2025, Vol. 7, Issue 11, Part A

Author(s): Bijetri Pathak

Abstract: Gosaba, a cluster of islands located in the Sundarbans delta of West Bengal, India, is increasingly subjecting itself to the multifaceted outcomes of climate change, including higher sea levels, fiercer cyclones, and continuous ground salinization. These environmental changes have brought about considerable migration, thus disrupting customary ways of life and deconstructing the community's social fabric. In an attempt to examine the phenomenon of disappearance in Gosaba, the research contextualizes it against the extensive body of work on environmental displacement and socio-psychological vulnerability. Based on qualitative interviews, oral histories, and secondary environmental research, the study explains how episodic floods and ground salinization are not merely physical barriers but are rather triggers of immense cultural and physical loss. In positing that the disappearance of the people of Gosaba is both literal, as seen through migration and relocation, as well as symbolic, reflecting an erosion of site-specific identity and shared memory, the paper contextualizes environmental disappearance as an urgent human rights and socio-ecological problem. The findings underscore the pressing need for adaptation strategies, policy responses, and people-centric planning for building resilience in order to prevent further dislocation. In conclusion, Gosaba is a stark example of the human cost exacted by climate change and shows us how environmental disasters are capable of causing both physical migration and the subtle disappearance of people.

DOI: 10.33545/26646021.2025.v7.i11a.736

Pages: 15-20 | Views: 70 | Downloads: 9

Download Full Article: Click Here