Union environment, forest and climate change minister Bhupender Yadav has acknowledged that the Sundarbans faces serious challenges from climate change and emphasised ecotourism as a livelihood option with “significant potential”.
Yadav, who played a key role in the BJP’s victory in the Bengal elections, alleged sometime back that the Trinamool Congress government had not adequately explored the tourism potential of the mangrove delta.
The minister told The Telegraph on Tuesday that the Sundarbans’ unique ecosystem, its climate vulnerability, and the Royal Bengal tiger would feature in discussions at the International Big Cat Alliance Summit, a global meeting on the world’s seven big cats scheduled to be held in Delhi in June.
“The IBCA Summit is envisioned as a historic and first-of-its-kind global gathering dedicated exclusively to the conservation of the world’s seven major big cats and the ecosystems they inhabit,” the minister said.
“We have extended invitations to big cat range countries, and we are encouraged by the response received so far. One of the major expected outcomes is the adoption of the first-ever Delhi Declaration on Big Cat Conservation, which will provide a unified global framework for habitat protection, ecological connectivity, transboundary cooperation, community stewardship, and sustainable financing,” added Yadav.
The minister said the Sundarbans faced serious challenges arising from rising sea levels, cyclones, salinity intrusion, habitat degradation, and changing ecological conditions caused by climate change. These impacts affected not only biodiversity, including the Royal Bengal tiger, but also the livelihoods and resilience of millions of people dependent on the ecosystem.
“At the same time, we see significant potential for responsible ecotourism in the Sundarbans. Our focus is to promote eco-friendly tourism models that generate local employment through community-led enterprises while ensuring ecological safeguards," he said.