Levka#ClimateCrisis #MangroveForests #Bangladesh #India #gender #TheSundarbans
The Sundarbans, which stretches across the southern reaches of Bangladesh and India, is widely celebrated as the planet’s largest mangrove forest and a refuge for endangered species. Yet beneath its ecological riches lies increasing instability that threatens residents and biodiversity.
Accelerating sea level rise, at almost double the global average, coupled with salinity and recurrent cyclones, have transformed once-fertile farms into wastelands, upending local economies and exposing millions to entrenched vulnerability. For communities dependent on rice farming and fishing, the effects are severe: crops fail, fish and crab stocks decline, and mounting debts drive families into distress. With livelihoods collapsing, many men migrate to distant cities for work, leaving women to run households, care for children and elders, and sustain community life. This shift increases women’s burden and exposes families, especially children, to poverty and instability. At the same time, it has also given rise to new forms of agency and collective action among the women left behind.
