Indian Sundarbans Delta- A Vision

The Vision Document has been created in response to a priority action point identified at a multi-stakeholder workshop held in Kolkata, in March 2009, on Sundarbans: Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation.

The priority action point was identified because of consensus among the participants that highly informed policy decisions are necessary to guide action to cope with pressures of predicted changes in the Sundarbans ecoregion. The mere fact that population is growing means that regardless of climate change, more people will be put in harm's way. With climate change, new adaptive solutions are needed to prevent exposing the population to these impacts and to reduce their vulnerability.

So far, the pattern of governance in the Indian Sundarbans Delta has struggled to keep up with the management and development challenges posed by this complex system. In the absence of the needed new adaptive solutions this environmentally and economically important area is rapidly heading towards an uncertain future. In view of the grave situation facing the Indian Sundarbans Delta, WWF, in the course of conservation work in the region, is suggesting an alternative scenario to the “business as usual” informed by the best available current knowledge and research. The aim of this alternative scenario is to stimulate reasoned public discussion.