Women as Mangrove Stewards and Climate-Resilient Entrepreneurs in the Indian Sundarbans

The Indian Sundarbans presents a fundamental challenge: how can the ecosystems sustaining local livelihoods be protected while strengthening the economic agency of dependent communities? Mangroves provide critical ecosystem services, including shoreline protection, carbon storage and habitats for diverse species. Yet communities face cyclones, salinity, erosion and livelihood uncertainty.

Addressing these challenges requires connecting conservation with economic development. Women’s mangrove stewardship, supported by viable enterprises and accountable producer institutions, can link ecological responsibility with economic opportunity.

Rethinking Mangrove Stewardship

Mangrove conservation is often assessed through forest cover, restoration and biodiversity. These measures are essential but do not fully capture the social and economic conditions shaping long-term stewardship.

Bera and Maiti’s study of 254 households across 22 villages bordering the Indian Sundarbans found that 81.5% regularly visited forest areas for livelihood purposes, while more than 46% derived at least half their income from these areas. The study also associated overexploitation with declining fish and crab availability [1]. A wider study of 1,188 households across 35 villages in the Sundarbans region examined livelihood dependence on mangrove ecosystems and the importance of diversifying livelihood options [2].

These findings highlight a structural challenge: economic insecurity can intensify pressure on ecosystems when livelihoods depend heavily on natural resources. Effective stewardship must therefore include community participation, institutional accountability and viable livelihood alternatives compatible with ecological sustainability.

Women as Stewards and Economic Actors

Women’s participation is central to this transition, but it does not guarantee economic independence or decision-making power. Women also need skills, productive resources, markets and institutions through which they can influence livelihood decisions.

Research on forest co-management in the Bangladesh Sundarbans found that women’s participation strengthened conservation awareness and social networks while creating opportunities for alternative income generation. However, women remained underrepresented in decision-making structures [3]. Although the study concerns Bangladesh, it offers relevant insights into the relationship between women’s agency, livelihoods and mangrove governance.

For the Indian Sundarbans, this means women should not simply be expected to assume greater responsibility for conservation. Their contribution must be supported by meaningful economic opportunities and stronger participation in collective institutions. Entrepreneurship can help expand women’s agency while drawing on their knowledge of local resources and livelihood systems.

Connecting Stewardship with Enterprise Development

The Centre for Responsible Business (CRB), in partnership with the Nature Environment and Wildlife Society (NEWS), has worked to strengthen women’s livelihoods while sustaining mangrove stewardship in the Indian Sundarbans [4].

An important institutional partner is Badabon Harvest, the brand associated with Badabon Farmers Producer Company Limited. Established under the patronage of NEWS, the organisation brings Sundarbans producers together around sustainable agriculture and community-driven value chains [5].

The CRB–NEWS collaboration with Badabon Harvest connects ecological stewardship with institutional strengthening and livelihood development. Its work includes developing mangrove stewardship assessment principles, strengthening Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) governance, building producer capacities and identifying opportunities for value addition and market development [4].

This approach recognises that entrepreneurship requires more than production skills. Women producers need to understand costs, pricing, quality standards, consumer preferences and buyer expectations. Strong producer institutions can help them build these capabilities and participate more effectively in markets.

Why Market Linkages Matter

Production does not automatically translate into prosperity. Small producers may face weak bargaining power, limited market information, inadequate storage and processing, inconsistent quality standards and dependence on intermediaries.

FPOs can help address these barriers through aggregation, collective negotiation, quality management, value addition and organised market access. However, effective governance, commercial capabilities and sustained buyer relationships are equally important.

CRB and NEWS have worked with women-led producer groups associated with Badabon Harvest on agricultural marketing, branding and market development. Training activities have addressed challenges involving turmeric, moong and honey, including unfair pricing, unsold produce and restricted market reach [4]. These experiences highlight the importance of designing market interventions around producers’ actual constraints rather than assuming that better products will automatically secure better returns.

The objective is not to commercialise every resource associated with the Sundarbans, but to develop responsible value chains that improve producer returns without increasing pressure on fragile ecosystems.

Grounding Interventions in Local Realities

Livelihood opportunities vary across Sundarbans villages and producer groups. Resource availability, production cycles, institutional capacity and market access must inform intervention design.

In May and June 2026, CRB conducted participatory assessments with four women-led groups associated with Badabon Harvest: Aranya Badabon, Bonopriya Anandadhara, Dakshin Durgapur Badabon SHG and Gobardhanpur. Using Participatory Rural Appraisal tools—including resource mapping, seasonal calendars, problem-tree analysis and value-chain assessment—the exercise informed context-specific Sustainable Livelihood Plans [4].

Participatory assessments place community knowledge at the centre of planning, helping identify local assets, seasonal vulnerabilities, institutional gaps and realistic opportunities. They also align capacity building and market development with producer groups’ priorities.

Towards an Integrated Stewardship Model

The experience of the Indian Sundarbans points to a broader lesson: climate resilience cannot be built through ecosystem protection or enterprise development in isolation. Mangroves help buffer coastal communities against environmental risks, while viable, diversified livelihoods can strengthen households’ capacity to respond to shocks without increasing their dependence on fragile natural resources. The relationship is not automatic; it depends on responsible production, sound institutions and market opportunities that work for local producers.

For women-led producer organisations, this means strengthening governance, entrepreneurial capabilities and market relationships while integrating ecological considerations into livelihood decisions. Businesses and development organisations must invest in long-term partnerships rather than treat communities merely as suppliers or beneficiaries.

The task is not simply to make conservation pay or rural enterprises grow at any cost. It is to build institutions and value chains through which ecological stewardship and women’s economic agency reinforce one another. When women have a meaningful role in decisions, access to viable markets and a fairer share of the value they create, livelihood development can become part of a durable stewardship model. The future of the Indian Sundarbans will depend on sustaining these connections over time.