Case Study- The Sundabarns

Question 1

What is the population of Bangladesh?

Answer 1

164.4 million

Question 2

What is Bangladesh’s largest city

Answer 2

Dhaka

Question 3

Where are the Sundabarns?

Answer 3

The Sundarbans are situated on the delta created by the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers in the Bay of Bengal.

Question 4

What is the Sundabarns made from?

Answer 4

It consists of a network of mudflats and islands created by accumulated sediment loads that these rivers carry from their Himalayan headwaters separated by tidal waterways.

Question 5

What are Mangroves?

Answer 5

Mangroves are shrubs or small trees that grow
in coastal saline or brackish water, in the
tropics and subtropics

Question 6

Ecological significance of the Sundabarns

Answer 6

Amongst the largest mangrove areas in the world
• Globally, 4.3% of mangroves are in the Sundarbans
• Rich biodiversity; flora, fauna, terrestrial and aquatic
• Only coastal tiger habitat with a large population of tigers
• World Heritage Site
• Biosphere Reserve

Question 7

What are some challenges and risks of living in the sundarbarns

Answer 7

• tidal action

- instability of islands

Question 8

Why is climate change a challenge in the sundabarns?

Answer 8

• • The area also experiences tectonic subsidence exacerbating sea level rise.
  • Being low lying makes the area more prone to flooding, storm waves from typhoons, sea level rise and problems with salinity in the soils.
  • Climate change is also changing rainfall and evaporation rates, higher temperatures are adding to the problems of salinization due to increased rates of evaporation.

Question 9

Human challenges in the sundabarns?

Answer 9

• 42% population is under the poverty line
• destructive fishing practices
• tigers
• high salinity in soils

Question 10

opportunities offered by the sundabarns

Answer 10

• Mangrove trees: timber used for construction. No natural building stone.
• Palms: used for thatching , construction of small huts as roof rafters, cheap fencing and mat making
  Opportunities:Goods and services from the Sundarbans. This is an extremely productive and valuable ecosystem if managed sustainably.
  Goods
  Fuel wood and charcoal
  Construction materials
  Fishing materials, poles, floats
  Household items, furniture, glue
  Food and drink, honey, oil, fish, crustaceans, leaves, fruits
  Textiles
  Other products; medicines, fodder

Question 11

The potential for possible sustainable development in the future for the people of the Sundarbans

Answer 11

Integrated Coastal Zone Management plan introduced in 2005
- Integrated millennium sustainable development goals
- PIP Priority Investment Program

Bottom up development
2015 West Bengal rural women constructed roads. last 4 years, they have joined hands to build more than 10km of brick roads,
connecting several previously inaccessible villages,
Have withstood the ravages of floods and disastrous cyclones
that are frequent.

Food security to reduce poverty
Oxfam GB along with five other INGOs project in Khulna and Shatkhira.
Aims to increase the access to meet food security and opportunities to rebuild their livelihoods through cash for work, cash for training and conditional cash grants. “

Dhaka Ahsania Mission (NGO)
Climate change mitigation - small scale example
500 targeted households increased through need-based training on income generating activities
Essential health support system established at the community
level with the help 4 community-based health workers called
“Shasthya Shebikas”
130 households are provided with sanitary latrines for safe
disposal of human excreta.
18 deep tube wells installed to supply safe water for drinking
5 Pond-Sand Filter water supply systems through re-excavation of ponds.