Introduction:
The Sundarbans is the largest contiguous block of mangrove forest in the world. It is located on the extreme south and south west part along the Bay of Bengal of Bangladesh.Its are that a is 6017 sq km, out of that 4143 sq km (69%) is land rest 1873 sq km (31%) is water bodies.Sundarban is intermingled with numerous rivers,canals and creeks. There are 450 named rivers viz. Passur,Shibsa,Vadra, Raeymongol, Aruashibsa etc.About 3.14 million people depend on Sundarbans resources.The British Govt. assumed the propriety right of the Sundarbans in 1828.The management was placed under Forest Department in 1875 and was declared as reserved forest in 1878. The UNESCO world heritage committee declared Sundarbans as its 798th World Heritage site on the 6th December ,1997 which includes 3 wildlife sanctuaries.
Administration:
There are 4 Ranges in the sundarbans viz. Khulna,Sharronkhola,Chandpai and Satkhira Ranges. The whole division is under Khulna circle and divided into Sundarban West Forest Division and Sundarbans East Forest Division.There are 16 Revenue stations and 72 Patrol posts.
Biodiversity in the Sundarbans
Flora:
There are about 334 plant species,165 algae species and 13 orchid species are seen in the Sundarbans.Among them Sundri(Heritiera fomes),Keora(Sonneratia apetala),Baen(Avicennia officinalis),Passur(Xylocarpus meknogensis),Goran(Ceriops decandra),Kankra(Bruguira gymnorhiza),Golpata(Nypa fruticans),Singra(Cynometra ramiflora),Bhola(Hibiscus tilliaceae),Hental(Phonix paludosa),Khulshi(Aegicerus corniculatum),Gewa(Excoecaria agallocha) etc. are most important.
Fauna:
Ther are about 375 wildlife species which include 35 reptiles,315 birds,42 mammals.There are 291 (210 whitefish ,24 shrimps,14 crabes and 43 mollusks) fish species exist in Sundarbans. The major wildlife in Sundarbans include Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris),Spotted deer(Axis axis),Wild Boar(Sus scrofa),Monkey(Maccaca mullata),Estuarian Crocodile(Crocodylus porosus),Python(Python molurus),Ganges River Dolphin(Platanista gangetica)and Irrawaddy Dolphin(Orcaella brevirostris).Notable birds are Mased Finfoot(Heliopais personata),Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus)and Lesser Ajtutant(Leptoptilos javanicus) etc.
Ecotourism Sites:
The Sundarbans Reserve Forest as a whole offers a unique set of attractions to visitors from all over the world.Notable tourist attractions are the following:
The Sundarbans is the largest contiguous block of mangrove forest in the world. It is located on the extreme south and south west part along the Bay of Bengal of Bangladesh.Its are that a is 6017 sq km, out of that 4143 sq km (69%) is land rest 1873 sq km (31%) is water bodies.Sundarban is intermingled with numerous rivers,canals and creeks. There are 450 named rivers viz. Passur,Shibsa,Vadra, Raeymongol, Aruashibsa etc.About 3.14 million people depend on Sundarbans resources.The British Govt. assumed the propriety right of the Sundarbans in 1828.The management was placed under Forest Department in 1875 and was declared as reserved forest in 1878. The UNESCO world heritage committee declared Sundarbans as its 798th World Heritage site on the 6th December ,1997 which includes 3 wildlife sanctuaries.
Administration:
There are 4 Ranges in the sundarbans viz. Khulna,Sharronkhola,Chandpai and Satkhira Ranges. The whole division is under Khulna circle and divided into Sundarban West Forest Division and Sundarbans East Forest Division.There are 16 Revenue stations and 72 Patrol posts.
Biodiversity in the Sundarbans
Flora:
There are about 334 plant species,165 algae species and 13 orchid species are seen in the Sundarbans.Among them Sundri(Heritiera fomes),Keora(Sonneratia apetala),Baen(Avicennia officinalis),Passur(Xylocarpus meknogensis),Goran(Ceriops decandra),Kankra(Bruguira gymnorhiza),Golpata(Nypa fruticans),Singra(Cynometra ramiflora),Bhola(Hibiscus tilliaceae),Hental(Phonix paludosa),Khulshi(Aegicerus corniculatum),Gewa(Excoecaria agallocha) etc. are most important.
Fauna:
Ther are about 375 wildlife species which include 35 reptiles,315 birds,42 mammals.There are 291 (210 whitefish ,24 shrimps,14 crabes and 43 mollusks) fish species exist in Sundarbans. The major wildlife in Sundarbans include Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris),Spotted deer(Axis axis),Wild Boar(Sus scrofa),Monkey(Maccaca mullata),Estuarian Crocodile(Crocodylus porosus),Python(Python molurus),Ganges River Dolphin(Platanista gangetica)and Irrawaddy Dolphin(Orcaella brevirostris).Notable birds are Mased Finfoot(Heliopais personata),Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus)and Lesser Ajtutant(Leptoptilos javanicus) etc.
Ecotourism Sites:
The Sundarbans Reserve Forest as a whole offers a unique set of attractions to visitors from all over the world.Notable tourist attractions are the following:
- Katka
- Karamjal
- Kochikhali
- Dobeki
- Kalagachia
- Mandarbaria
- Dubla
- Harbaria
- Sekhertec
About Tiger:
There are about 440 tigers with 21 cubs exist in Sundarbans.So each tiger has a home range of 14.4 sq km.The Bengal tiger of Sundarbans is our symbol of pride and heritage.We should preserve it for us and future generation.Poet Bishnu day wrote that
"Terrible tigers in the sundarbans
Their eyes express the country's anger
Their claws so sharp and the teeth a row of scimitars
Ye crocodile -go to the dying river
The boat will be smashed to pieces
Land of the cobras
In the end strike with hood upright"
Importance of Sundarbans:
The mangrove Sundarbans forest acts as a natural barrier to cyclones and tidal bores ,and protects the densely populated agricultural areas to its north.The Sundarbans also act as the world's largest mangrove carbon sink.These are also an important spawning ground for fishes and harbor of many wild lives.
Depletion of biodiversity:
The bio-diversity of the Sundarbans has been under threat for various reasons. There has been increasing conversion of the forest land for agriculture ,mainly for paddy and shrimp farming and for human habitation. The forest's biodiversity is also threatened by unabated poaching,hunting,illegal felling of trees,disease ,unplanned and over extraction of resources , insufficient conservation effort,deterioration of law and order situation etc. Besides human activities forests are frequently destroyed by natural calamities.Apprehended sea level rise due to global warming ,which would permanently inundate coastal low-lying areas with saline water.
Prepared by:
Md. Zahidur Rahman Miah Assistant Conservator of Forests Kaptai National Park,Rangamati Bangladesh.
There are about 440 tigers with 21 cubs exist in Sundarbans.So each tiger has a home range of 14.4 sq km.The Bengal tiger of Sundarbans is our symbol of pride and heritage.We should preserve it for us and future generation.Poet Bishnu day wrote that
"Terrible tigers in the sundarbans
Their eyes express the country's anger
Their claws so sharp and the teeth a row of scimitars
Ye crocodile -go to the dying river
The boat will be smashed to pieces
Land of the cobras
In the end strike with hood upright"
Importance of Sundarbans:
The mangrove Sundarbans forest acts as a natural barrier to cyclones and tidal bores ,and protects the densely populated agricultural areas to its north.The Sundarbans also act as the world's largest mangrove carbon sink.These are also an important spawning ground for fishes and harbor of many wild lives.
Depletion of biodiversity:
The bio-diversity of the Sundarbans has been under threat for various reasons. There has been increasing conversion of the forest land for agriculture ,mainly for paddy and shrimp farming and for human habitation. The forest's biodiversity is also threatened by unabated poaching,hunting,illegal felling of trees,disease ,unplanned and over extraction of resources , insufficient conservation effort,deterioration of law and order situation etc. Besides human activities forests are frequently destroyed by natural calamities.Apprehended sea level rise due to global warming ,which would permanently inundate coastal low-lying areas with saline water.
Prepared by:
Md. Zahidur Rahman Miah Assistant Conservator of Forests Kaptai National Park,Rangamati Bangladesh.
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