Volume-XII, Issue-II, March 2026 |
জলবায়ু পরিবর্তন ও অভিবাসন: ভারতীয় সুন্দরবনের মৌসুনি দ্বীপের একটি অধ্যয়ন আসিফ সরদার, গবেষক, আন্তর্জাতিক সম্পর্ক বিভাগ, যাদবপুর বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়, কলকাতা, পশ্চিমবঙ্গ, ভারত |
Received: 13.03.2026 | Accepted: 14.03.2026 | Published Online: 31.03.2026 | Page No: | ||||
DOI: 10.29032/ijhsss.vol.12.issue.02W. | |||||||
Climate Change and Migration: A Study of Mousuni Island in the Indian Sundarbans Asif Sardar, Research Scholar, Department of International Relations, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India | ||
ABSTRACT | ||
Climate change is increasingly shaping patterns of human mobility, especially in environmentally vulnerable coastal regions. The Sundarbans delta, shared by India and Bangladesh, is widely recognised as one of the areas most exposed to climate-related risks. In recent decades, environmental changes such as coastal erosion, salinity intrusion, and frequent cyclones have significantly affected the livelihoods of local communities. These changes often push people to search for alternative sources of income outside their native region. Against this background, the present study investigates the relationship between climate change, livelihood insecurity, and migration in Mousuni Island of the Indian Sundarbans. It particularly focuses on identifying the environmental and socio-economic factors that influence migration decisions and examining the socio-economic profile of migrant households. The analysis draws on both primary and secondary sources. Primary data were obtained through a field survey conducted among 50 migrant respondents from Baliara village in Mousuni Island using a structured questionnaire. Secondary information was collected from relevant academic literature, reports, and official documents. The findings indicate that declining livelihood opportunities in agriculture, fishing, and forest-based activities are closely linked to environmental change. As a result, many households increasingly depend on temporary or seasonal migration to states such as Kerala and Gujarat as a coping strategy. | ||
Keywords: Climate Change; Migration; Livelihood Vulnerability; Indian Sundarban; Mousuni Island |