Sunderbans (Sundarbans) National Park

Last Updated
2025-06-22
Name of the Protected Area / Park / Reserve
Sunderbans National Park
Country
India
UNESCO Classified
Yes
UNESCO Classification Information

Date of Inscription: 1987 

Category: Natural[1]

IUCN category of the Area /Park / Reserve
National Park
Name(s) of the Impacted Indigenous People(s) / Community / Villages
Munda
Santhal
Bhumij
Oraon
Name(s) of the Support Groups/NGOs and Contact Details
  1. Sundarban Jana Sramajibi Manch (SJSM) is a grassroots organization operating in the Sundarbans region of India. It focuses on advocating for the rights and livelihoods of forest-dependent communities, including fisherfolk and those reliant on forest resources.[1]
  2. ENGAGE4 Sundarbans is a social resilience project. It aims to understand plural accounts and interpretations of the Sundarbans’ “riskscape” produced by state and non-governmental actors and diverse members of the local communities.[2]
  3. The All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP) is the first national union of Adivasi & Dalit communities representing the traditional workforce in India.[3] The organization provides a platform for Indigenous Peoples in Sundarbans to raise their voice and demands.

  4. All India Forum of Forest Movements[4]

    Contact person: Lahiri Souparna, 

    Email:Souparna.lahiri@gmail.com

  5. Survival International Organizationestablished the “Tiger Reserve tribes” initiative to advocate for the rights of Indigenous Peoples in protected areas in India, including fundraising and media exposure.[5]
  6. The Global Forest Coalition (GFC) is an international coalition of 133 NGOs and Indigenous Peoples’ Organizations defending social justice and the rights of forest peoples in forest policies.[6]
  7. International Collective in Support of Fisher workers (ICSF)is an international non-governmental organization that works towards the establishment of equitable, gender-just, self-reliant, and sustainable fisheries, particularly in the small-scale, artisanal sector.ICSF’s mission is to support fishing communities and fish worker organizations and empower them to participate in fisheries from a perspective of decent work, equity, gender-justice, self-reliance, and sustainability.[7]
Information about Involved Institutions

  • Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI)[1]

    The organization collaborates with state governments to monitor the illegal wildlife trade and provide the state government with hands-on training and support to combat poaching and the illegal wildlife trade.

  • WWF India’s involvement in Sundarbans National Park[2]

    1973: Involved in the Sundarbans since the inception of Project Tiger. Assisted the Sundarbans Forest Department in the first tranquilization of a stray tiger in 1974.
    1976: Conducted Environment Education activities through initiatives such as Nature Clubs of India. Supported the Forest Directorate with equipment and training, as well as community engagement to reduce dependence on forest resources.
    2007: Established a dedicated Sundarbans programme to address issues of biodiversity conservation and climate change. The strategy for the landscape focused on three thematic areas of biodiversity conservation, adaptation to climate chance, and energy access.

Administrative Authority of the Protect Area / Park / Reserve and Contact Details

The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF)[1]: The highest-ranking executive officer in charge of the park’s administration.

Address: Aranya Bhawan, LA-10A Block, Sector-III, Saltlake, Kol-700 106

Phone: 033-23353013

Email: pccfgen-wb@nic.in

National Conservation / Environment Agency or Ministry in Charge of the Protect Area / Park / Reserve
  • Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change
    • Bhupender Yadav Cabinet Minister
    • Note:The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) declares national parks in India, while the state government manage the national parks.[1]
  • National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
    • Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change
    • Bhupender Yadav Cabinet Minister
    • Note: The NTCA is under the MoEFCC administrate the “Projects Tiger” nationally. Sundarbans National Park is also a project tiger site subjected to the NTCA.[2]
Major Public and Private Donors
Project Tiger - India
Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority
The Global Environment Facility -GEF
The World Wildlife Fund-WWF
United Nations Development Program
UNESCO- World Heritage Fund
Asian Development Bank
Involved International Conservation NGOs, Foundations and Institutions
Wildlife Protection Society of India - WPSI
WWF India’s involvement in Sundarbans National Park
Donor's Information

  • National Tiger Conservation Authority– Project Tiger (CSS-PT)[1]

    The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change ( MoEF&CC), constituted under enabling provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. As a tiger reserve, the Sundarbans National Park receive the funds and supervision of NTCA.

    National Tiger Conservation Authority receives funding support from the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India, in the form of grants-in-aid.

  • Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority[2] :There is a significant overlap of tiger-bearing forests with mining concessions. The relocation programme run by the NTCA is increasingly financed from the CAMPA money—money that mining companies and other “development” promoters are required to pay as compensation for the forests they destroy.
  • The Global Environment Facility (GEF)approved GEF Project Grant of 4.5 million USD to Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India in 2021.[3]
  • World Wildlife Fund - US Chapter is the implementing agency of the GEF Project Grant in 2021.[4]
  • United Nations Development Programmeis the implementing agency of the GEF Project Grant in 2021.[5]
  • UNESCO- World Heritage Fund: In 2001, a grant of US$20,000 was received as preparatory assistance for promotion between India and Bangladesh from the World Heritage Fund.[6]
  • Asian Development Bank:During the Country Programming Mission discussions in March 2000, the government of West Bengal, India, requested Asian Development Bank technical assistance for Conservation and Livelihoods Improvement in the Indian Sundarbans.[7]
Historical Background

The Sunderban National Park was declared as a Sundarban Tiger Reserve in 1973, a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1977, a national parkin 1984, and a Biosphere reserve in 1989. The Sundarbans National Park, declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO, falls within the core area of the tiger reserve and is a protected zone where no human activity is permitted under the West Bengal state government policy. 

Tribal communities have had a longstanding presence in the Sundarbans, having originally been brought in as labourers during the British colonial period to clear forests, construct embankments, and convert the land into agricultural fields. Over time, many settled permanently and became cultivators, though a large number still remain landless or own only marginal plots. The major tribal groups in the region include the Santal, Munda, Oraon, Bhumij, Kora, Chero, Ho, Baiga, Lodha, and Khond. Despite being among the earliest settlers and playing a key role in transforming the Sundarbans into habitable land, tribal people have remained socially, economically and politically marginalized in comparison to dominant caste Hindu and Muslim populations.[1] There is no evidence that the Sundarbans National Park was created with the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) of the indigenous and tribal communities who were already living in the region.

In December 2007, the limits of the core area extended up to an area of 1,699.62 km2 notified as the Critical Tiger Habitat (CTH), which comprises Chamta, Netidhopani, Matla, Chhoto Hardi, Goashaba, Mayadwip, Gona, Baghmara and Chandkhali. The rest of the area of 885.27 km2 has been designated as the buffer zone, for a total of 2548 km2.[2]The Sundarban population has 6.38% Scheduled Tribes (ST), 20.34% Scheduled Castes (SC) and a large percentage of Other Backward Classes (OBC).[3]

Short description of the alleged violations
  • Livelihood Impacts: Indigenous Peoples rely heavily on forest resources such as fishing, prawn seed collection, and honey gathering for their livelihoods. Restrictions on these activities, enforced through measures like Boat License Certificates (BLCs), have severely limited their access to these resources, leading to economic hardship and food insecurity.[1]
  • Legal Rights and Forest Rights Act (FRA): Despite the Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006, which grants rights to forest-dwelling communities including access to forest produce, its implementation has been minimal in the Sundarbans. The argument that communities living on the fringes rather than within the forest are not eligible under the FRA undermines their traditional rights and exacerbates their marginalization.[2] Communities emphasized systemic violations of their rights under this law, asserting that the Act is ignored, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and harassment by the Forest Department and other authorities.[3]
  • Human-Wildlife Conflict: Expansion of tiger reserves and conservation efforts have increased human-wildlife conflicts, particularly with Bengal tigers. The restricted areas and fines imposed for fishing in these zones push fishermen into more dangerous areas, resulting in incidents of tiger attacks on community members.[4]
  • Environmental Impact and Tourism: Unregulated tourism and transportation activities contribute to pollution and disrupt local ecosystems and tiger corridors, while local communities faced severe restrictions. The pollution brought by the tourists adds to the environmental challenges faced by the Indigenous communities.[5]
  • Militarization: Reports of harassment and mistreatment by forest officials highlight a pattern of human rights abuses against the Indigenous communities. Indigenous Peoples reported instances of violence, illegal detentions, and even life-threatening acts, such as being thrown into rivers for resisting bribes. Indigenous Peoples are faced arbitrary fines, false cases, and confiscation of forest produce.[6]
  • Cultural and Livelihood Erosion: Communities expressed that their cultural identity and traditional livelihoods were under attack, with no legal or structural support from the authorities. Honey collectors faced extortion, with officials forcing them to sell honey at low prices, later sold by the Forest Department at inflated rates. Fishing trawlers received preferential treatment, while local fishers faced fines.[7]
  • Advocacy and Resistance: Local political organizations and civil society groups, such as the Sundarban Jana Sramajibi Manch and DakshingambaMatsyajibi Forum, advocate for the recognition of community rights under the FRA and protest against oppressive policies by the Forest Department. These efforts aim to protect community livelihoods and rights amidst increasing challenges.[8]

[3]https://www.sixdegreesnews.org/archives/2429/indigenous-people-assert-their-rights-over-sundarban-forest-indiaOn January 31, 2016, a Public Hearing organized by grassroots movements such as Sundarbans Jana Sramajibi Manch (SJSM) and All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP) delivered the statement.

Categories of Human Rights Violations
Rights to self- identification and self- determination
Rights to land, territory and natural resources including access to means of subsistence, adequate food and adequate housing
Right to Consultation and Free and Prior Informed Consent
Social Rights
Cultural Rights
Before Violations Overlapping Extractive Activities or Industries in the Protected Area / Park / Reserve

Tourism: the Sunderbans National Park is a tourist attraction managed by the national park authority providing wildlife tour packages.[1]

National Court Decisions

The Supreme Court vide order on 13thFebruary 2019 ordered for mass eviction of millions of tribals and other traditional forest dwellers whose claims for recognition of forest rights were rejected. The same order has since been stayed and the final judgment may impact the people in Sundarban areas too.[1]

National Legislation Links
  1. Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972[1]
  2. Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2006[2]
  3. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (also known as Forest Rights Act)[3]
  4. The 2023 amendment to the Forest Conservation Act (FCA) reduces the protection to forest by narrowing the definition of forest to only those recorded forests under Indian Forest Act or “forest” as recorded in government records “on or after the 25th October, 1980.” It further provides blanket exemption to carry out any project in forest land located within 100 Kms from LAC or LOC. Similarly, any defense or public utility project is exempted from the provisions of the FCA. Activities like zoos and safaris within forests are no longer considered “non-forest purpose” activities.[4]

[4]https://sabrangindia.in/all-india-union-of-forest-working-people-aiufwp-lists-out-their-demands-before-the-lok-sabha-election-2024/Apart from directly affecting the protection and conservation of forests, these changes also have a significant bearing on forest rights of the forest dwelling individuals and communities, as they will have no say in the process and could be easily disposed. Thus, the 2023 FCA amendment is directly linked to the undermining of Forest Rights Act, 2006.

Latest Developments
  • On June 19th, 2024, the director of India’s National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) wrote a letter to Chief Wildlife Wardens in 19 states saying that “around 591 villages comprising 64801 families are still residing in the core area. The progress of village relocation is very slow, and it poses a grave concern in tiger conservation”.[1] He urgedthe Chief Wildlife Wardens in 19 states to evict more Adivasis(Indigenous) Peoples from tiger reserves.
  • On March 6, 2024, hundreds of Indigenous Peoples (Adivasis), including the youth representative from Sundarbans, and traditional forest dwellers from nine districts of West Bengal gathered in Kolkata to voice their concerns regarding the dismal condition of The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006, (FRA). They demanded: Implementation of FRA 2006 in its true spirit, cancellation of the Amendment of the Forest Conservation Act 2023, guaranteeing the safety and conservation of all natural resources, stopping any sort of forest encroachment or government work which does not take into consideration the Gram Sabha’s rights and approval, strict punishment for all government workers who do not cooperate in the process of Gram Sabha (the general assembly of all the people in a village) formation and functioning.
Sources
  1. https://www.sixdegreesnews.org/archives/2429/indigenous-people-assert-their-rights-over-sundarban-forest-india?utm_source=chatgpt.com
  2. https://engage4sundarbans.org/
  3. https://x.com/aiufwp?lang=en
  4. https://www.cbd.int/doc/strategic-plan/Post2020/review/indiaforumofforestmovements.pdf
  5. https://www.wrm.org.uy/publications/struggles-for-the-right-to-live-in-forests-declared-protected-areas-in-india
  6. https://www.survivalinternational.org/tribes/tigerreservetribes
  7. https://globalforestcoalition.org/defend-indias-forests-and-forest-peoples-defend-forest-rights-act/
  8. https://www.icsf.net/
  9. http://www.rightsrisks.org/press-release/press-release-84-of-the-indias-national-parks-are-in-tribal-inhabited-areas/
  10. https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/452/
  11. https://www.protectedplanet.net/14177
  12. https://www.westbengalforest.gov.in/upload/contact/officers_and_postal_address.pdf
  13. https://moef.gov.in/forest
  14. https://ntca.gov.in/assets/uploads/briefnote/indravati.pdf
  15. https://ntca.gov.in/about-us/#tiger-reserves-2
  16. https://ntca.gov.in/assets/uploads/Reports/Annual_Reports/Annual_report_english_2022_23.pdf
  17. https://ntca.gov.in/assets/uploads/APO/sanction_orders/2021/Indravati_APO2021-22_order.pdf
  18. https://globalforestcoalition.org/defend-indias-forests-and-forest-peoples-defend-forest-rights-act/
  19. https://www.thegef.org/projects-operations/projects/10235
  20. https://www.thegef.org/newsroom/feature-stories/gef-support-tigers-helping-entire-ecosystems
  21. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sundarbans_National_Park#cite_note-21
  22. https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/project-documents//r270-01.pdf
  23. https://www.wpsi-india.org/wpsi/index.php
  24. https://www.wwfindia.org/about_wwf/critical_regions/sundarbans3/about_sundarbans/#:~:text=While%20it%20supports%20a%20sizeable,to%20over%204.5%20million%20people.
  25. https://www.wwfindia.org/about_wwf/critical_regions/sundarbans3/wwf_india_s_interventions/
  26. https://ejatlas.org/conflict/sundarban-tiger-reserve
  27. https://dishaearth.org/wp-content/uploads/Research_Documents/Traditional%20Fishers%20in%20The%20Sundarban%20Tiger%20Reserve.pdf
  28. https://www.sunderbannationalpark.in/sunderban-wildlife-tour-packages.html
  29. https://www.sixdegreesnews.org/archives/2429/indigenous-people-assert-their-rights-over-sundarban-forest-india
  30. https://ejatlas.org/print/sundarban-tiger-reserve
  31. https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/1726/1/a1972-53.pdf
  32. https://forestsclearance.nic.in/DownloadPdfFile.aspx?FileName=0_0_611812112161Revised-guidelinesforrelocationpolicy.pdf&FilePath=../writereaddata/Addinfo/#:~:text=population%20of%20tiger.-,Section%2038V%204(i)%20of%20the%20Wildlife%20(Protection),Tribes%20or%20such%20other%20forest
  33. https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/8311/1/a2007-02.pdf
  34. https://tribal.nic.in/FRA/data/FRARulesBook.pdf
  35. https://sabrangindia.in/all-india-union-of-forest-working-people-aiufwp-lists-out-their-demands-before-the-lok-sabha-election-2024/
  36. https://www.groundxero.in/2019/04/22/thousands-of-adivasis-and-other-forest-dwellers-marched-in-alipurduar-town-asserting-their-rights-over-forest-habitats/
  37. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/experts-raise-concern-as-ntca-calls-for-relocation-of-villages-101725735142402.html
  38. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/forests/adivasi-forest-communities-in-bengal-pledge-to-protect-their-environmental-cultural-identities-94920