Sundarbans: The Mangrove Greenery Heart of Bangladesh Zinat Afrose, 27 March 2021 Introduction: Our Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest covers a total area of 100,000 hectares and located in the deltas of southwest Bangladesh. The Sundarbans covers 4.2% of the total land area and 44% of the total forest land area in Bangladesh. It is a globally significant ecosystem rich with biodiversity that provides a habitat for around 334 plants and 375 animal species including the world-famous Royal Bengal Tiger, ferocious crocodile, lots of beautiful bird species, and different beneficial and recreational fish 210 species. The Sundarbans, covering about one million halves in the delta of the rivers Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna are shared between Bangladesh (60 %) and India (40 %) and is the world’s largest coastal wetland. Its mangrove forest acts as a natural flood barrier, protecting the coastal population from the devastating impact of cyclones that hit the region. Increased deforestation and the destruction of mangrove forests for the exploitation of high-value resources are leaving the coasts increasingly exposed and vulnerable to hurricanes, as well as depleting the region's rich biodiversity. https://www.google.com/search?q=sundarbans+images&sxsrf=ALeKk024drwzjGm1XwWeZjFD 9COwvn4LQ:1617293861754&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiigoKRud3vAhWJcn0KHa6PC1IQ_AUoAXo E CAEQAw&biw=1366&bih=647#imgrc=JRz84l8Ic2D0lM&imgdii=iBIBsarw1_31rM The Sundarbans is highly valuable because of its unique biodiversity and stunning natural beauty. Mangrove vegetation, tigers, crocodile, spotted deer, and rich birdlife make these tours appealing. The Sundarbans serve as a natural school for eco-tourists. Though the Royal Bengal Tiger is the most popular species in this rare mangrove forest, tourists can also enjoy many other natural wonders. The chances of seeing a Royal Bengal tiger in this 4200 sq. km of thick mangroves, where tourists can only enter rivers, are one in a million. Bangladesh is a small country, but it has conceived too many places, which could attract the tourist. Due to a lack of proper management and planning these places are not attracting foreign tourists. The Sundarbans are commemorated in Bengali folk songs and dances, which are mostly based on the Sundarbans' folk heroes, gods, and goddesses (such as Bonbibi and Dakshin Rai) and the Lower Gangetic Delta (like Manasa and Chand Sadagar). The Bengali folk epic Manasamangal mentions Netidhopani and has some passages set in the Sundarbans during the heroine Behula's quest to bring her husband Lakhindar back to life. Background: The scholars think that the exploration of the Sundarbans mangroves dates back to the 16th century. Sundarbans National Park was declared in 1973 as the core area of the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve and as a wildlife sanctuary in 1977. It was officially named National Park on May 4, 1984. In Bengali, the word Sundarbans literally means "beautiful forest" (Shundor, "beautiful” and bon, "forest"). The name comes from the Sundari trees that can be found in the Sundarbans. The border between India and Bangladesh is marked by the River Harinbhanga (also known as Ichamati or Raimongal in Bangladesh). About 60% of mangrove forests are in Bangladesh's Khulna District, with the remaining part in West Bengal's 24-Parganas District (India). Since the Tertiary stage, many geomorphological changes have resulted in the deposition of sediments in the Bengal Basin and the creation of the Sundarbans Delta, including tectonic movements in northwestern Punjab and the southeastern flow of the River Ganga. Importance: Sundarbans is very important for the biodiversity it contains. The Sundarbans is the world's largest single tidal halophytic mangrove forest; It can be defined as a natural showpiece in terms of its biodiversity. Sundarbans is located in Bangladesh's southern region. It is situated at the confluence of the Meghna and Hugli rivers, where they reach the Bay of Bengal. Sundarbans is made up of a dense network of small rivers, channels, and creeks, as well as numerous islands created by sediment deposited by three major rivers: The Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna. The Sundarbans is a vast forest in the Bay of Bengal's coastal region that is considered one of the world's natural wonders; it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997; it is also significant for our marine biological field. The Sundarbans, with their majestic forests and enigmatic wilderness, are found in Bengal's lower Ganga delta. The thick mangrove forests are one of the Bengal tiger's most important habitats. The fact that the ocean and land collide here is one of the reasons for the high faunal diversity. Problems The Sundarbans facing: An increasing human population continues to endanger its biodiversity, placing pressure not only on its ecological resources but also on freshwater inflows from upstream areas. As a result, significant threats to biodiversity have arisen largely as a result of the rising human population, which has resulted in overexploitation of both timber and fauna, as well as the conversion of cleared land to agriculture and aquaculture. Wetland biodiversity is affected by a range of factors, including evolutionary history and paleoclimate, as well as current biophysical and anthropogenic factors, as well as the extent and strength of interactions with the neighbouring systems. Exploration for oil in coastal areas is also posing a new threat. Global climate change, especially sea-level rise, poses additional dangers. However, centuries of human occupation of the forests, conversion to paddy fields, and reclamation of land for different uses have affected the biodiversity of the Sundarbans mangroves. Also, cyclone damage and artificial damages make Sundarbans vulnerable. Tigers kill a significant number of people each year (an average of 23 per year), particularly in the Sundarbans’ southern and western regions. Such killings are thought to be due to high salinity levels and a lack of fresh water for drinking purposes. Analysis: The status and management of the Sundarbans’ high-profile and endangered flora and fauna diversity are good indicators of the general state and management of wildlife. As a consequence, it is a protected area under the government's wildlife conservation rule. All human disturbances, such as the harvesting of wood, honey, fishing, and other forest products, are prohibited in the core region. In the buffer zone, however, fishing, honey collection, and woodcutting are allowed in restricted quantities. Well-armed forest workers patrol motorboats and launches in the park, protecting it from smuggling and theft of forest resources. Several significant sections of the park have forest offices and camps. The fish diversity is directly related to the salinity gradients in different parts of the Sundarbans. Trawlers are used by the fisherman to fishing in the Sundarbans area. Fishermen sell the fish they catch at the local market after catching so many. Occasionally, a large quantity of fish is sold in other parts of the world. Not always they get the opportunity of fishing, because seasonal tide and some other factor are considered in fishing. Thus, sometimes they lead a very miserable life. Most of the local’s livelihood depends on Sundarbans’ resources. The Bangladesh Forest Department (BFD), which is part of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), can sustainably manage the Sundarbans by involving local resource users in co-management, effective and standardized guarding, and proper ecological monitoring. Recommendation: The Sundarban’s mangroves' future depends on how well the limited freshwater resources are handled to meet both human and environmental needs. Requirements, as well as successful adaptive responses to the additional threats posed by climate change. Both the management of freshwater resources and the protection of biological resources will protect Sundarbans from destruction. Moreover, to achieve successful protection and regeneration of the mangrove ecosystem, a higher level organizational transboundary cooperation is pursued. Both the Indian and Bangladeshi governments would need an integrated approach to human well-being and environmental sustainability in the Sundarbans in this case. Because of the region's aesthetic appeal, community-based tourism can be promoted as a viable alternative source of income. While this could be a positive step in the right direction for the environment, both the administration and the community must share equal responsibility for limiting the effect of this initiative on the forest. The government should redesign the natural resource base legally available to the public, assisting them in increasing their income-generating potential and decreasing their reliance on protected areas. The planning process would need to involve concerted measures to reduce population growth in the city. To alleviate the rising burden on the environment, policies aimed at universal education, gender equality, and women empowerment will need to be strengthened. Internalization of a development plan with strong components on land management, protection of natural resource base, disaster management, and livelihood management in the light of climate change is essential to resolve the region's conservation challenges. Conclusion: Our self-importance has added to the problem over time, and if we continue to neglect it, we will soon face nature's wrath. We should play a proactive role in protecting the mangrove forest, realizing that if the Sundarbans are protected, the Sundarbans would be saved as well. To save the Sundarbans, we must leave them alone and refrain from interfering. The government's only option is to keep a human presence to a minimum. This involves avoiding contamination in surrounding areas, refraining from harming animals and birds, discouraging the use of vessels to transport goods, and banning the use of toxic chemicals polluting rivers or even the air for the plants’ safety. https://www.google.com/search?q=sundarban%20forest%20animals&tbm=isch&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CCEQtI8 B AFqFwoTCJjl45i53e8CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAo&biw=1349&bih=647#imgrc=z3SGSp9jQuKVvM References: 1. Biswas, S.R., Choudhury, J.K., Nishat, A.