Understanding Local Coping Strategies towards Climate Change: A Study of Kumirmari Island, Sundarbans

Abstract

Today, climate change has emerged to be a global phenomenon. The effects of climate change as experience by developing countries like India are global warming resulting in increasing temperatures, variations in precipitation patterns, increased incidence and frequency of extreme weather events such as flooding, cyclones, hurricanes among others. These are likely to have devastating impact on the lives and livelihoods of people as well as threaten food and human security. This study aims to understand climate change adaptation at the local level through various coping mechanisms employed in response to changing climatic conditions, especially tropical cyclones and coastal flooding. Situated in the Sundarbans delta in India, the study also strives to elucidate the influences and factors that determine the vulnerabilities of the inhabitants of the region. Finally, an attempt is made to build a case about the remote island of Kumirmari Island that is likely to face increased incidences of climate change which will exacerbate the already existing development challenges. The study is qualitative in nature and employs methods such as semi-structured, group and key informant interviews to bring out the limited coping mechanisms used by households to address the devastating covariate impact of the 2009 cyclone Aila. Some of these mechanisms were utilizing one’s savings, reducing consumption, pulling children out of school as well as migration. The factors that influence these actions stem from the socio-economic and ecological context of the households that define the degree of exposure differently for each household though effected by the same climate stimuli.