Climatic Changes: A rude awakening (Part III)

Dissapearing mangroves and coastlines

The first mention of climate refugees have started circulating. This was given off by the foreign minister of Bangladesh, Dipu Moni at Tromsoe, North Norway at the Meltic Ice and Arctic Counsell conference. Because of its geographical location and the fact that it is mostly a low lying delta, Bangladesh risks devastating impacts from the rising sea levels caused by climate change. Already Bangaldesh accounts for 60% of the 250,000 deaths worldwide on account of cyclones. (as per 1980 - 2000 statistics). Moni urged rich nations to help the densely populated country of 150 million people, possibly by opening their borders to international environment/climate refugees! U.N. Climate Panel projected in 2007 world sea levels would rise by between 18 and 59 cms (7-23 inches) this century and listed Bangladesh among the most vulnerable countries to climate changes. Millions of Bangladeshis reside less than a metre above sea level making them susceptible to rise sea water levels.Rising seas and storms would bring more salinity to farmland, affecting crops and changing the types of fish able to survive, thereby multiplying the crisis.

In another independent study, it has been found that the living along Maharashtra coastline are being threatened and fast disappearing due to various human activities including government activities. Jat Sangli (Botanist) and Current Science (Journal) are putting together a plan conserve some of the endangered and critically endangered species of mangroves along the Maharashtra coastline as they are the shoreline protectors and habitat for a variety of animals. Maharashtra is one of the important states of India with unique mangrove diversity along its 720 kilometers coastline, distributed in about 55 estuaries in five districts. There are about 24 typical mangroves along with ten halophytes, 12 borderline species and 15 associates in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts alone and the rest of the districts show more or less similar composition. Lack of awareness in locals about how to maintain the eco-system and the mangroves is seen as the first obstacle and for start, the beginning is in education of the locals on issues such as eco disasters associated with loss of mangroves on the coastal belts.

Read more about Mangrove conservation here