JUSTICE-BASED ADAPTATION: RETHINKING CLIMATE ACTION IN THE SUNDARBANS

Abstract

 This article analyses adaptive resilience in the Sundarbans, a vulnerable deltaic region in India and Bangladesh, and how it is influenced by international climate finance and multilateral initiatives. It focuses on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13.1 – “Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards” – to assess the varied impacts of adaptation projects in Gosaba, India, and Khulna, Bangladesh, funded by multilateral organisations. The article highlights a key limitation of climate action: the frequent neglect of structural vulnerabilities related to class, gender, and ecological uncertainty. It calls for locally grounded, equity-based strategies in the Sundarbans’ climate transition, especially as the 2030 SDG deadline approaches.