Bangladesh case study: Sundarbans mangrove forest communities further marginalised by COVID-19 measures as super cyclone devastates livelihoods

This article highlights the impacts and underlying equalities that local communities of the Sundarbans, Bangladesh, are facing in times of the COVID-19 pandemic. A related policy report, “COVID-19 and indigenous and tribal peoples: the impacts and underlying inequalities” is available here.

By Marie Joyce Godio, through the help of Rashed al Mahmud Titumir, Md. Shah Paran, Mamun-or-Rashid, Khalil Dhali and Amori Begum 

Communities in Bangladesh frequently have their houses, equipment and livelihoods destroyed by cyclones. Climate change has increased the number of cyclones hitting coastal regions and affecting mangroves.

On 16 May 2020, super cyclone Amphan damaged communities’ crops, infrastructure and coastal protection embankments in 26 coastal districts, and destroyed many livelihood options. The COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown has also exacerbated the ongoing hardships that come with existing marginalisation of and discrimination against forest peoples. 

The Dhaka-based research organisation Unnayan Onneshan works with three forest user cooperatives in the Sundarbans - the world’s largest contiguous mangrove forest. Traditional user groups include Bawali (wood cutters and palm collectors); Mouwali (honey collectors); Jele (fishermen); Chunari (snail and oyster collectors); and prawn fry collectors and crab collectors. All have complex rules for protection of the natural resources.

It aims to diversify the livelihood options for disadvantaged indigenous peoples and local communities by supporting climate adaptation strategies, addressing underlying inequalities and corrupt systems, and contributing to the sustainable conservation and resource management of the forest. 

 

"The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, nationwide lockdown, and the super cyclone Amphan have posed catastrophic impacts on the lives of millions of forest people. Approximately 95% of the traditional resource users (TRUs) in the Sundarbans have lost the massive share of income and 51% of them have no job. The ongoing crisis will increase the poverty rate among the forest people to 40%, and 43.5% of the households’ incomes are below the international poverty lines.” - Unnayan Onneshan spokesperson

 

Khalil Dhali, a 53-year-old traditional resource user in the Sundarbans, has been collecting resources from the forest for years. Cyclone Amphan, which wrecked the forest, has devastated the livelihoods of millions like Khalil.

 

"Amphan destroyed the resources of the forest. It has swept away our home, damaged the embankments, inundated farmlands with saline water that become unfit for further cultivation. Water in ponds and tube wells has become saline too. We have nothing left. We cannot even collect resources as before. Many of us are starving. There is no option left for switching the occupation currently due to coronavirus.” - Khalil Dhali

 

The nationwide lockdown has caused a severe fall in demand for resources collected by TRUs in the Sundarbans, and the prices of their products are dropping. They could not even go to the markets for several months due to lockdown and social distancing measures, which left most of them with no income. 

Amori Begum, a traditional resource user who usually goes to the forest, collects resources and contributes to her family’s income, says: 

 

"We had to sit idle during the lockdown. We had not been allowed to go to the forest and to the markets. We had no income for several months. Amphan caused another catastrophic blow to our livelihoods at this time. Even with lockdown relaxed, we are not getting proper prices for the resources in the market. People are less willing to buy than before.” 

 

The forest department imposed a ban on fishing in all rivers and canals in the Sundarbans from 1 July to 30 August 2020, as part of the recommendations of the Integrated Resources Management Plans agreed in 2019 to protect the fishery resources. This ban is another adverse impact on the livelihoods of TRUs who are already in peril due to COVID-19 and the cyclone. 

 

"We have been sitting jobless for another two months. But we have to pay interest to money lenders. How can we pay interest on borrowed loans without income? A similar ban was imposed last year; however, the situation is different this year due to coronavirus and Amphan. We cannot engage in other occupations due to coronavirus and we have not even received any compensation or incentives for the ban amid the ongoing crisis.” - Khalil Dhali