Climate Resilient Innovative Livelihoods in Indian Sundarban Delta: Scopes and Challenges

About Abhijit MitraProsenjit PramanickSufia Zaman

Dr. Abhijit Mitra Associate Professor and former Head Dept. of Marine Science University of Calcutta (INDIA) has been active in the sphere of Oceanography since 1985. He obtained his Ph.D as NET qualified scholar in 1994. Since then he joined Calcutta Port Trust and WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature-India) in various capacities to carry out research programmes on environmental science biodiversity conservation climate change and carbon sequestration. Presently Dr. Mitra is serving as the Director Research of Techno India University West Bengal (Hony.). He has to his credit about 688 scientific publications in various National and International journals and 60 books of postgraduate standards. Dr. Mitra is presently the member of several committees like PACON International IUCN SIOS Mangrove Society of India The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences etc. and has successfully completed about 17 projects and 19 consultancies on biodiversity loss infishery sector coastal pollution aquaculture alternative livelihood climate change and carbon sequestration. Dr. Mitra also visited as faculty member and invited speaker in several Universities of Singapore Kenya Oman and USA. In 2008 Dr. Mitra was invited as visiting fellow at University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth USA to deliver a series of lecture on Climate Change. Dr. Mitra also successfully guided 54 Ph.D. students. Presently his research areas include environmental science mangrove ecology sustainable aquaculture alternative livelihood climate science carbon sequestration and blue economy.  Dr. Sufia Zaman presently serving as Head Department of Oceanography in Techno India University West Bengal started her career in the field of Marine Science since 2001. She worked in the rigorous mangrove ecosystem of Indian Sundarbans and has wide range of experience in exploring the floral and faunal diversities of Sundarbans. She has published 6 books on carbon sequestration 310 scientific papers and contributed chapters in several books on biodiversity environmental science aquaculture and livelihood development. Dr. Zaman is presently a member of Fisheries Society of India. She is also running projects on carbon sequestration by mangroves of Indian Sundarbans. She is the recipient of DST Women Scientist and Jawaharlal Memorial Doctoral fellowship awards. Her areas of research include aquaculture fish nutrition phytoplankton diversity climate change mangrove ecology and alternative livelihood. Dr. Zaman is also the first researcher in the maritime state of West Bengal (India) who initiated trial experiments on iron fertilization and subsequent enhancement of primary (phytoplankton) and secondary (fish) productions in the brackish water ponds of Indian Sundarbans with the financial assistance of Department of Science and Technology Government of India. Dr. Zaman is also providing consultancies on green technology and emission control to several industries NGOs and corporate sectors. Dr. Prosenjit Pramanick is presently holding the position of Post-Doctoral Researcher Department of Oceanography Techno India University West Bengal. He had passed Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry in 2010 from University of Calcutta West Bengal and Master of Science in Biochemistry (in 2012) from Vidyasagar University West Bengal and then obtained his Ph.D. degree in 2017 from Techno India University West Bengal. He has to his credit about 113 scientific publications 23 book chapters published by Springer International Emerald Group CSIR-NISCAIR 2 Books and 18 publications in conference proceedings in the sphere of Food technology Aquaculture Agribiotechnology Alternative livelihood and Environmental Science. He has participated in various National and International conferences seminars workshops and webinars. He also served as an Associate Editor in an Inter-continental Webinar Proceedings on Ecosystem Services and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) entitled Natural Resources and their Ecosystem Services. He has expertise in water quality assessment (in situ and ex situ) food product preparation from mangrove floral species and carbon sequestration. He has served in several consultancy services on the carbon sequestration and Biodiversity assessment conducted by Konnagar Municipality Government of West Bengal Kingston Educational Institute Forest Department Government of West Bengal TATA STEEL Ltd. Kalinganagar Odisha India TATA STEEL Ltd. Noamundi Mines Jharkhand India and several coal-based power sectors. He also rendered his technological expertise as Research Associate in a project on innovative fish feed conducted by the Directorate of Fishery Government of West Bengal.