Ghoramara: the Indian island disappearing into the sea
Rising sea levels are threatening residents’ homes but most can’t afford to evacuate
Residents living on India’s Ghoramara Island are calling on their government to help them relocate, after losing more than half of their lands to rising sea levels caused by global warming.
The 1.8 sq mile island is located in the Sundarbans Delta of the Bay of Bengal. The delta is made up of 54 low-lying islands, many of which are being destroyed because of climate change. Another Sundarbans island, Lohachara, has already been completely washed away because of the rising tides, turning its residents into “environmental refugees”, and Ghoramara islanders fear they could be next.
“If a tsunami or a big cyclone hits this island we will be finished,” island elder Sanjib Sagar told the Economic Times.#
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Most islanders are farmers, cultivating the mangrove trees, but the frequent flooding has damaged not only people’s homes, but the farmland they depend on for a living. The population on the island has decreased from 7,000 to 4,800 over the last decade.
Many of those who remain say they are willing to evacuate, but the cost of fleeing and beginning a new life on the mainland is prohibitively expensive.
“If government gives rehabilitation I will leave,” Ghoramara resident Sheikh Aftab Uddin told Reuters. He estimated that half of the island is prepared to leave, but stressed that islanders would need the government to provide housing because of its high cost.
According to a NASA study, global sea level rise has been accelerating in recent decades, driven by increased melting in Greenland and Antarctica. If current trends continue, by 2100 the world’s seas could have swelled by twice the projected level.
Rising seas now threaten entire nations, including the Maldives and the Marshall Islands, as well as major coastal cities around the world who face the prospect of disappearing underwater.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
A history of student protest at Columbia University
The Explainer Anti-Israel demonstrations at NYC's Ivy League university echo protests against Vietnam War and South African apartheid
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Trump is ruled in contempt'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
Hainault sword attack: police hunt for motive
Speed Read Mental health is key line of inquiry, as detectives prepare to interview suspect
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Costa Rica's renewable energy success could be under threat
Under the radar Central American nation generates nearly all its electricity from renewable sources but climate change is bringing huge challenges
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is cloud seeding and did it cause Dubai's severe rainfall?
The Explainer The future is flooded
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Ottawa climate talks: can global plastic problem be solved?
In the spotlight Nations aim to draft world's first treaty on plastic pollution, but resistance from oil- and gas-producing countries could limit scope
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is rock flour and how can it help to fight climate change?
The Explainer Glacier dust to the rescue
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Arid Gulf states hit with year's worth of rain
Speed Read The historic flooding in Dubai is tied to climate change
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The growing thirst for camel milk
Under the radar Climate change and health-conscious consumers are pushing demand for nutrient-rich product – and the growth of industrialised farming
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Why curbing methane emissions is tricky in fight against climate change
The Explainer Tackling the second most significant contributor to global warming could have an immediate impact
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
How the EU undermines its climate goals with animal farming subsidies
Under the radar Bloc's agricultural policy incentivises carbon-intensive animal farming over growing crops, despite aims to be carbon-neutral
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published