Sundarbans

Question 1

Location

Answer 1

Bay of Bengal - Bangladesh

Over 10000km2 of southern Bangladesh and India on the Bay of Bengal

Formed from sediment deposits by Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers

Question 2

Primary coastal process

Answer 2

Tidal action shapes the distinctive coastal landscape

Question 3

Coastal processes

Answer 3

Traditionally - location of main channels remained static due to silts and clays being quite resistant to erosion

Question 4

Tidal action

Answer 4

Larger channels generally straight north to south due to strong tidal currents

Khals drains the land with each powerful ebb tide

Non-cohesive sediments are washed out of the delta and deposited on banks —> strong SW winds blow them into large ranges of sand dunes

Question 5

Island formation and succession?

Answer 5

With protection of dunes, finer silt sediment are deposited —> wave action shapes them into new islands

Vegetation establishes itself and succession can proceed –> mangrove forest

Question 6

Importance of mangroves

Answer 6

Extremely important ecosystem for the local populations, providing many economic and environmental opportunities

Provide shelter from cyclones - 30 trees in 0.01 ha can reduce the impact of a tsunami by up to 90%

One ha of mangrove forest has an annual comic value of $12000

Valuable resources

Absorb more CO2 than other forests

Question 7

Natural Challenges

Answer 7

Coastal flooding
Cyclones
High levels of salinity in soils instability of islands
Accessibility and remoteness
Human-eating tigers

Question 8

Human-induced challenges

Answer 8

• Over-exploitation of resources from vulnerable habitats
• Conversion of wetlands to intensive agriculture and -settlements
• Destructive fishing techniques
• Lack of awareness - environmental and economical importance of the region & coastal issues by decision makers
• Resource-use conflicts

Question 9

Resilience

Answer 9

Wealth of goods and services have allowed local populations to remain resilient to the challenges of this low-lying coastal landscape

Mangroves - Environmental protection and resilience as well as economic resilience from materials and resources - $12000 annually per 1 ha

Question 10

Mitigation

Answer 10

Significant investment in physical infrastructure to mitigate risks faced by natural disaster

Many communities have good social capital from the legal frameworks and services from a number of formal government and NGO organisations.

Some Sundarban communities have a greater economic safety net than other vulnerable groups in Bangladesh

Question 11

Livelihood assets

Answer 11

FINANCIAL - savings, credit, food/cash assistance
HUMAN - people, health, education, training
SOCIAL - NGO/co-operative groups, local networks
NATURAL - land, water, common property resources
PHYSICAL - houses, tube wells, latrines, electricity, livestock, tools and utilities

Question 12

Livelihood assets decreasing???

Answer 12

Poverty and marginalisation increasing…

• Shrinking of open access resources
• Degradation of ecosystems
• Corruption of both local and national political institutions
• Conflict over land ownership
• Increasing deaths by tigers –> widows in male-dominated society