© Anne-Marie Singh/WWF-India
Inauguration of Climate Adaptation Centre
As Earth Hour once again reminded the world of the need to combat climate change, one region in India faces these reminders everyday. The islands of the Sundarbans, in the Bay of Bengal are witnessing and struggling against the negative impacts of a changing environment in the form of tidal surges, cyclones, increased soil and water salinity and sea-level rise. While 40 percent of the 102 islands (on the Indian side) are under forest cover, the remaining area is inhabited by poor communities who are losing their homes, land and fields as we speak. WWF-India, in partnership with WWF-Netherlands, Hewlett Packard and GTZ, is working with communities on Mousuni island, which is the second most vulnerable island, to help them cope with and adapt to climate change while increasing their resilience against high intensity events. To do so they have initiated several adaptation strategies including the recent inauguration of a Climate Adaptation Centre on March 29, 2009.
WWF- India has adopted a two-pronged approach to adaptation on Mousuni. While focusing on the immediate needs of disaster management and relief, they are also providing long-term adaptation measures to the next generation of residents. This has been attempted through the Climate Adaptation Centre which houses an electronic Early Warning System to warn villagers of oncoming disasters. The centre also runs a book bank which loans students educational materials to help enhance their future prospects.
The Early Warning System has been linked to Jadavpur University in Kolkata and will receive messages whenever there is an oncoming disaster. The Centre also houses relief material like stretchers, torches and medical aid. An organized Disaster Management Team, comprising village youth has been put together to mobilize the village community towards safety in the event of a disaster.
According to Dr Anurag Danda, Head of WWF India’s Sundarbans Programme, “Mousuni island is in peril. Its neighbouring island, Sagar, has recording a relative sea level rise of 3.14 mm which is alarming. We have to work towards increasing the adaptive capacities of the communities before it is too late.”
Other adaptation strategies introduced include re-introduction of indigenous salt-tolerant paddy to farmers on the island. As the market value of this variety (tal mugur) is not far behind other high-yielding varieties, farmers on the island have been successful in maintaining their livelihood without having to worry about losing it to salt water incursion. The Climate Adaptation Centre provides paddy seeds to the farmers and also holds information about the various varieties of paddy, their market values and government schemes available to benefit them.
According to Arjan Berkhuysen, Delta Expert, WWF-Netherlands, “these problems are similar in deltas all over the world. WWF is looking for natural solutions that respect the dynamics of the system while helping people towards sustainable development in the face of climate change”.
These efforts have been made possible by organizations and corporates who have partnered with WWF in this endeavour. Says Bina Raj-Debur, Director, Corporate Marketing, HP India, “Climate change is probably one of the most significant environmental challenges that the world faces today. Hewlett Packard’s collaboration with WWF and investments in their projects are part of our comprehensive social investments and environmental strategies that’s makes use of HP technology to help reduce our own environmental impact, as well as that of our partners, suppliers and customers.”
WWF- India has adopted a two-pronged approach to adaptation on Mousuni. While focusing on the immediate needs of disaster management and relief, they are also providing long-term adaptation measures to the next generation of residents. This has been attempted through the Climate Adaptation Centre which houses an electronic Early Warning System to warn villagers of oncoming disasters. The centre also runs a book bank which loans students educational materials to help enhance their future prospects.
The Early Warning System has been linked to Jadavpur University in Kolkata and will receive messages whenever there is an oncoming disaster. The Centre also houses relief material like stretchers, torches and medical aid. An organized Disaster Management Team, comprising village youth has been put together to mobilize the village community towards safety in the event of a disaster.
According to Dr Anurag Danda, Head of WWF India’s Sundarbans Programme, “Mousuni island is in peril. Its neighbouring island, Sagar, has recording a relative sea level rise of 3.14 mm which is alarming. We have to work towards increasing the adaptive capacities of the communities before it is too late.”
Other adaptation strategies introduced include re-introduction of indigenous salt-tolerant paddy to farmers on the island. As the market value of this variety (tal mugur) is not far behind other high-yielding varieties, farmers on the island have been successful in maintaining their livelihood without having to worry about losing it to salt water incursion. The Climate Adaptation Centre provides paddy seeds to the farmers and also holds information about the various varieties of paddy, their market values and government schemes available to benefit them.
According to Arjan Berkhuysen, Delta Expert, WWF-Netherlands, “these problems are similar in deltas all over the world. WWF is looking for natural solutions that respect the dynamics of the system while helping people towards sustainable development in the face of climate change”.
These efforts have been made possible by organizations and corporates who have partnered with WWF in this endeavour. Says Bina Raj-Debur, Director, Corporate Marketing, HP India, “Climate change is probably one of the most significant environmental challenges that the world faces today. Hewlett Packard’s collaboration with WWF and investments in their projects are part of our comprehensive social investments and environmental strategies that’s makes use of HP technology to help reduce our own environmental impact, as well as that of our partners, suppliers and customers.”
