Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Environmental Health - Exploring the Situation of the Lower Gangetic Delta

This book examines the impacts that the COVID-19 lockdown has had on environmental and ecological health, with a focus on coastal ecosystems in the Lower Gangetic Delta. The book begins with an overview of COVID-19's spread and impact before and after the lockdown in the focus region, then addresses the specific impacts that the lockdown period had and continues to have on air quality, marine and estuarine water quality, coastal biodiversity, and the livelihoods of the region's inhabitants, especially those who live below the poverty line. The decrease in human activity combined with the complete closure of various sectors, including air travel, oil and gas drilling, and construction, has had a pronounced effect on biodiversity and overall environmental health that is yet to be fully realized. The book sheds light on these changes and assesses how biodiversity, ambient air quality, and ecosystem functioning will progress as COVID-19 remains a threat and the lockdown persists. The study will be of interest to researchers, government officials and professionals dealing with disaster management, environmental science, biological science, and health.

Dr. Abhijit Mitra, Associate Professor and former Head, Dept. of Marine Science, University of Calcutta (India) has been active in the sphere of Oceanography since 1985. He obtained his Ph.D. as NET qualified scholar in 1994 after securing the Gold Medal in M.Sc (Marine Science) from University of Calcutta. Since then he joined Calcutta Port Trust and WWF (World Wide Fund), in various capacities to carry out research programmes on environmental science, biodiversity conservation, climate change and carbon sequestration. Dr. Mitra is also associated with the Techno India University, West Bengal as the Director of Research. He has to his credit about 658 scientific publications in various National and International journals, and 58 books of postgraduate standards. Dr. Mitra is presently the member of several committees like PACON International, IUCN, SIOS etc. and has successfully completed about 19 projects on biodiversity loss in fishery sector, coastal pollution, alternative livelihood, climate change and carbon sequestration. Dr. Mitra also visited as faculty member and invited speakers in several foreign Universities of Singapore, Kenya, Oman and USA. In 2008, Dr. Mitra was invited as visiting fellow at University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, USA to deliver a series of lecture on Climate Change. Dr. Mitra also successfully guided 46 Ph.D. students. Presently his domain of expertise includes environmental science, mangrove ecology, sustainable aquaculture, alternative livelihood, climate change and carbon sequestration.