Bangladeshis—including most of those on the
margins of the Sundarbans—might migrate
because of climate-related crises. The forecast
in West Bengal is similarly alarming.
Despite the challenges, some people here
remain guardedly optimistic about the future.
The governments on both sides of the border
have gotten a grip on the worst of the man-
grove cutting, heavily punishing offenders, and
they’ve learned from past natural disasters. By
building more cyclone shelters and deploying
up to 150,000 volunteers before major storms
strike, Bangladeshi officials have drastically
cut death tolls. In even the poorest parts of
the Sundarbans, villagers have displayed an
impressive capacity for adaptation. As salin-
ity surges, they’ve abandoned rice farming in
favor of shrimping.
But in the battle to preserve the mangroves—
and in the long run, perhaps Bangladesh itself—
the difficulties are increasing. Dhaka has green-lit
the construction of a large, Indian- backed, coal-
fired power station at Rampal, on the edge of the
Sundarbans, a move that could pave the way for
other polluting industries. China is proposing
more dams in the Brahmaputra basin, potentially
jeopardizing the mangroves’ remaining freshwa-
ter supply. And the climate keeps on changing,
bringing ever more erratic rains, storms, and
temperature swings.
As the troubles mount, some locals wonder:
In the land that mangroves built, will climate
change be king?
“The Sundarbans built this country,” Bulu
Haldar said. “Perhaps the Sundarbans”—or the
loss of this forested region—“will destroy it.” j
Top left: Kishari Mandal
grazes her cattle on
Ghoramara Island after a
tidal surge has receded.
Top right: On Sagar,
Bijoy and Sona Bag and
their children stand on
ruins of a school that suc-
cumbed to tides in 2017.
Bottom right: A life-
guard patrols off Sagar,
where crowds of Hindu
Peter Schwartzstein is an Athens-based journalist
who focuses on food, water, and climate. Arko
Datto works on long-term projects on the Indian
subcontinent from his base in Kolkata. This is
their first article for the magazine.
pilgrims come to bathe
in the Ganges Delta.
Bottom left: In Bangla-
desh, Mohammad Gia-
suddin Hawladar (left)
and Mohammad Shobuj
Hawladar remain on the
crumbling banks of tiny
Chalitabunia Island.
Many people have fled
the increasingly flood-
prone Sundarbans.
144 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC