sundarbans

Question 1

what are the sundarbans

Answer 1

the sundarbans is the largest area of mangrove forest found on earth

Question 2

where are the sundarbans located

Answer 2

located in the south-west of Bangladesh adjoining the border of india. 66% of the forest is found in india and the other 34% in bangladesh

Question 3

how much area do the sundarbans cover

Answer 3

over 10,000km2

Question 4

why is the sundarbans environmentally important

Answer 4

it has incredibly high ecological value, with over 400 plant species, 300 bird species, 400 species of fish and 42 species of mammals.

Question 5

why is the sundarbans economically important

Answer 5

the mangrove area provides many agri and aqui culture jobs and the

Question 6

how many people live in the sundarbans

Answer 6

over 4.5 million

Question 7

what 3 rivers flow through the sundarbans

Answer 7

the ganges, brahmaputura and the meghna

Question 8

coastal processes in the sundarbans

Answer 8

sediment is brought in from the 3 rivers, non cohesive sand sized material forms chars (banks) at the side of the rivers. fine material is deposited in low energy areas to form islands, these islands will be colonised into mangrove forest.

Question 9

why are mangrove trees important for communitys in the sundarbans

Answer 9

mangrove trees are very good at dissipating wave energy, so areas surrounded by these trees will be at a significantly lower risk to erosion

Question 10

what goods do the sundarbans provide

Answer 10

timber
charcoal
oil
medicines
paper
fur and skins

Question 11

what services are provided by the sundarbans

Answer 11

fishing grounds
breeding grounds
biodiversity
fertile land
heritage

Question 12

what oppurtunities are provided

Answer 12

-jobs such as: prawn farmers, forest workers and land owners

Question 13

what is the biggest threat to the sundarbans

Answer 13

sea level rise poses the greatest threat, in 1924 the area was 11,620km2 and now it is just over 10,000km2. increased sea levels have led to flooding of land. this has consequently led to increased salinization of drinking water within these areas and also drowned crops.

Question 14

why are humans at threat by living here

Answer 14

-climate change has led to more frequent storms occuring over the area
-tigers have been known to kill 232 people between 2001 and 2014

Question 15

why is deforestation a problem here

Answer 15

8.2% of the forest has been lost to deforestation, as the world population rapidly increases there is ever growning need for land, the mangrove trees act as soft engineering sea defences which is very cost effective and great at reducing erosion, without these trees land will be left exposed and vunerable

Question 16

natural challenges in the sundarbans

Answer 16

-low lying area at risk to flooding, many areas are only above water for 3 months a year
-monsoons are incrdibly common, heavy relentless precipitation hits these areas for months on end.
-cyclones are common

Question 17

what is the vunerability to climate change

Answer 17

climate change has meant an increase in global temps. this has led to melting of ice caps and thermal expansion of water. it has also resulted in many areas reaching optimum sea level temps of 27 degrees whuch leaves this area at risk to more frequent cyclones. sagar island is an island in the bay of bengal which experiences an annual sea level rise of 12mm.

Question 18

why is high water salinity a major problem

Answer 18

-non-halophytic plants will struggle to survive here, making it hard for agricultural farmers to make a living
-there is a higher infant mortality rate due to pregnant women consuming salinated water

Question 19

what % of gdp does agriculture contribute to

Answer 19

13%

Question 20

what does ICZM stand for

Answer 20

integrated coastal zone management

Question 21

when was the ICZM introduced to this area

Answer 21

2005

Question 22

why was the ICZM introduced to the sundarbans

Answer 22

to allow people of bangladesh sustainable economic development which would eventually lead to a reduction in poverty

Question 23

how have people mitigated to change in the sundarbans

Answer 23

-5000km of embankments have been constructed to protect farmland
-afforestation of mangrove forest

Question 24

how have people adapted to change in the sundarbans

Answer 24

-people have built houses on stilts to provide further protection to flooding
-storm shelters provided for 27% of the population
-30,000 people have had training from USAID on increasing farm productivity and using salt tolerant species of rice to allow production even despite coastal flooding
-development of floating farms
-water storage tanks to ensure there is enough clean water during times of flooding
-shrimp farming

Question 25

why is shrimp farming a problem

Answer 25

in order to conduct shrimp farming, an area must be cleared, this means mangrove trees must be cut down and puts areas at risk.

Question 26

why are floating farms not efficient

Answer 26

they are expensive

Question 27

what is an example of a floating farm

Answer 27

the 3km2 farm in baniripara

Question 28

what is an example of a floating farm

Answer 28

the 3km2 farm in baniripara

Question 29

why is migration of people out of the sundarbans beneficial to the ecosystem

Answer 29

humans intefere with natural processes, so as more people migrate out of the forest nature can go back to its natural ways

Question 30

what is the ipcc

Answer 30

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Question 31

what do the ipcc predict sea levels are meant to rise by in 2100

Answer 31

0.8m

Question 32

what % of bangladesh land will be submerge by 2050

Answer 32

17%

Question 33

where was the school which washed away

Answer 33

sagar island

Question 34

what is a climate change refugee

Answer 34

people who are displaced by disasters caused by climate change

Question 35

why is migration out of the sundarbans bad

Answer 35

300-400,000 people migrate arrive in Dhaka each year, which puts alot of pressure on the Bangladesh government