One of the World’s Heritage Site, Sunderban is facing a threat to the changing climate and rising sea level. The world’s largest mangrove forest with a rich ecosystem is at risk of losing its identity and people. The majority of the people from Sunderban are dependent on Agriculture, fishery, fishing, and other forms of engagement. As salinity in the soil and water affects the livelihood of people in a big way, there is a need to understand the existing problems, gaps, opportunities, and potential for transformation to design the roadmap for co- production.

Caritas India under the TAPESTRY in short (Transformation as Praxis: Exploring Socially Just and Transdisciplinary Pathways to Sustainability in Marginal Environments’) Joint Research programme is steering the process of identifying gaps and challenges, good practices being adopted by farmers and firm up few important transformative pathways as part of the whole research program under TAPESTRY.

One of the TAPESTRY project patches is the Indian Sundarbans where recurrent disasters, increasing salinity in water and soil, the pronounced effect of climate change, conversion of agriculture lands into brackish water shrimp cultivation, loss of mangrove biodiversity, displacement of people living in remote pockets of the islands are some of the most challenging issues related to life and livelihood of the people living in these two riverine blocks.

It also explores the hybrid alliances between natural resource-dependent communities, NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations), scientists, state agencies and innovative practices in Sunderbans that are reimagining sustainable development, and inspiring societal transformation.

A knowledge & capacity sharing session was organized with 21 farmers from Kultali and Sagar blocks on February 19, 2021, at Lokmata Rani Rashmoni Mission, South 24 Parganas. The session explored the gaps and opportunities that exist regarding managing salinity of the soil and water in the Sundarbans affecting people’s livelihood. It is believed that the potential transformative actions always emerge from the existing coping practices and local solutions. Therefore, seeds, soil, and water management were major focus areas from where best practices could be identified and appropriate modifications will be aimed at to design the participatory action research.

Farmers were asked to share the impact of climate change in the Sundarbans which affects each one of them in terms of their life and livelihood? Dr. Pallab De from Caritas India informed about different layers of stakeholders and farmers being one of the major stakeholders from the grass-root level can help in understanding their perception on the challenges, different positive coping mechanisms and also the scope of replication of good practices done by other farmers in the Sundarbans.

Farmers shared their experiences, apprehensions and some of the major needs of the area in terms of having seed bank of salinity tolerant paddy variety, reviving sweet water fisheries, embankment protection, marketing opportunities, soil & water testing facilities, and need for farmer knowledge building on farming and weather-based agro-advisory.

The session helped in drafting an action plan for the next six months for the selected blocks. One of the proposed plans is to identify 2-3 ponds in each of the blocks by the local youth and women from the SHG groups to rejuvenated with indigenous fish seedlings. Seed banks to be formed by promoting locally suitable species of salinity tolerant paddy like Dudheswar, Tangrasal etc. for this Kharif season. To encourage farmers, the Integrated farming technique to be promoted, Ail cropping and exposure of farmers would be organized for cross-learning.