Sundarbans

For other uses, see Sundarbans (disambiguation).

Sundarbans
Sundarbans
Inside the sundarbans
Sundarbans
Sundarbans
Location of the Sundarbans, spanning the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta
Location
Nearest city
Coordinates21°45′N 88°45′E / 21.750°N 88.750°E / 21.750; 88.750
Area10,277 km2 (3,968 sq mi)[note 1]
Governing body
Official nameSundarbans National Park
LocationPresidency division, West Bengal,  India
Includes
CriteriaNatural: (ix)(x)
Reference452
Inscription1987 (11th Session)
Area133,010 ha (513.6 sq mi)
Coordinates21°56′42″N 88°53′45″E / 21.94500°N 88.89583°E / 21.94500; 88.89583
Official nameThe Sundarbans
LocationKhulna Division,  Bangladesh
Includes
CriteriaNatural: (ix)(x)
Reference798
Inscription1997 (21st Session)
Area139,500 ha (539 sq mi)
Coordinates21°57′N 89°11′E / 21.950°N 89.183°E / 21.950; 89.183
Official nameSundarbans Reserved Forest
Designated21 May 1992
Reference no.560[4]
Official nameSundarban Wetland
Designated30 January 2019
Reference no.2370[5]

Sundarbans (pronounced /sʌnˈdɑːrbənz/) is a mangrove area in the delta formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers in the Bay of Bengal. Spread across parts of India and Bangladesh, this forest is the largest Mangrove forest in the world.[6] It spans the area from the Baleswar River in Bangladesh's division of Khulna to the Hooghly River in India's state of West Bengal. It comprises closed and open mangrove forests, land used for agricultural purpose, mudflats and barren land, and is intersected by multiple tidal streams and channels. Sundarbans is home to the world's largest area of mangrove forests.[7] Four protected areas in the Sundarbans are enlisted as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, viz. Sundarbans West (Bangladesh), Sundarbans South (Bangladesh), Sundarbans East (Bangladesh) and Sundarbans National Park (India).[8]

Despite the protected status, the Indian Sundarbans were considered endangered in a 2020 assessment under the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems framework.[9] The Sundarbans mangrove forest covers an area of about 10,277 km2 (3,968 sq mi), of which forests in Bangladesh's Khulna Division extend over 6,017 km2 (2,323 sq mi)[1] and in West Bengal's Presidency division, they extend over 4,260 km2 (1,640 sq mi) across the South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas districts.[2][3] The most abundant tree species are sundri (Heritiera fomes) and gewa (Excoecaria agallocha). The forests provide habitat to 453 fauna wildlife, including 290 bird, 120 fish, 42 mammal, 35 reptile and eight amphibian species.[10] Despite a total ban on all killing or capture of wildlife other than fish and some invertebrates, there has been a consistent pattern of depleted biodiversity or loss of species in the 20th century, with the ecological quality of the forest declining.[11]

Despite preservation commitments from both governments, the Sundarbans are under threat from both natural and human-made causes. In 2007, the landfall of Cyclone Sidr damaged around 40% of the Sundarbans. The forest is also suffering from increased salinity caused by sea level rise due to effects of climate change and reduced freshwater supply. In May 2009, Cyclone Aila devastated the Sundarbans with massive casualties. At least 100,000 people were affected by this cyclone.[12][13] The proposed coal-fired Rampal power station situated 14 km (8.7 mi) north of the Sundarbans at Rampal Upazila of Bagerhat District in Khulna, Bangladesh, is anticipated to further damage this unique mangrove forest according to a 2016 report by UNESCO.[14] Climate change is expected to continue to negatively affect both natural systems and human populations in the region, resulting in further ecosystem degradation and climate migration. Experts examining the region recommend further focus on mangrove restoration and management and advocating for adaptation of human populations, through processes like managed retreat and investments in resilient infrastructure.[15]

  1. ^ a b "এক নজরে সুন্দরবন" [Sundarbans at a glance]. forest.khulnadiv.gov.bd. Archived from the original on 9 May 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b Pani, D. R.; Sarangi, S. K.; Subudhi, H. N.; Misra, R. C.; Bhandari, D. C. (2013). "Exploration, evaluation and conservation of salt tolerant rice genetic resources from Sundarbans region of West Bengal" (PDF). Journal of the Indian Society of Coastal Agricultural Research. 30 (1): 45–53. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 October 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Department of Sundarban Affairs, Govt. of West Bengal". sundarbanaffairswb.in. Archived from the original on 7 May 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  4. ^ "Sundarbans Reserved Forest, Bangladesh". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  5. ^ "Sundarban Wetland, India". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Archived from the original on 19 May 2022. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  6. ^ "Largest mangrove forest". Archived from the original on 7 May 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Sundarbans National Park". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archived from the original on 19 November 2023. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  8. ^ Giri, C.; Pengra, B.; Zhu, Z.; Singh, A.; Tieszen, L. L. (2007). "Monitoring mangrove forest dynamics of the Sundarbans in Bangladesh and India using multi-temporal satellite data from 1973 to 2000". Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 73 (1–2): 91–100. Bibcode:2007ECSS...73...91G. doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2006.12.019.
  9. ^ Sievers, M.; Chowdhury, M. R.; Adame, M. F.; Bhadury, P.; Bhargava, R.; Buelow, C.; Friess, D. A.; Ghosh, A.; Hayes, M. A.; McClure, E. C.; Pearson, R. M. (2020). "Indian Sundarbans mangrove forest considered endangered under Red List of Ecosystems, but there is cause for optimism" (PDF). Biological Conservation. 251: 108751. Bibcode:2020BCons.25108751S. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108751. hdl:10072/400371. S2CID 222206165. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  10. ^ Iftekhar, M. S.; Islam, M. R. (2004). "Managing mangroves in Bangladesh: A strategy analysis" (PDF). Journal of Coastal Conservation. 10 (1): 139–146. doi:10.1652/1400-0350(2004)010[0139:MMIBAS]2.0.CO;2. S2CID 130056584. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 November 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  11. ^ Manna, S.; Chaudhuri, K.; Bhattacharyya, S.; Bhattacharyya, M. (2010). "Dynamics of Sundarban estuarine ecosystem: Eutrophication induced threat to mangroves". Saline Systems. 6: 8. doi:10.1186/1746-1448-6-8. PMC 2928246. PMID 20699005.
  12. ^ "23 dead, 1 lakh affected as Cyclone Aila hits Bengal". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 28 October 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  13. ^ "Cyclone Aila". 2009. Archived from the original on 5 August 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  14. ^ Iftekhar Mahmud (2016). "Unesco calls for shelving Rampal project". Prothom Alo. Archived from the original on 26 September 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  15. ^ Danda, A. A.; Ghosh, N.; Bandyopadhyay, J. & Hazra, S. (2020). Strategic and Managed Retreat as Adaptation: Addressing Climate Vulnerability in the Sundarbans (Report). New Delhi: Observer Research Foundation. Archived from the original on 7 February 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2021.


Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).