An island in the Sunderbans was among the focal points of discussion at an international conference on climate change that started in the city on Friday.
Ghoramara, some 30km north of the Bay of Bengal, has seen unprecedented erosion in the past few years.
The island, which was of around 26sq km, shrunk to around 6.5sq km in 2021. The example of the island was cited by Father Dominic Savio, principal of St Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata, the host of the conference on Climate Change, Environmental Sustainability, and Climate Refugee and Migration.
Father Savio delivered the keynote address at the two-day conference, being held in hybrid mode — attended in-person as well as online — at the college.
Father Savio cited a 2022 research by the US-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that claims substantial growth in the rate of extinction because of “anthropogenic factors”.
“The rapidly rising sea level is projected to rise by at least 0.3 metre (1 foot) above 2000 levels by the year 2100,” he said, before giving the example of Ghoramara, also known as sinking island.
“The lives of the inhabitants have been severely impacted by extensive soil erosion and the loss of natural embankments,” he said.
Among the speakers were Father Jeyaraj Veluswamy, rector of the college; Cristina Dragomir, a researcher from New York University; and Arun Chakraborty, from IIT Kharagpur.
The guest of honour was Gopal Lamichhane, an expert in environmental laws.