeks is urgently required. c. Remote islands should be connected with the mainland through construction of bridges and good roads. d. Community development through skill enhancement and capacity building programmes is the need of the hour. e. Electrification of many un-electrified remote villages is urgently required. f. Deep tube well and re-excavation of silted inland water bodies (pons and canals) will be of great help for the betterment of agriculture and inland fisheries which in turn will create jobs locally and discourage migration.

Shri Samir Kumar Jana, MLA Constituency-Patharpratima Comments: Sundarban landscape is under great stress and so are the communities. People are facing economic crisis especially after tropical cyclone Aila which ravaged this landscape in 2009. Sundarban Development Board has done many noticeable interventions in the health, road construction and community development sector. He commended the multi-stakeholder initiative. He also stressed that displacement of population in Sundarbans is not a solution. Strategies should be in place to improve the livelihood of the community in Sundarbans.

Recommendation: a. Scientific and systematic ways of creating durable embankments is required. b. Increase the height of embankments is a must. c. Strategies should be in place to check river bank erosion. d. Dredging of rivers and creeks is requested and if applicable, scientific ways of changing the river course should be explored. e. Mangrove plantation on mud flats and embankments is necessary. 7

f. Sundarbans region should be perceived as a separate district. g. Sundarbans characteristics, uniqueness and the ecosystem services it provides should be incorporated in school syllabus to raise awareness.

Shri Anandamay Mandal, MLA Constituency-Hingalganj Recommendation: a. Awareness camp should be organized in every village of Sundarban and communities should be made aware of issues and threats concerning Sundarbans. b. Mangrove plantation on mud flats and embankments is necessary. c. Strategies to promote saline resistant crops to build the adaptive capacity of agriculture sector. d. Dredging of rivers and creeks is a must. e. Need of scientific and systematic ways of building as well as strengthening embankments. f. Embankment height must be increased. g. Strategies to check river bank erosion should be in place.

Shri Nirapada Sardar, MLA

Constituency-Sandeshkhali Comments: He commended the organisers in holding the multi-stakeholder initiative. He pointed that bank erosion dynamics is a very serious issue. River pollution is another major challenge to the ecosystem of Sundarbans. Leakage of engine oil from boats in the river is one of the major source of pollution and impacts aquatic fauna like fish. Waste water discharge from Kolkata city is also affecting the water quality of Sundarban rivers and creeks and in turn threatens the aquatic fauna.

Next to this issue is prawn seed by-catch which is affecting livelihood of fishery dependent people and results in human-wildlife conflict. Thousands of different fishes and other aquatic fauna get destroyed as by-catch from prawn-seed collection. This makes species endangered in Sundarbans. We should also look into the status of prey-base in Sundarbans that is also a cause of human-wildlife conflict.

Recommendation: a. Need to strategies ways to deposit silt along the embankment. b. Identify hotspot erosion areas and then initiate intervention accordingly for the respective areas. c. Mangrove plantation along the embankment is important for the protection and strengthening of existing embankments. d. Portable water supply and assured availability of water is required for the community in remote islands. e. Improvement in climate-adaptive agriculture sector is important.

Shri Ram Sankar Halder, MLA Constituency-Kultali Recommendation: a. Scientific and systematic ways of creating durable embankments. b. Embankment height needs to be increased.

Shri Manturam Pakhira

Minister-of-State, Department of Sundarban Affairs (Independent Charge) and Ex-Officio Member of the Standing Committee on Panchayat and Rural Development, Land & land Reforms and Sundarban Development. Recommendation: a. A multi-stakeholder meeting like this is a commendable initiative. He congratulated WWF and WORLD BANK to organize such kind of multi-stakeholder meeting. b. He explained the Sundarban Development Board’s formation, structure and importance in the overall development of Sundarbans region. The state has planned numerous eco-development activities for this landscape over the years. c. State Government will provide all help and cooperation to civil society and initiatives like the ongoing multi-stakeholder consultation for the betterment of Sundarbans. d. Sundarban is of international importance and appropriate strategies need to be in place for its sustainable development. e. Sundarbans of India and Bangladesh has to be visualized as a single landscape. f. Dredging of heavily silted rivers and creeks of Sundarbans. g. Embankment repair should be done on urgent basis. h. Displacement of the population along the embankment is not required.

Shri Bratya Basu Minister-In-Charge, Tourism Dept. and Ex-Officio Member of the Standing Committee on Environment, Forest and Tourism. Recommendation: a. Nature, Wildlife and Communities of Sundarbans are interdependent as well as interconnected. b. Strategies should be geared towards creating a win-win situation for both man and environment. c. We should focus on interventions rather than deliberations. d. Capacity building and generating community awareness is more important than displacing people living along the embankment.

Shri Javed Ahmed Khan Minister-In-Charge, Disaster Management Department & Ex-Officio Member of the Standing Committee on Social Welfare, Disaster Management and Refugee Relief and Rehabilitation.

Recommendation: a. Strategies to reduce population’s exposure to high risk conditions through appropriate disaster risk reduction mechanism should be in place. b. Roadmap will be formulated after the forthcoming multi-stakeholder initiatives by WWF, World Bank and EnGIO. Sectoral departments will be involved in this process.

Shri Biman Banerjee Speaker of West Bengal Legislative Assembly Recommendation: a. Commendable initiative by WWF, WORLD BANK and EnGIO to organize such kind of multi-stakeholder meeting. b. Joint-initiatives are required by both the Governments of India and Bangladesh. c. Scientific and systematic ways to build and as well as strengthen the existing embankments. d. Strategies to check river-bank erosion is necessary. e. Wildlife protection and conservation is the need of the hour. f. Awareness drive across the landscape is important. g. Adopt new technologies for conservation of Sundarbans. h. Coordinated effort is required on the part of stakeholders for betterment of Sundarbans landscape. i. Communities’ access to portable water supply is necessary.

Keywords from the Comments

Keywords from the Recommendation