Sea surface temperature rising alarmingly in Sundarbans area

FE Report Sea surface temperature has been increasing alarmingly in the Sundarbans area putting a disastrous impact on the biodiversity and human habitat, an Indian study revealed. A study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) India, has revealed that the sea surface temperature has been increasing by 0.5 degree centigrade (C) per decade that is seriously affecting the biodiversity as well as human habitat as the high temperature of sea surface is also speeding up sea level rise. The report was published in city Wednesday at a collaborative programme of India and Bangladesh and the study was fully conducted in the Indian part of the Sundarbans. Coastal Development Partnership (CDP), Bangladesh and CSE, India jointly organised the report launching and a discussion titled "Living with Climate Change" aiming to deliberate on climate change impact, vulnerability and adaptation challenges in the Sundarbans. The report said, the increasing temperature (0.5 degree C) of sea surface in the Sundarbans is higher than the global sea surface temperature. The report has also pointed out that people in the Indian Sundarbans area are most marginalised and vulnerable compared to any other community of India. It said, about 44 per cent of the population leave below poverty line, 60 per cent people have no access to safe water, 87 per cent people suffer from food shortage, 83 per cent have no access to electricity while for 0.128 million people there is one doctor for their medicare. Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA) president Mozaffar Ahmed was present at the programme as the chief guest while the discussion was also addressed by Executive Director of CDP S Jahangir Hasan Masum, Deputy Director of CSE Chandra Bhushan, Associate Professor of Jahangirnagar University Sharmind Neelormi and CSE representative Aditya Ghosh, among others. Aditya Ghosh, also a researcher of the study, has expressed his concern that sea surface temperature increase affects the fisheries' habitat and increase the extensity of water which causes sea level rise. He said, severe cyclones are taking place because of sea level rise since 1890.