Nature as a symbiotic system: case of pakhiralaya village Sundarbans

Abstract

Since the beginning of time, man and the living environment has been a symbiotic entity, living in harmony. But with the passing time, due to modern ideologies and various anthropogenic activities, man is no longer a part of nature, but apart. Sundarbans’, one of the largest mangrove forests in the world, provides a rich ecosystem in the southern part of West Bengal. A good amount of total flora, aquatic fauna, avifauna and terrestrial fauna of West Bengal are found here. More than 4 million people live in this part and depend on the forest for livelihood. The traditional rural landscape of Sundarbans’ has been known to harness lush fields of paddy, vast wetlands and mangrove swamps. But with the broken linkage between communities and nature, the traditional landscape has become vulnerable and threatened. The agricultural lands are losing fertility due to the increased soil salinity. Fresh water fishes are decreasing. Most of the villagers depend on these natural resources for their livelihood. Their livelihood means are decreasing due to the degenerated agricultural lands and reduced aquatic fauna. This thesis aims to assess how the vernacular landscape has changed and propose strategies to mitigate the damage thereby achieving a holistic landscape where nature and people harmoniously share the meeting of brackish tides and fresh water. These interventions can further be used as a prototype for other villages of the Sundarbans’ region.