UNCERTAINTY THROUGH THE LENS

Shibaji Bose IIHMR

Uncertainty from Below JNU/STEPS Symposium on Exploring Pathways to

Sustainability Delhi 10 February 2014

The ‘lived’ experiences of the mundane daily rhythm of uncertainty have been captured through a visual narrative of the Below by the researchers of the STEPS ‘Uncertainty from Below’ project.

We are thankful to those who have enriched us with visuals to depict the true nature of uncertainty

URBAN INDIA- DELHI & MUMBAI

A few kilometers away from where we are sitting….a river enters the city of Delhi; the river is arguably the main source of water to the city….

Some of the offerings that we greet Yamuna with…..

Bathing in Uncertainty… Substantial population of Delhi – the Below - use

toxic water of Yamuna

The ‘scarred’ river exits the city of Delhi…

The ‘hills’ of Delhi … A Planned waste disposal site just by the side of a government hospital

Glimpses of the ‘lived’ experiences in Delhi through the smoke screen

of uncertainty Living with the waste…

Living amidst the waste……

The creeks of Mumbai and the left over greenery in Delhi…..

KUTCH- GUJARAT

The fodder of Banni – Asia’s biggest grassland – is fast

vanishing due to over grazing and increasing salinity

Over encroachment of Ganda Bawal (Proscobis junifora) is also a case for the degradation of the grass cover in the Banni…..

Pastoralists heading out in search of greener pastures - Rampant state sponsored land grabbing by the industrialists and vanishing grasslands are finally taking its toll….

Women from Ashirawandh (a sleepy hamlet by the Arabian sea) are being forced to collect mangrove saplings – which act as a buffer against the approaching sea - for livestock fodder; Their erstwhile lands for earmarked for collection of fodder have now been taken over for the burgeoning SEZs

Depleting fish reserves – sea level temp rise has made the fishing

season unpredictable the boats of poorer section of the

fishermen community stay moored at the Jackaw port during what was earlier the

peak fishing season … …..fishing has become a risky business

Deserted hutments of the fisherfolk There is a considerable increase in

migration trends….

SUNDARBANS- WEST BENGAL

Majority of 3000 kms of embankments are temporary and are the mercy of natural … and political forces……

Breaches in embankments are common especially during high tides.

Islanders face uncertainty from both river erosion and the sea level rise….

Salinity ingress – ‘untouched’ ponds … • Depleting water supply • Loss of freshwater fish - a common source of

nutrients for the islanders • Agriculture land unfit for cultivation • Food insecurity widespread in the Sunderbans Cyclone Aila & the ‘silent killers’ continue to haunt

the islanders

Large-scale migration of the men folk…..

Women now form the majority inhabitants besides the aged

and the children…..

STEPS researchers at a remote village sandwiched between the river and the

sea

Men take “15 tides” for a fishing trip or out-migrate to distant lands. Due to fishing ban from ‘above’ , women have restrictive options and secretly collect prawn seeds….

Not unusual for children to join their mothers. They now participate in crab collections – a new trend since ‘Aila’

A dwelling on the verge of being washed away…. Ghoramara island is no more Half of Mousumi and Lohachar islands remain For many of the islanders daily survival is the main and the only concern

We would be using ‘photo voice’ - a participatory action research tool - to reveal real life experiences and to enable the Below to record and reflect their adaptation strategies to battle climate change - Thank you