Sundarbans

Question 1

What are the sundarbans?

Answer 1

Largest mangrove forest in the world

Located in Bangladesh and India

Home to 4 million people

UNESCO world heritage site

Question 2

What river basins are in the sundarbans

Answer 2

Ganges, Padma, Meghna, Brahmaputra

Question 3

what is the environmental importance of the sundarbans?

Answer 3

Biodiversity - home to 260 bird species, Bengal tiger and other endangered species

Carbon sequestration - Mangrove forest sequester lots of carbon which helps mitigate climate change

Coastal protection - absorbs 40% of tropical storm energy

Question 4

What are the threats to the sundarbans?

Answer 4

Climate change - rising sea levels and increased salinity affect health of mangroves and species that rely on them

Deforestation - Illegal logging and increased human activity leads to habitat loss - release of stored CO2

Pollution - pollution and waste damaging ecosystem

Question 5

How is the sundarbans being preserved?

Answer 5

Protected areas - Indian and Bangladeshi governments have designated protected areas of the sundarbans

Community involvement - local communities patrolling against illegal logging

Research and modeling - understanding impacts of climate change and human activity

Question 6

What does the government do to help the sundarbans and people

Answer 6

Government supports people living in the sundarbans by investing in local infrastructure

Cash and grants provides so people can generate income - ecotourism, farming

Patrol sundarbans to ensure people follow the rules

Question 7

How successful have protecting the sundarbans been?

Answer 7

Tiger population increased from 106 - 114 in 3 years

Dolphin population increased 55%

Carbon content has increased from 106 million tonnes to 139 million tonnes in 10 years