Impact of Climate Change on Satabhaya Village
The gentle roar of the ocean lulled Indian mother-of-two Banita Behra to sleep each night, until one day the encroaching tide reached her doorstep. Behra is among hundreds of people from the disappearing and largely abandoned coastal village of Satabhaya, whose displaced former residents have been officially recognised by the government as climate migrants.
Rising Sea Levels and Displacement
She grew up watching helplessly with her neighbours as rising seas, driven by climate change and upriver dams, slowly claimed the land around them. “We were doing well there. We used to catch fish,” the 34-year-old told AFP. “But the sea came nearer and took away our homes.”
Challenges Faced by Displaced Residents
Satabhaya is the hardest-hit of several rural idylls along the seafront in eastern Odisha, a state that has also been battered in recent decades by tropical cyclones and floods of increasing ferocity. Behra’s home is now underwater, 400 metres (1,300 feet) out to sea, while a few of her neighbours who refused to move live in makeshift thatched huts by the new shoreline.
Resettlement Efforts and New Challenges
Last year the Odisha government announced funds for a resettlement colony in Bagapatia, 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) inland from their village, giving each family a small plot of land and $1,800 to build a new house. However, life in Bagapatia has been tough for the new arrivals, with many struggling to adapt to a new way of life without their traditional livelihoods.
Environmental Impact and Urgency of Action
Rising global temperatures have led to a consequent rise in global sea levels, impacting coastal communities like Satabhaya. Odisha’s vulnerability to encroaching waters has been exacerbated by man-made environmental damage, including the construction of dams that disrupted the natural sediment flow to the coasts.
Future Challenges and Concerns
With climate change intensifying, the future remains uncertain for coastal communities like Satabhaya. The urgency of protecting at-risk populations and finding sustainable solutions is crucial to prevent further displacement and loss of livelihoods.
