Global warming threatens Bhitarkanika ecosystem
Kendrapara: Climate change is emerging as a major threat to the fragile ecosystem of Bhitarkanika National Park. The strange behavior of migratory birds and the widespread nesting failure of endangered Olive Ridley turtles have raised concerns among environmentalists and forest officials.
Experts say rising temperatures, sea level rise, coastal erosion, and changing weather patterns have begun to impact the biodiversity of ecologically sensitive Ramsar wetlands and mangrove areas. This year, migratory birds departed Bhitarkanika much earlier than usual, while more than 600,000 Olive Ridley sea turtles reportedly returned from the shores of the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary without laying eggs.
Environmentalists attribute these changes primarily to global warming, along with marine pollution, excessive shrimp farming, and rapid coastal erosion. Hemant Kumar Raut, Anasuya Samal, academic Bhubanmohan Jena, and other environmental experts stated that climate change is rapidly affecting the behavior of wild animals in the region.
The Odisha government conducted a climate survey in 2023 in collaboration with the International Climate Initiative and GIZ, the German development agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit. According to this, the average temperature in the Bhitarkanika region, which ranged between 33.5°C and 35.6°C from 1960 to 1990, has steadily increased in recent decades.
The study also found that sea levels in the region rose by approximately 7 cm between 2013 and 2023. Although monsoon rainfall has remained largely stable, unseasonal cyclonic activity has intensified. Last winter, more than 1.5 lakh migratory birds from 117 species arrived in Bhitarkanika.
Typically, birds stay in the park between November and March, but this year, extreme temperatures reportedly forced many to leave by the first week of January. The disruption to the nesting cycle of Olive Ridley turtles has raised concerns. Ga Hirmatha is considered the world’s largest rookery for this species, which is listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Turtles typically arrive near the Odisha coast in late November, lay eggs in March, and hatchlings migrate to the sea by early May.
However, despite gathering in large numbers this season, the turtles failed to hatch and returned to the sea. Experts said coastal erosion linked to climate change has reduced traditional nesting sites in Satabhaya, Madali, Babubali, and Ekakula.
A large portion of Satabhaya Beach has already been submerged over the past two decades, while Agarnasi Island has disappeared into the sea. Forest officials also expressed concern over the ecological imbalance.
Manas Das, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) of the Rajnagar Forest Division, said that the reduced freshwater inflow during the non-monsoon months is affecting both terrestrial and marine wildlife in the Bhitarkanika region.
He warned that if climate adaptation and conservation measures are not taken immediately, the long-term sustainability of the region’s biodiversity could be seriously threatened.
