coastal management - Sundarbans

Question 1

Sundarbans background

Answer 1

The Sundarbans archipelago on the Bay of Bengal where the deltas of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers reach the sea.
It became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.
has the largest mangrove forests of 1400km²

Question 2

challenges/ risks

physical factors

Answer 2

40% of the Sundarbans was damaged by Cyclone Sidr in 2007 and rising sea levels are increasing the salinity in the forests and swamps.
deforestation is removing important habitats, reducing biodiversity, threatening 260 species including Bengal Tiger, Kingfishers and Irawadi Dolphins

Question 3

challenges/ risks

human factors

Answer 3

destructive fishing techniques/overexploitation of fish has scoured the base of the delta, affecting the mud dykes holding the mangroves together
lack of awareness/education of the importance of the region

Question 4

climate change challenges

Answer 4

75% of the mangrove forest could be destryed by 2100 due to sea level rise.
Mangroves play and important roles in protecting the coastline against erosion as their long and stable roots can trap sediment at a much faster rate and lead to coastal accretion, protecting communities.

Question 5

oppurtunites

Answer 5

home to 4 million people where flat fertile lands create perfect conditions for crops of rice, sugar cane and fruits
forests provide wood and timber for houses, furniture and infrastructure
mangroves can provide resilence agaisnt povery with estimated economic value of $12,000 per ha
have sustained generations for years

Question 6

evaluation of adaptation

Answer 6

climate change is the biggest threat not coastal erosion

planting salt tolerent crops as the salinity of soil increases

Question 7

evaluating resilience

> ability to cope and recover from challenges the environment presents

Answer 7

MANGROVES:
●they also act as important carbon sequesters so are seen as the most sustainable way in the longterm
● they can easily be replanted and very low maitenence. also benifits the environment too
● mangroves provide a wealth of reources by sustaining the local ecosystem. in this way they provide economic reslience to the community

however reduction in open access resouces and conflict in land ownership negatively affects the resilience of some coastal communities

Question 8

evalutating mitigation

Answer 8

continuously under threat from cyclones however they have built cyclone shelters
and raised awareness by ngos on preparedness and planning for natural hazards/ mitigating
replanting mangroves to resist climatic shocks

Question 9

a conclusive statement

time scale/climate change

Answer 9

More and more areas are being affected by rising sea levels and extreme weather conditions, likely as a result of climate change. But by fortifying protective structures with modern engineering, the Sundarbans will be better suited for whatever challenges tomorrow brings

Question 10

what is the power of mangroves?

Answer 10

● mangroves can absorb up to 90% of energy from a tsunami for every 10 planted making area
TMT area resilient facing threats from climate change