LIVING ON THE CLIMATE FRONTLINE: EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING ON THE ENVIRONMENT, LIVELIHOODS, AND CULTURAL LIFE OF THE PEOPLE OF COOCH BEHAR

सार

Global warming has emerged as a defining crisis of the 21st century, reshaping ecosystems, economies, and cultural landscapes across the world. While its effects are often discussed at global or national scales, climate change manifests with particular severity in ecologically fragile, river-dependent regions. Cooch Behar—a border district in North Bengal located along the Teesta, Torsha, Gadadhar, and other dynamic river systems—represents one such climate-sensitive zone. The district’s agrarian economy, dense rural settlement pattern, and deep cultural ties to riverine landscapes make it especially vulnerable to rising temperatures, erratic monsoons, recurring floods, and accelerating riverbank erosion.

This paper presents an extensive, essay-type analysis of how global warming is transforming environmental conditions, livelihood practices, and cultural traditions in Cooch Behar. Drawing on secondary literature, district environment reports, climate data, field observations, and qualitative testimonies from local residents, the study explores the multidimensional consequences of climate change. The paper argues that global warming in Cooch Behar is not only an ecological event but a profound socio-cultural crisis affecting agricultural productivity, fisheries, migration patterns, community identity, festivals, folklore, and indigenous heritage. The conclusion emphasises the urgent need for a district-specific climate adaptation framework rooted in community participation, environmental education, cultural preservation, and sustainable resource management.