Kumirmari is an island-village located in Gosaba Block of South 24 Parganas District, West Bengal. The location of the village is in the zone which forms the last frontiers of human habitation beyond which the core forest area of Sundarbans are demarcated. According to a recent vulnerability assessment conducted in 2019, Gosaba Block was rated as “extremely vulnerable”. Loss of traditional livelihood options such as farming due to the frequent onslaughts of the sea caused by increased storm frequency, the latest being the Cyclone Amphan has worsened the poverty in the village, the situation is compounded due to the COVID Pandemic which has led to reverse migration of workers and created further livelihood crisis – this is reflected in increased man-animal conflict as more people have started frequenting the core forest areas to source honey, crabs and fish – in the last year, out of 15 fishermen killed by tiger attacks, 4 were from Kumirmari Village.
The project is implemented with the goal of empowering the communities (main target groups are children & women) of the village to assert their right to a healthy and sustainable environment. The project has undertaken a series of activities with children to motivate them as well as build their capacities on local biodiversity and also help them to develop agency to articulate issues affecting the Sundarbans in various forums. Building children’s agency is an important end by itself – children will realize their rights and in particular ecological rights, as a result of the capacity building sessions they will develop the knowledge and confidence to initiate actions which demonstrate their concerns. Key activities include – children group formation & regular meetings, training of children groups, awareness activities to be undertaken by these groups. Women will receive training on mangrove conservation and will be supported with mangrove seeds and other materials to set up mangrove nurseries; they will also be trained on their rights and especially on government entitlements including MGNREGA.
Project Objective:
The communities affected by climate change and environmental disasters in Kumirmari Village of Gosaba Block, South 24 Parganas assert their right to a healthy and sustainable environment.
Project Outcome:
Children of Kumirmari island of Sundarbans area develop understanding of local environmental issues and assert their ecological rights.
The residents of Kumirmari Village promote conservation and natural resource management efforts led by women.
Project Location:
Kumirmari village, Gosaba Block, South 24 Parganas district
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