sundarbans Flashcards
where are the sundarbans located?
off the bay of bengal in the south west of Bangladesh
what is it and what is it formed by
delta, formed by confluence of BRAHmaputra, padma and meghna
what area does the mangrove forest cover?
10,000 km2
what does the mangrove’s roots help to stabalise?
shorelines facing erosion pressure
what do the mangroves act as?
obstacles to waves and wind, they can decrease intensity of storms
give one stat for mangroves and tsunamis
30 trees, per 0.01 hectare w/ width of 100m can reduce a tsunami by 90%
what are 2 threats to the sundarbans
cyclones sweep in from bay of bengal
melting ice from himalayas causes floods in bangladesh
what are the limitations of the flat and fertile land
salinisation
flooding
what opportunities do the bengal tigers provide?
eco-tourism
what do the forests provide?
timber for construction, honey, oils
what are the negative impacts of shrimp farming
-pollutes water
-introduce invasive species
-can contaminate soil for rice paddies
-dominated by large companies, not helping local food supply
what percentage of the sundarbans have access to electricity
20%
why is it more likely that mangroves will be removed in the future?
increase in pop, greater demand for resources
what is there a lack of in the sundarbans? (££££)
income and employment
because of agriculture, how much has the forest decreased in size since 1764
1/3 of the size it was in 1764
