Böcker av Abhijit Mitra

This book covers several innovative alternative livelihoods based on mangrove floral resources with their respective SWOT analysis. True mangrove flora and their associates in Indian Sundarbans are noted for their wide spectrum of ecosystem services in which livelihoods of the region are one of the most important components. Many alternative mangrove-centric livelihoods are in the pipeline of startup. However, due to difficulty in marketing and lack of clarity over ownership of natural resources, the values of the mangrove-based products have not been fully realized. Natural resources of several categories in Indian Sundarbans like oysters, seaweeds, medicinal mangrove flora, vitamin-rich mangrove fruits, etc. are still lying untapped. These untapped resources have been spun with the livelihood sectors of the Sundarban people backed up with sound business models to make the venture sustainable. The carbon foot prints associated with each of these livelihoods have been studied in details and steps have been suggested for net zero carbon livelihood programmes along with their sustainability. The book provides the readers about several mangrove-based cutting-edge researches and technologies in the domain of climate resilient livelihood, which if implemented can lead to food and economic security of the region.

This book provides a cross-sectoral, multidisciplinary assessment of the major verticals of Blue Economy relevant to the mangrove ecosystem in Indian Sundarbans, which is a deltaic complex at the apex of Bay of Bengal. This book evaluates the feasibility of Blue Economy considering the natural resource base in this mangrove dominated deltaic complex.Chapter 1 discusses the need of expanding different marine and estuarine oriented verticals of Blue Economy as the land resources are gradually becoming depleted. Chapter 2 highlights the wide spectrum of biotic and abiotic resources of the Indian Sundarbans which can serve as the strong foundation of expanding Blue Economy in the region. Chapter 3 highlights several mangrove based livelihoods that are not only innovative, but may present new opportunities to initiate cottage industries. Chapter 4 highlights the threats associated with Blue Economy in Indian Sundarbans like, sea level rise, acidification of water, weather extremes, pollution, over-exploitation of natural resources, etc., along with ground-zero environmental data collated over three decades. Chapter 5 offers several solutions to combat the threats to regional Blue Economy emphasizing both technology and policy based management. The book attempts to align the proliferation of different sectors of Blue Economy in the framework of Indian Sundarbans.

This book examines the impacts that the COVID-19 lockdown has had on environmental and ecological health, with a focus on coastal ecosystems in the Lower Gangetic Delta. The book begins with an overview of COVID-19's spread and impact before and after the lockdown in the focus region, then addresses the specific impacts that the lockdown period had and continues to have on air quality, marine and estuarine water quality, coastal biodiversity, and the livelihoods of the region's inhabitants, especially those who live below the poverty line. The decrease in human activity combined with the complete closure of various sectors, including air travel, oil and gas drilling, and construction, has had a pronounced effect on biodiversity and overall environmental health that is yet to be fully realized. The book sheds light on these changes and assesses how biodiversity, ambient air quality, and ecosystem functioning will progress as COVID-19 remains a threat and the lockdown persists. The studywill be of interest to researchers, government officials and professionals dealing with disaster management, environmental science, biological science, and health.

This is the first comprehensive science-based primer to highlight the unique ecosystem services provided by mangrove forests, and discuss how these services preserve the livelihoods of coastal populations.

The book presents recent research on marine ecology in different parts of the world. Four major ecosystem service categories have been identified within this context, namely provisioning services such as water, food, mangrove timber, honey, fish, wax, fuel wood, fodder and bioactive compounds from marine and estuarine flora and fauna;

Readers will discover critical aspects of the chemistry of the estuarine water (particularly that of Hooghly and Matla estuaries) in the lower stretch of the delta region along with the causes and effects of pollution in and around this region.