At the frontline of the climate crisis, the Sundarbans stand with an enduring courage. A recent monitoring visit by Caritas India team led by Fr. Anil Crasta, Assistant Executive Director; Navneet Yadav, Lead- Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Risk Reduction (HADRR); Bablu Sarkar, State Program Associate – WB and Monisha Majumdar, Thematic Associate, HADRR to this fragile delta, stretching from May 5 to 10, 2025 reaffirmed the urgency of climate action and the resilience of communities determined to stay, adapt, and survive.

Covering project sites in Gosaba, Namkhana, G-Plot, Gobardhanpur, and other fringe zones, the visit was part of ongoing engagement under two initiatives: the CREAM Project (Enhancing Climate Resilience of Coastal Communities in Sundarbans) and CCIMMS (Climate Change Induced Migration and Modern Slavery). Caritas India, in partnership with Palli Unnayan Samiti (PUS), Baruipur, is enabling frontline communities to lead their own resilience journey—one rooted in dignity, self-determination, and justice.

The team was confronted by stark evidence of a landscape in crisis. In Gobardhanpur, where a 1,200-meter embankment once protected homes and farmlands, nothing remains. Aggressive tidal surges have swept it away. This very stretch had served as a camp during Caritas India’s emergency response to Cyclone Remal in 2024. Its disappearance underlines how rapidly climate threats are outpacing traditional infrastructure.

Yet amid the erosion, the despair, and the looming threat of migration, people have not given up. Many who lost homes and farmland are choosing to stay—not out of helplessness, but because they have found support and strength through community-led resilience.

A central pillar of Caritas India’s approach is localisation, not just as policy, but as lived practice. Since August 2023, the CREAM project has created a network of Community Climate Action Committees (CCACs) across 10 villages. These local institutions are not symbolic, they are decision-making bodies shaping project design, identifying local risks, and driving adaptation strategies from within.

Youth leadership is also being nurtured. In training centres and village meetings, young people are learning about climate-smart agriculture, disaster preparedness, and eco-friendly livelihoods. Some are now trainers themselves. One girl, just 15, shared how she documents traditional weather prediction methods passed down by elders and now combines them with digital weather apps to warn her neighbors of impending floods.

“This is our home. We want to fight for it, not flee from it,” said Prateek, a youth from Dwariknagar in Namkhana. “Caritas didn’t just give us support; they stood with us when we were broken.”

The visit also spotlighted how indigenous knowledge is shaping smart, adaptive solutions. In Uttar Mokamberia, farmers used water hyacinth bunds to retain soil moisture. Building on this, Caritas introduced salt-tolerant paddy varieties and organic composting—enhancing food security and cutting input costs. This synergy between lived wisdom and science is becoming a blueprint for replicable, community-driven models of adaptation.

The Sundarbans crisis cannot be captured by numbers alone. Behind the statistics lie erased cultures, mental trauma, and the slow vanishing of ways of life. The people here have contributed little to global emissions, yet they bear the brunt of its impacts. Caritas India’s HA DRR team reiterated its call for Loss and Damage (L&D) finance—grounded not in charity, but in climate justice.

The field visit concluded with a renewed commitment to scale and deepen efforts. Key priorities ahead include:

1. Mangrove restoration in erosion-prone fringes like Gobardhanpur

2. Youth Climate Fellowships to grow local leadership

3. Community-based early warning tools for real-time risk tracking

4. Policy advocacy through documented community narratives

5. Village Development Plan integration to align resilience with local governance

The people of the Sundarbans are not just victims, they are leaders, innovators, and guardians of one of the world’s most fragile ecosystems. With the right support, they will continue to protect both their land and their legacy.

Caritas India invites all stakeholders i.e. Government, Donors, Civil Society, and Individuals to partner in this collective mission.