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Gabura a union of Satkhira district Bangladesh adjacent to the Sundarbans comprises twelve villages and an island near the mainland It is home to over 35 000 and all almost washed away during Cyclone Aila in 2009 Hundreds of people cattle trees and wild animals drowned People went to the nearest cyclone centers to survive but many could not get there on time Many resorted to climbing trees while others stood on the roofs of vulnerable houses made of wood Even after the cyclones people were too poor to rebuild their homes and lived on the dams for over two years

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Climate conversations worldwide by world leaders have been occurring yearly but more needs to be changed People around the coastline areas of the Sundarbans Forest have been experiencing extreme weather conditions Along with the flood the cyclone brought seawater that caused permanent salinity Regular water sources were damaged alongside crop fields creating food insecurity The land became barren and trees could not sustain themselves due to soil salinity Because of its geographical location Bangladesh has to receive and drain out a massive volume of upstream waters The flows of significant rivers originate from the Himalayas due to the temperature rise melting glaciers cause floods and waterlogging in many places around Bangladesh Floodwaters seep into supplies used for drinking and washing and latrines are washed away allowing raw sewage to increase the threat of diseases such as cholera

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The Sundarbans straddling Bangladesh and India is a UNESCO World Heritage site with profound cultural importance However climate change particularly rising salinity imperils its residents and ecosystem Increased salinity in drinking water correlates with health issues notably higher uterus cancer rates Moreover intense heat and salinity are causing declining birth rates in Bangladesh s coastal areas This environmental crisis endangers residents health and the Sundarbans intricate ecosystem and centuries-old traditions Central to this culture is the reverence for Banbibi the forest s guardian spirit worshipped by Hindus and Muslims Especially significant in Bangladesh she symbolizes protection for those relying on forest resources Meanwhile in West Bengal India the deity Dakshin Rai associated with the forest s fauna especially tigers is predominant Such traditions emphasize the deep connection between locals and the forest underscoring the urgency to combat the environmental challenges encroaching upon this unique heritage

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br When my husband Ruhul Amin Seikh goes fishing I wait for him by the river s edge Some days when I do not feel sick I join him in our small boat I can barely support my husband as I am aging and suffering from diseases Our children are separated They have their families and are no longer able to provide for us The forest is no longer providing us with food After spending hours in the river my husband returns with a few fish We can hardly sell fish for 80 Taka 1 USD daily We starve or eat once as we grow older Water is saltier than ever our house is still broken after the cyclone and now the coronavirus is killing us We have almost no food for the coming days We remain hungry we remain thirsty Fatema Khatun br

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Climate change disproportionately affects women and children deepening their health food water and sanitation vulnerabilities In Bangladesh increasing hazards such as cyclones and rising sea levels heighten physical threats like death disease malnutrition and abuse and social challenges like displacement trafficking risks and loss of education and property Rural women vital to agriculture face direct repercussions when disasters strike impacting income and food quality Moreover groundwater salinity in coastal areas has diminished safe drinking sources necessitating long perilous journeys for water often across rivers Recurring cyclones water scarcity and food shortages drain the energy of women and children As a result the coast witnesses elevated school dropouts and child marriages Malnourishment and diseases further impede learning Disastrous climate events like cyclones Sidr and Aila have decimated school infrastructure and resources particularly near the Sundarbans accentuating the urgency of climate action

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A fisherman family migrates to Narayanganj from Satkhira to work in a brickmaking factory Many climate victims work in brick factories or pull rickshaws in the cities to support their families back in their villages Local migration continuously happens due to climate change in Bangladesh Fishing communities in Bangladesh report that the availability of many local species has declined along with the silting up of river beds changes in temperature and earlier flooding Communities cope by selling labor migrating and borrowing money from lenders The unemployment rate has increased as local farmhands lose their jobs due to the scarcity of agricultural land Shrimp farming on the other hand is comparatively much less labor-intensive As a result many migrate to wealthier areas while others depend on Sundarbans forest resources However the help from the Sundarbans is limited and their regenerative capabilities could be faster Shrimp farming in the coastal areas is a lucrative business The increase in salinity is likely to jeopardize shrimp farming For the last few decades increased attention has been given to sea fish and brackish water fisheries Shrimp farmers occupy agricultural lands and holes are dug from the dam illegally to bring and direct the saline water onto the mainland It results in permanent soil salinity that affects the local ecosystem Bangladesh is one of the top ten prawn producers in the world Using chemicals and antibiotics for extensive farming in naturally flooded areas or artificially occupied lands makes the ecosystem disappear

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Women around coastline areas of Bangladesh face increased salinity a significant cause of uterus cancer People around coastlines near Sundarbans have turned to catching young shrimps from rivers where women and young children are involved in the daylong degrading marine ecology and biodiversity Due to the lack of work opportunities women have no choice but to catch baby shrimp from coastal rivers which they sell in the local market A significant number of agents work for big shrimp firms to buy baby shrimps that are sold to consumers The subsequent saline water consumption harms the skin the menstruation cycle and more seriously an unborn child The link between the increase of uterus cancer and infertility to salinity is being researched

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Many indigenous communities across the Sundarbans Forest have been experiencing extreme weather conditions that are accelerating their loss of income Climate change is pushing the displacement of inhabitants across the coastal belt of Bangladesh In the next one hundred years 25 of the Sundarbans Forest and its adjacent areas will drown in seawater as scientists assume where will those people go then

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Besides human lives erosion decreases plant species such as the Sundari Heritiera fomes mangrove tree a keystone tree in the Sundarbans The corrosion will soon lead to a mass exile of humans and other species Sundari is the building block for constructing the Sundarbans and occupies 70 percent of the forest The International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN has declared it the most endangered plant species where more than 40 species of amphibians reptiles birds and mammals are measured censoriously vanishing With the rapid increase of salinity in the land and rivers researchers have warned that the entire ecosystem may face the risk of extinction It may not only reduce the area of the Sundarbans and its animals like tigers deer monkeys birds crocodiles dolphins and other species but it will also relocate a vast population to other cities

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The Sundarbans Forest spanning Bangladesh s coastal districts like Satkhira Khulna and Bagerhat is on the front lines of climate change notably affecting women s health Rising salinity a result of sea-level increments and diminished freshwater supply contaminates drinking water and farmlands This increased salinity is now tied to health concerns notably an uptick in uterus cancer rates among women The environment s shift also impinges on female reproductive health with heightened heat and salinity suspected to lower fertility and reduce birth rates in the region This confluence of climate change and health challenges highlights the vulnerability of coastal women in Bangladesh Their pivotal role in managing water for households gets even more demanding with dwindling freshwater availability heightening their health risks Tackling climate impacts in the Sundarbans necessitates prioritizing women s health ensuring access to potable water endorsing salinity-tolerant crops and amplifying health risk awareness

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The Sundarbans the world s largest mangrove forest straddling India and Bangladesh is alarmingly at the forefront of the regions most affected by rising sea levels Scientists and climate experts have consistently warned of the vulnerability of this unique ecosystem to the consequences of global warming A study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters stated that the Sundarbans might become uninhabitable by 2100 due to rising sea levels if no substantial mitigation efforts are undertaken This inundation would not only lead to submerging a significant portion of the forest However it would also have profound ramifications for the region s rich biodiversity including its iconic Bengal tigers Beyond its environmental significance the Sundarbans are also home to millions whose livelihoods and way of life are deeply intertwined with the forest The expected drowning of the Sundarbans by seawater would not just be an ecological disaster but would also translate into a grave humanitarian crisis Displacement of communities loss of livelihoods and heightened vulnerabilities to climate-induced calamities are anticipated to be among the chief challenges The global community recognizing the unique importance of the Sundarbans has called for urgent and coordinated efforts to counteract this looming threat As the reality of these forecasts sets in it becomes increasingly evident that regional and global interventions are crucial to preserving this irreplaceable world heritage site

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Four fishermen s families brought their remaining storage of food to the table They are locals of an island adjacent to the Sundarbans Forest in Bangladesh where they live in harsh conditions The river constantly erodes lands cyclones are an annual affair and relocation is repeated On the other hand climate change and the impact of the coronavirus pandemic are nibbling away at whatever peace they had left Bangladesh the world s largest delta is a direct victim of global warming Increased natural disasters like cyclones and oceanic tidal waves affect Bangladesh s coastal area The coastal lowlands of this country have millions who ironically depend on the sea for their livelihood Bangladesh s low-lying coastal areas are speculated to be submerged due to sea-level rise as the world temperature increases Immediate natural calamities like cyclones and tidal floods worsen the situation As rising sea levels and unusually high tidal waves encroach upon the lowlands of Bangladesh the coastal areas face increased salinity When the upstream water flows reduce drastically in the dry season the saline water goes up to 240 kilometers inside the country and reaches distant regions This has meant that agricultural activities and cropping strength have changed farmers cannot grow various crops yearly Food and work opportunities are getting reduced Another factor that helps the continuous proliferation of salinity on the mainland is shrimp cultivation which involves trapping seawater in agricultural lands for a long time Fig can grow faster in saline areas Around coastal regions of Sundarbans the increase of fig trees is a sign of an alarm that the other species that cannot adapt to the salinity may disappear