Norefa, 60, from West Bengal, has faced severe hardship for the past two and a half years. Overnight, her five houses—containing about 10 rooms in total—were submerged by floodwaters. For the last six months, she, her husband, their son, and his wife have been living together in a temporary bamboo shelter on higher ground. Her husband, in poor health, is unable to work fully. At her age, Norefa manages most household responsibilities, including caring for her husband. Her son works as a day laborer in remote areas to support the family. Despite these challenges, they manage to get by and have enough for daily meals.
What has climate change done here?
Due to the shifting course of the Ganga River, deadly river erosion is continuously occurring in our area. We have lost our five kutcha (mud) houses here; we didn’t even have time to collect the bricks from our homes, as everything happened overnight. Currently, we are living in a shelter made of bamboo and tarpaulin (a waterproof cloth used as a protective cover or for temporary shelter). We also do not have proper washroom facilities.
What do you think world leaders have to do now to stop things from getting worse and to help us adapt?
We need proper protection because the situation is getting worse day by day. The local government needs to pay attention to our situation and provide us with adequate land and shelter. I am over 60 years old, and my husband is over 80; he can no longer work properly due to numerous health problems.
Life expectancy 2023
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