INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
habitat loss, growing populations and the climate crisis fuel competition for fertile, habitable land
In the Sundarbans, on the southern coast of Bangladesh, an estimated 300 people and 46 tigers have been killed in human-tiger conflict since
next few decades, researchers predict that climate change and rising sea levels mean no suitable tiger habitat will be left in the
The results of the latest census are expected in July.But it is not only tigers that face an existential threat
More than 3.5 million people live on the edge of the Sundarbans, eking out an existence by fishing, collecting honey or wood, and
More than 40% of households are below the poverty line, but the climate emergency has made life here even harder.View image in fullscreenA
home in the village of Koyra, by the Sundarbans, where climate change and rising sea levels have made an already precarious life much even
Photograph: Farzana Hossen/The GuardianAs sea levels rise, islands disappear and increasing water salinity threatens the health of mangrove
forests and the quality of soil and crops
Disruptions to fish populations also create disastrous consequences for communities.As a result, desperate villagers are often left with
little choice but to venture deeper into the forest, making them more vulnerable to tiger attacks
The intensive exploitation of the forest is also forcing tigers to leave the forest in search of food, targeting livestock and humans.Not
only did I lose my husband, I lost my right to a dignified lifeShuna BanuThe Bangladesh government is constructing a 40-mile fence to keep
villagers are trained to scare tigers back into the forest, monitor local human-tiger conflicts and stop other local people killing tigers
animals and people.But they could not save Aziz Murad
that runs past her home in Koyra
Her husband, Aziz Murad, was killed by a tiger four years ago
Photograph: Farzana Hossen/The GuardianThe attack in 2020 did not just leave Banu without a husband; it turned her into an outcast overnight
them in case she brought bad luck, so she moved back in with her parents
In a rural area that relies on agriculture and fishing, she says tiger widows like her are prevented from undertaking traditional
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husband was killed in a tiger attack four years ago
Abdul Gazi had been collecting honey from the Sundarbans for more than a decade
One evening, as he was getting ready to cook at a camp in the forest, a tiger pounced on him.Since his death, Khatun has struggled to
provide for their two boys
amount is not sufficient for families who have lost their sole breadwinner
Women widowed before the policy came into effect in 2011 are also ineligible.View image in fullscreenReshma Khatun, 38, outside her home on
Her husband, Abdul Gazi, was killed by a tiger while collecting honey
Photograph: Farzana Hossen/The GuardianAcross the Kholpetua River, in an old rickety house on the edge of the forest, lives 60-year-old
Her husband was killed by a tiger during a fishing trip nearly two decades ago
always been superstitious
asks.The aim of Beds is to create employment opportunities for vulnerable communities living around the Sundarbans, including tiger widows,
while at the same time protecting the environment
forest resources, the non-profit organisation has helped set up two cooperatives employing local women, including tiger widows, who are
taught how to harvest honey and plants responsibly to produce sustainable non-timber forest products, including juice, mango pickle and
traditional handicrafts.The women gather raw materials from communal areas rather than the forest and are involved in the entire process,
The women earn about 25,000 taka a month, with the initiative helping more than 300 households so far.View image in fullscreenJamiroon Bibi,
60, whose husband was killed nearly two decades ago
Tiger widows are now being helped to make a living from the forest
Photograph: Farzana Hossen/The GuardianMany tiger widows are now earning a living and regularly visit one another, sharing meals and taking
the vastness of the Sundarbans beyond her small veranda
This article first appeared/also appeared in theguardian.com
