My cartoon entry has been motivated by and is based on the drastic
effects of climate change noted over the last decade in the
Sunderbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest situated in West
Bengal in India, and in Bangladesh, in the Brahmaputra River Delta on
the Bay of Bengal. When referring to the impact of climate change in
India, mangrove forests are among the most fragile and susceptible
eco-systems. The lives of the natives also depend directly on the
mangroves, as it provides them with a livelihood- The Sunderbans are
among the region’s largest sources of forest produce, including
timber, fuel wood, pulpwood, thatching materials, honey, bees-wax, and
a huge number of commercially important fish, crustacean and molluscs.
It offers protection from natural calamities- Owing to the mangrove
trees’ massive root systems that dissipate wave energy, they are
capable of protecting the coasts from erosion, hurricanes and
tsunamis. Mangrove trees have an interesting adaptation for survival
in the water-logged and saline conditions- Pneumatophores or aerial
roots, projecting out of the mud, enabling exchange of gases with the
atmosphere.
The cartoon shows a setting of a nearly submerged mangrove forest. As
the viewer’s eyes move to the submerged part, they find a transition
to distinct bones, representing carcasses of people and livestock that
have fallen victims to the wrath of climate change, along with a
drowning hut in the background. A crow (a scavenger and hence
symbolizing death) overlooks the scenario, perched on a sign board in
the foreground that reads “Mangrave Delta” (pun intended).
