The baseline study is an exploratory assessment conducted by SaciWATERs with funding support from Terre des hommes (Tdh) with an objective to identify some of the key child and youth-related vulnerabilities emerging from climate change impacts on the Indian Sundarbans region. The Sundarbans region, a tidally active lower deltaic region of the largest delta in the world, is considered one of the most vulnerable regions in the face of a rapidly changing climate and consequent environmental changes. Climate change is a long-term shift in weather patterns and eventually climatic patterns. Though it is a natural phenomenon, however, further aggravated by human interventions like- high population growth rate, inadequate infrastructure planning, and investment, unsustainable land-use decisions, increasing use of fossil fuel, etc. The Sundarbans region is not an exception. Home to dense mangrove forests, this region offers as the vanguard against the ravages of severe cyclonic storms and tidal surges for the larger Bengal delta and the megacity of Kolkata. A maze of rivers, rivulets, and creeks, this region is drained by 7 important rivers from Hoogly in the west to Harin-bhanga in the east, and the Bay of Bengal in the south. This biodiversity hotspot region with unique ecological and geophysical characteristics is extremely fragile and increases the vulnerability of the local population.

This research highlights the precarious health condition of the people of the Sundarbans region along with the poor health system. Sundarbans region shows a high prevalence of child marriage and adolescent pregnancy. A report of the 6 months long study aimed to build an evidence base of the impact of climate change on child protection, rights and wellbeing and key factors that make children vulnerable to such impact is the outcome of the project. The report provides recommendations on the implementation of child-centric adaptation strategies, along with the integration of a child focus in the existing plans and policies at the national and sub-national level.