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Article History

Received: 30 July 2025

Accepted: 30 September 2025

First Online: 1 December 2025

Declarations

:

: The need for ethical approval was waived by the Institutional Review Board/Ethical Committee of Department of Architecture and Planning, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India owing to the non-invasive and non-clinical nature of the study. All procedures for conducting the household surveys and focus group discussions were carried out in accordance with the ethical guidelines of the Department of Architecture and Planning, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee. Necessary permission to conduct household surveys and focus group discussions in the study area was obtained from the Department of Sundarbans Affairs, which is the nodal agency responsible for developmental efforts in the ISD. The Department of Sundarbans Affairs waived the requirement for written approval. Furthermore, informed verbal consent was obtained from each participant prior to participation, and respondents were assured that the data would be used solely for academic research purposes.

: Not applicable.

: Informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to their involvement in the household surveys and focus group discussions. The purpose of the study, procedures, and intended use of the data were explained to each participant in their local language, and only those who voluntarily agreed to participate were included. Verbal consent was documented as per the guidelines of the Department of Sundarbans Affairs, which waived the requirement for written consent.

: The authors declare no competing interests.