The Sundarbans Mangrove Forest has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has one of the world's largest mangrove forests. The forest covers an area of 140,000 hectares and is located on the Bay of Bengal's delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers. The ecologically diverse forest is home to a diverse array of flora and fauna.
SUNDARBANS UNDER MAURYA, MUGHAL AND BRITISH RULE
The Sundarbans Mangrove forest was first found in the Baghmara Forest Block in the ruins of a city during the Mauryan era in the 4th-2nd century BCE. After the Mughals took over the Indian Subcontinent the marshy forest of Sundarbans became the hiding spot for criminals. During this time the refugees started constructing buildings to live in and depended largely on aquatic animals like fish for their survival. The systematic formation of forest reserves started in the 1860s after the establishment of a forest department in the province of Bengal during the British Raj. The first Forest Management Division in the Sundarbans Jurisdiction was established in 1869. Under the Forest Act, of 1865 a large portion of the mangrove forests was declared as reserved forests in 1875. Other forests were also brought under the title of reserved forest in the preceding years.
FLORA, FAUNA AND ENDANGERED/EXTINCT SPECIES OF SUNDARBANS MANGROVE FOREST
David Prain, a Scottish botanist, recorded 245 genera and 334 plant species in 1903. Sundarbans flora is dominated by Sundari (Heritieria fomes), Gewa (Excoecaria agallocha), Goran (Ceriops decandra), and Keora (Sonneratia apetala). Sundarbans forest is said to be named after Sundari (Heritieria littoralis), a mangrove tree that grows abundantly in the area. Sundarbans' greenery is complemented by a variety of forests, including mangrove scrubs, littoral forest, saltwater mixed forest, brackish forest, and swamp forest. Aside from the forests, the land is open for vegetation to support human life.
The Sundarbans have an impact on diverse wildlife habitats. The Royal Bengal Tiger lives in the Indian part of Sundarbans. The water bodies that surround mangrove forests provide habitat for a variety of small fish, shrimp, crabs, and other aquatic creatures. According to a 1991 study, the Indian portion of the Sundarbans supports a diverse biological resource that includes at least 150 species of commercial fish, 270 species of birds, 42 species of mammals, 35 reptiles, and 8 amphibian species. Apart from the Bengal Tiger, it also houses other mammals from the cat family.
The Sundarbans is also abundant in both Avifauna (birds) and Aquafauna (fish) (marine animals). The endemic brown-winged kingfisher and the globally threatened lesser adjutant are among the 286 bird species. Whereas the Sundarbans National Park is home to a variety of aquatic animals, one of which is the mudskipper, a gobioid that can climb out of the water, stick to mudflats, and even climb trees.
Animals and birds that used to live in Sundarbans have either become extinct or have been added to the list of endangered species as a result of constant poaching by Britishers and locals in the twentieth century. The Royal Bengal Tiger found in the Indian state of West Bengal (Sundarbans) is on the verge of becoming extinct. Some species, such as water buffalo, barasingha, and Indian rhinos, became extinct in the Sundarbans in the mid-twentieth century.
BENEFITS OF SUSTAINABLE MANGROVE FOREST
The Sundarbans is the single largest tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world. Mangroves grow in coastal areas. It grows in such areas because it cannot withstand harsh freezing temperatures.
IMPORTANCE OF MANGROVE FOREST
The mangrove ecosystem is one of the most important sea-coastal ecosystems. It has all of the benefits and environmental goods and services that it generates, not only for the local community but also for the long-term development of the countries that have this ecosystem. Mangrove resources are critical to the local economy's food sovereignty. It promotes and provides significant benefits for coastal protection. It also facilitates the recycling of nutrients and reproduction of many marine species that visit the mangroves to breed with their kind. As a result, it has become a highly prioritized ecosystem that is also highly threatened. The Sundarbans Mangrove forest has sustainably rich biodiversity as its above-ground roots form a highly diverse habitat for all forms of aquatic species.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO SAVE MANGROVE FORESTS?
Mangrove shrubs and trees are extremely sustainable since they thrive along the Sundarbans coastline and in other coastal areas throughout the world. Mangrove ecosystems are the most productive ecosystems that have ever occurred on Earth. Sundarbans is endowed with three constantly flowing rivers (the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna), which maintain its land exceedingly wet and rich. These water bodies include diverse sorts of commercial seafood, enabling commerce and therefore aiding in the systematic (economic) upliftment of not just a community but the entire nation. The lateral roots that grow upwards from mud and water aid cyclone-prone coastal shores by preventing water from entering residential areas directly. Though mangrove forests occupy just 0.1 percent of the total land surface on Earth, they store more carbon than any other forest, making it critical to maintain mangrove forests to counteract the worst effects of climate change.
CYCLONIC THREAT TO SUNDARBANS
According to a report by UNESCO, the landfall caused by Cyclone Sidr damaged around 40% of Sundarbans in 2007. Recently, in May 2020 Cyclone Amphan had devastating effects on Sundarbans. Though the mangrove forest attempted to function as a barrier between the residential area and the cultivated fields, the terrible waves, torrential rains, and tidal gusts of 170 km/hr (150 mph), which eventually increased to 190 kph, swept through the Sundarbans, ruining it. Annu Jalais, a professor at the National University of Singapore who has been researching the Sundarbans for two decades, told India Today that "it is a recipe for disaster." Another interviewee, Jafar Iqbal, claimed he spent the dreadful night at a relief shelter. Everything was wrecked when he returned home the next day. Within a day of being contaminated, saltwater water has the potential to kill all of the freshwater fish in a pond. For four to five years, saline water can also harm crops and agriculture sites. This sort of natural disaster is not unfamiliar to Sundarbans residents. However, because of the ongoing covid-19 pandemic and a statewide lockdown (1st wave), rehabilitation efforts by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) faced significant problems in reaching cyclone-affected regions. The fragile ecology of the Sundarbans held the lives of an estimated 4.5 million people.
HOW CAN WE SAVE MANGROVE FORESTS?
To conserve such a vital ecosystem, the government, private corporations, and listed organizations like UNESCO all pitch in. The Global Mangrove Alliance (GMA) has pledged to increase the global extent of mangrove habitat by 20% by 2030.
“The goal of the Global Mangrove Alliance is to change the way that people see and value mangroves, which will lead to an increased commitment to conserve and restore these amazing systems,” says Jennifer Howard, director of marine climate change for CI. “If we are to reach a net increase in mangrove cover of 20 percent by 2030, we need more organizations, governments, private companies, and funding organizations to commit to making mangroves a priority.”
According to data released by UNESCO, currently, the property is well managed by the Forest Department. They are protecting the property from all types of ecological and hydrological threats through conservative and sustainable methods. Precautionary measures are also being taken to protect tigers and other wildlife that contribute to the ecological balance of Sundarbans. Many kinds of research have been conducted on Sundarbans wildlife and ecosystem to make smooth working plans for the property’s sustainable development and management of wildlife. Another strategy to rescue the forest is to educate ourselves about climate change and its negative consequences.
CONCLUSION
Everything, time and again, comes down to climate change and its ramifications. Though the Sundarbans' mangrove forests are very sustainable, with a diversified ecology, everything has a limit. While both natural and man-made hazards are becoming more disastrous with each passing year, the ecosystem is constantly being hammered by soil erosion, wildlife extinction, and marine life depletion, which will cost a lot in the future if serious steps are not taken not only by the government and other non-profit organizations but also on a personal level. By learning about climate change mitigation and prevention strategies, today's generation can save a lot of resources for future generations.
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