Context:
- Recently, a fire broke out in the East Sundarbans region of Bangladesh, which is occurring almost every year during the dry season.
About the East Sundarban
- It is a part of the Sundarbans, world’s largest mangrove forest, that stretches across the coastal region of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean.
- It is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, including several endangered species.
- Reasons highlighted for repeatedly catching fire in East Sundarbans are reduced water inflow in canals, region’s elevation, dry seasons, climate change, and lack of management.
| Sundarban Wetland and Mangrove Forest
– It is one of the largest mangrove forests in the world (140,000 ha), lies on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal in India and Bangladesh. – The Indian Sundarban, covering the south-westernmost part of the delta, constitutes over 60% of the country’s total mangrove forest area and includes 90% of Indian mangrove species. Fauna – The Sundarbans are the only mangrove habitat which supports a significant population of tigers, and they have unique aquatic hunting skills. a. The Sundarban Tiger Reserve has been declared a ‘critical tiger habitat’ under national law and also a ‘Tiger Conservation Landscape’ of global importance. b. – It is home to a large number of rare and globally threatened species such as: a. Northern River Terrapin (Batagur Baska): Critically Endangered; c. b. Irrawaddy Dolphin (Orcaella Brevirostris): Endangered; c. Fishing Cat (Prionailurus Viverrinus): Vulnerable. – Two of the world’s four Horseshoe Crab Species, and eight of India’s 12 species of Kingfisher are also found in Sundarbans. Flora – The Sundarbans host more than 78 species of mangroves, making it the richest mangrove forest in the world. a. The Sundarbans is named after the mangrove plant Sundari (Heritiera Minor). Significance – The mangrove forests protect the hinterland from storms, cyclones, tidal surges, and the seepage and intrusion of saltwater inland and into waterways. a. They serve as nurseries to shellfish and finfish and sustain the fisheries of the entire eastern coast. – These mangroves dominate the fringing areas along the creeks and backwaters, and grow along the sides of rivers in muddy as well as in flat, sandy areas. Conservation – UNESCO: Four protected areas in the Sundarbans are enlisted as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, viz. Sundarbans National Park (India), Sundarbans West (Bangladesh), Sundarbans South (Bangladesh) and Sundarbans East (Bangladesh). – Ramsar Site: It is a ‘Wetland of International Importance’ under the Ramsar Convention.
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