World Mangrove Day Observed in the Sundarbans: Community Action for Climate Resilience

On 26th July 2025, to mark World Mangrove Day, adolescent leaders from the Climate Club and women members of the Bandh Banchao Committee (river embankment protection group) of Heramba Gopalpur Gram Panchayat came together for a meaningful day of community-driven climate action. The event was held under Mukti’s ongoing initiative, Amplifying Community Voices.

The day began with an open discussion led by adolescent climate champions, who reflected on what climate change means to them and how its impacts are already being felt in their daily lives in the Sundarbans. Their insights were personal, grounded in lived experience, and echoed the urgency of the crisis.

Following this, a participatory mangrove mapping exercise was conducted, highlighting the vital role of mangroves in reducing climate risks—such as shielding embankments, preventing erosion, and sustaining livelihoods. Participants collectively explored how the loss of mangroves directly threatens the ecological and social fabric of the region.

With a strengthened sense of purpose, the group then walked to a vulnerable stretch of embankment near Heramba Gopalpur mouza, where they planted 500 mangrove saplings—a symbolic and practical step toward protecting their homeland.

This observance of World Mangrove Day was more than a symbolic gesture. It served as a powerful reminder that climate resilience is possible when local communities lead the way—bringing knowledge, experience, and commitment to the heart of climate solutions.