Sagar Island is one of more than 100 islands in the Indian Sundarbans, an expansive mangrove forest that lines the coast along India and Bangladesh. Surrounded by the Bay of Bengal on one side and the Hooghly and Muriganga rivers on the other two, Sagar Island is experiencing the real-time effects of climate change from rising seas and more extreme weather, among other things.
With the mangroves being torn down and the fragile land being used for agricultural purposes, those living there say nothing can save them from the wrath of the sea. Reporter Vaishali Pandiyen brings us their story through conversations with those living in Sagar Island as well as professor-cum-researcher, Tuhin Ghosh, from the School of Oceanographic Studies at Jadavpur University.
Vaishali Pandiyen produced this report following a media workshop in West Bengal from Aug. 16-18 supported by the Earth Journalism Network's Bay of Bengal project.
Banner image: Panorama of river view, Sundarban District, south of Kolkata, India / Credit: Adam Jones via Flickr
