The region is a diplomatic thorn between the two countries: Its environmental troubles are caused by neglect and climate change, resulting in the creation of refugees from livelihood loss and problems of water-sharing. The Sundarbans' issues can advance the relationship between the two neighbours - or send them into retreat.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is to start his visit to Bangladesh on Tuesday for a highly anticipated round of talks. This is the moment for both sides to look afresh at the Sundarbans and make it the creative spur for our bilateral prosperity.
Luckily he has something solid to build on. There has been a sincere effort from policymakers on both sides to break the logjam creatively. One of the most innovative initiatives has been the use of environmental diplomacy, championed by India's former environment minister Jairam Ramesh. In January last year, Ramesh suggested that India and Bangladesh join hands to protect the Sundarbans from environmental degradation by the formation of an Indo-Bangladesh Sundarbans Ecosystem Forum. It will require the participation of non-governmental organizations, civil society groups and local communities from both countries, and joint coordination in afforestation, management of mangroves and conservation of the Bengal tiger. The forum will be functional later this year.
The timing of the Ramesh initiative could not have been more propitious. The fractious India-Bangladesh relationship has been on the mend over the past two years. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has made several overtures of friendship, most notably by cracking down on Indian separatist groups that have long had safe havens in Bangladesh. In July, Bangladesh honoured former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi for her contribution to the liberation war of 1971Â - a significant acknowledgement.
What needs resolution are the issues created by the construction of the Farakka Barrage in 1975, and the attendant allocation of Ganga waters. The barrage diverted Ganga waters up-stream - adversely impacting the Sundarbans. Most parts of the wetlands have now surpassed their water-salinity thresholds, degrading the fragile ecosystem and resulting in loss of livelihood. Worse, Bangladesh, a low-lying deltaic region, faces the dire possibility of being partially submerged if sea levels continue to rise as a consequence of climate change. This could displace an estimated 10-30 million inhabitants of the southern Bangladesh coast alone, turning them into “climate refugees" - a migration headache for both countries. Already, thousands have moved into the slums of Kolkata and Dhaka. In short, the Sundarbans is at the epicentre of both our bilateral diplomatic challenges and of the most intense global battles against climate change. Read the full report here.
Source: Shloka Nath, Live Mint.com.
