New Moore Island was a disputed territory between India and Bangladesh until it was engulfed by rising sea levels caused by global warming. Sea levels in the Bay of Bengal have risen above average, causing displacement of people in the Sundarbans delta region.
New Moore Island existed in the Bay of Bengal for about 35 years and until 2010 was a source of contention between India and Bangladesh. Both claimed sovereignty over the uninhabited rocky island, which appeared in the mid-1970s in the aftermath of the 1970 Bhola Cyclone. However, global warming essentially settled the dispute as sea levels engulfed the small island, which, even at its peak, it never rose more than about six feet (1.8 m) above sea level. An arbitration decision on the Bay of Bengal maritime boundary officially rejected Bangladesh’s claim to the island, also known as South Talpatti Island, in 2014, so if sea levels were to drop, India could rightfully claim control.
Sea level rise in the Bay of Bengal:
Studies have shown above-average sea level rise in the Sundarbans delta region of the Bay of Bengal. “What these two countries have failed to achieve after years of discussions has been solved by global warming,” said oceanographer Sugata Hazra of Jadavpur University in Calcutta.
Until 2000, sea level in the delta area rose about 3 millimeters per year. Since then, studies show that water has increased by about 5 millimeters per year. “We will have more and more people displaced from the Sunderbans as more areas of the island come under water,” Hazra predicted.
The nearby island of Lohachara sank in 1996, forcing its residents to flee to the mainland. Additionally, nearly half of Ghoramara Island has reverted to the sea.
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