Published Paper Details:

Abstract: The Sundarbans, the world's biggest contiguous mangrove forest, is one of the world's most diverse and distinctive ecosystems. 4.5 million of India's poorest and most vulnerable citizens reside in the Sundarbans. The region's per capita income is around 50 cents per day, or half of the threshold for extreme poverty as defined by the international community. The only sources of income available to the residents of the Sundarbans are land and resource-based enterprises, as they are not allowed to pursue industrial growth. In the Indian Sundarbans, agriculture and fishing are the two main sources of income, while animal husbandry also plays a significant role in this area. In addition to paddy and various vegetables, the Indian Sundarbans' inhabitants benefit economically greatly from the growth of betel vine. Approximately eighty percent of the households engage in aquaculture, fishing, and agriculture using inefficient techniques of production. Because the mangroves produce fish, honey, fish oil, fire wood, fish, and medicines, the local people is strongly dependent on them. Marginal farmers and fishermen make up the majority of these populations; they are totally reliant on the local natural resources, particularly mangroves. Extreme weather events and their frequency and intensity present a risk to climate change. Sea level rise, contaminated salt water, increased storms and flooding, and draughts are a few possible ones. The purpose of this article is to assess local residents' existing and alternative livelihood prospects, as well as the hazards of climate change to their livelihoods in the surrounding Sundarbans.