INTEGRATED PROTECTED AREA CO-MANAGEMENT (IPAC) - BIDS

Note: Figures in parentheses denote row percentages of total responses.
3.4 Perceptions of SRF Actors on Climate Change and their Effects
Although the SRF activities have no direct link with climate change and temperature rise the
study ToR suggested looking into how SRF actors perceive on climate change and their effects.
The study observes that, by and large, the SRF actors are quite aware of the ongoing climate
change and their effects. Table 3.11 presents perceptions of value chain actors on climate change
severity level due to increment of temperature and CO 2 level. The changes perceived include
those already taking place or changes that are expected to happen. Generally, the SRF actors
perceived that climate change has already resulted in abnormal increase in salinity. The
percentage of respondents reporting the severity of the problem as very high is more than 57
percent. The harmful effects of salinity on soils have a possibility of creating food deficit. The
problem has been compounded in that it has already resulted in severe shortage of fresh water in
the SIZ area.
The world’s heritage of the Sundarbans mangrove, which is the country’s natural protection
against cyclone and tidal surge, will be at threat due to inundation. The entire ecosystem with
their few hundred species is likely to be affected, as reported by 25 percent of the actors. Both
yield and quality of SRF are expected to decline as reported by 41 and 27 percent of the SRF
acorns respectively. They have particularly mentioned about reduced honey extraction in this
respect.
Some of the other problems that were mentioned to be highly severe are dykes under threat
(24.9%), agriculture badly affected (22.8%), mangroves swamp getting/would be under water
(15.6%), protection from tidal surge /cyclone would be affected (13.9%), incidence of water
logging (13.5%), and incidence of severe flooding (11.0).
Table 3.22: Perceptions of value chain actors on climate change severity level due to increment
of temperature and CO 2 level
% of respondents mentioning severity level as
Impacts Very high High Medium Low Not aware Total
Yield of SRF
40.5 32.1 23.6 2.5 1.3 100.0
declining
Quality of SRF
27.4 36.5 26.2 3.0 7.2 100.0
declining
Salinity increasing 57.4 31.6 8.9 1.3 0.8 100.0
Ecosystem affected 24.9 38.8 14.8 10.1 11.4 100.0
Dykes under threat 24.9 38.8 32.5 3.4 0.4 100.0
Agriculture badly 22.8 56.1 17.3 - 3.8 100.0
affected
Further shortage of 45.6 39.2 10.5 0.8 3.8 100.0
fresh
water in SIZ
Incidence of water 13.5 27.8 32.5 13.9 12.2 100.0
logging
Incidence of
increased
temperature
12.7 31.2 28.3 14.8 13.1 100.0
56