Sundarbans is a vast forest located along the Bay of Bengal and is one of the natural wonders of the world. Located in the Badwip area of the Padma, Meghna and Brahmaputra river basins, this magnificent forest covers parts of Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat and Barguna districts of Bangladesh and two districts of North Twenty-four Parganas and South Twenty-four Parganas of the Indian state of West Bengal. As the largest mangrove forest in coastal saline environment, the Sundarbans are the largest intact forest in the world. Spread over 10,000 square kilometers, 6,517 square kilometers (66%) of the Sundarbans are in Bangladesh and the rest (34%) in India.
Sundarbans was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on December 6, 1997. Bangladesh and the Indian part are actually contiguous parts of the same unbroken landmass, but are listed under different names on the UNESCO World Heritage List; In the name of 'Sunderbans' and 'Sunderbans National Park'. Despite this protection, the Indian Sundarbans was considered endangered in the 2020 assessment under the IUCN Red List of Ecosystem Framework.
The Sundarbans is a web of small islands with ocean currents, mudflats and salinity of mangrove forests. 31.1 percent of the total forest area, i.e. 1,874 square kilometers, is covered by rivers, canals, and wetlands. The forest is known to be home to numerous species of birds, deer, crocodiles and snakes, apart from the eponymous Royal Bengal Tiger. According to the survey, there are 106 tigers and 1,00,000 to 1,50,000 blackbucks in the Sundarbans area. On May 21, 1992, Sundarbans was recognized as a Ramsar site.
Thousands of tourists visit Sundarbans every year. Every year, many tourists from home and abroad are fascinated by the unique beauty of Sundarbans and gain various knowledge from nature by traveling to Sundarbans. The most abundant tree species are Sundae and Gewa. The forest is home to 453 species of wildlife including 290 birds, 120 fish, 42 mammals, 35 reptiles and eight amphibian species.
Despite total bans on killing or capturing wildlife other than fish and some invertebrates, there appears to have been a consistent pattern of declining biodiversity or species loss over the 20th century, and declining ecological quality of forests. The Department of Forests is responsible for the administration and management of the Sundarbans National Park in West Bengal. A forest cycle was created in Bangladesh in 1993 for forest conservation and since then Chief Conservators of Forests have been appointed. Despite conservation pledges from both governments, the Sundarbans are under threat from both natural and man-made causes.
Around 40% of the Sundarbans were damaged in 2007 due to Cyclone Cedar landslides. The forest is also suffering from increased salinity due to rising sea levels and reduced freshwater supplies. Again in May 2009, Cyclone Aila devastated the Sundarbans with massive casualties. At least 100,000 people were affected by the cyclone. The proposed coal-fired Rampal power plant, located 14 kilometers (8.7 mi) north of the Sundarbans in Rampal upazila of Bagherhat district in Khulna, Bangladesh, further damage this unique mangrove forest, according to a 2016 UNESCO report. It is assumed that it will.
Location and Extent: Sagar, Kakdwip, Namkhana, Mathurapur, Patharpratima, Jayanagar, Kultali, Canning, Basanti, Haroa, Meenkhan, Sandeshkhali, Gosaba, Hasnabad and Hingalganj-these 15 police stations of South and North 24 Parganas districts-presently comprise the Sundarbans region. The total area here is 9,600 square kilometers. The region was named Sundarbans because of its forests of "beautiful" trees.
Deeply forested and insular Sundarbans located in the south of South 24 Parganas district adjacent to the Bay of Bengal. This area is completely covered by the active delta region. So the delta formation work is still going on here.
Over the Sundarbans region, numerous rivers form creeks and merge into the sea. In the shallow part of the sea, the sediments carried by rivers accumulate and form new landmasses in the form of shoals or deltas, and later the shoals or islands become interconnected and become continuous landmasses. Therefore, the Sundarbans region is gradually expanding to the south and increasing in size.
All parts of the Sundarbans except the river beds are plains and swamps. Its average height is only 3-4 meters above the sea level. The entire Sundarban region is divided by numerous rivers and creeks. Vast areas of the Sundarbans are submerged under water during high tides and create mudflats. Due to the accumulation of mud and sand washed by the sea water, the rivers have become muddy in places.
Apart from tigers, there are various kinds of deer in Sundarbans. Some have big horns, some have white spots. They are called Chitra deer. Once there were many rhinoceros, elephants, wild boars in the Sundarbans. Now these animals are no more. However, elephants can be seen in the forests of Rangamati and Bandarban in the country. Apart from this, there are monkeys, forest cats and monkeys.
Among the birds of this forest are buck, stork, hornbill, mudcreeper, lenja and hottie. On the sea coast can be seen terns, water pigeons, terns, chil, herons, woodpeckers, buzzards, owls, honeybees, hornbills, eagles and vultures. Once there were many vultures in this forest. But now it is an endangered bird.
The vegetation of Sundarbans is diverse. There are trees like Sundari, Garan, Gewa, Keora, Ora, Pasur, Dhundal, Bain etc. Apart from this, golpata grows almost everywhere in this forest.
This region is formed by accumulation of silt carried by rivers. But the soil here is salty due to the influence of sea water. Clay, loamy soil, sandy loam etc. are found here. Fertile loam soils are very suitable for cultivation. Reclamation of saline land for cultivation is a problem in the region. The water in the rivers of the Sundarbans region is not suitable for irrigation as the water is salty. Agriculture is usually done by catching rainwater through 'gher dams' on the land.
Animals are an invaluable resource for any country. Climate, weather, plants etc. in the natural environment of the country, the animal life of that country takes place. If this environment is destroyed, natural calamities like drought, floods, storms etc.
If disaster occurs in nature, the life of animals living in harmony with the natural environment is endangered. Already many animals of this forest have become extinct due to natural changes and disasters. We need to save the animals that exist today from extinction. Because all the animals of Sundarbans are our national wealth.
The writer is a Student of Department of Management, Joynal Hazari College, Feni
