Climate change is being talked about globally at various forums and leevels. Feverish attempts are underway to avoid taking steps for mitigation. Blamegames are being played at the global level between nations with each one accusing the other of being responsible for bringing the world to the edge of an environmental abyss. But in the cacophony of all this activity the irreplaceable element which is being lost every day is time. Every day and every year that passes in these grand negotiations for the extent and nature of action to be taken to avoid the catastrophe brings the world closed to the abyss and the biggest casualities in the entire beureaucratic process are the common people. This is particularly true of the poor ones in developing country. Many of these dont understand the concept of climate change and do not contribute to it in any way. These people are facing the impacts in their daily lives and are regularly facing loss of live, livelihood and possessions. These people are affected by one of the most powerful and dangerous elements namely the deep blue sea. Due to climate change the sea is relentlessly advancing on the coastal settlement and appropriating land, houses, livestock and people in the process. The land submergence that climate change analysts talk about for 2050 and 2100 has already begun. Though the climate change negotiators living in the cities have not yet experienced it but they probably may not have to wait too long and by then any action they take would be a case of too little, too late.
One of the areas which has been witnessing such drastic climate change effects is the state of Orissa in India. The state is located on the coast of Bay of Bengal and has coastline of about 500 km. The state has a long history of natural disasters which have intensified in the recent years due to climate change. The Bay of Bengal is said to be rising by about 3mm every year. It has been estimated that a 1mm rise in sea level can submerge 425 acres of land. It can only be imagined what a 3mm rise would do. The state seems to have been singled out for a sound thrashing by nature. The small settlements of villagers along the coast are facing a variety of climate change impacts and are overwhelmed by the wrath of nature that they are being made to bear. One such coastal settlement is the village of Satbhaya. As the level in the Bay of Bengal continues to rise the sea is advancing forward and submerging land and everything else on it. In about 10 years the sea has submerged about 150 acres of land in the area along with 5 villages located on it. These villages were located in the vicinity of Satbhaya and housed a vibrant community of farmers. Satbhaya too is a village of farmers who earn their living through paddy crops. It is surprising that the village has no fishermen despite being located so close to the sea (about 500 meters). However the abscence of a fishing community is easily explained if we consider the fact that about 10 years back the sea was 4 to 5 km away from the village and the paddy fields right behind it and adjoining it. Now the advancing sea has destroyed agriculture to a great extent due to salt water intrusion into the agricultural fields during every high tide. The underground water which was the only source of drinking water has turned saline. The very houses of the villagers face the threat of submergence and have been shifted to the tops of sand bunds constructed to protect them from storms and cyclones. However these bunds themselves are getting eroded as there is no plantation on them to hold the soil. The situation has reached such a sorry state as the government department which makes the bunds and the one which does the plantation are different and have separate priorities. To add to the woe of the villagers the village is located deep inside a reserved forest where no new construction is permitted. Thus any plans to resttle them in the vicinity can not be thought of or approved. One is required to cross a Crocodile infested river on a rickety boat just to reach the village. The villagers are thus sandwitched between the sea and the forest with no option left except to wait and watch everything they hold dear getting submerged beneath the advancing waves of a agressive sea.
While this drama is being played in a corner of the world the people have the power to do something and avert a catastrophe are busy playing their own power games. We do not know when this show will end, but the way things are going the story seems to be heading for a painful and tragic ending for por communities on the coasts of the world.
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