sundarbans Flashcards
what are the sundarbans
the sundarbans is the largest area of mangrove forest found on earth
where are the sundarbans located
located in the south-west of Bangladesh adjoining the border of india. 66% of the forest is found in india and the other 34% in bangladesh
how much area do the sundarbans cover
over 10,000km2
why is the sundarbans environmentally important
it has incredibly high ecological value, with over 400 plant species, 300 bird species, 400 species of fish and 42 species of mammals.
why is the sundarbans economically important
the mangrove area provides many agri and aqui culture jobs and the
how many people live in the sundarbans
over 4.5 million
what 3 rivers flow through the sundarbans
the ganges, brahmaputura and the meghna
coastal processes in the sundarbans
sediment is brought in from the 3 rivers, non cohesive sand sized material forms chars (banks) at the side of the rivers. fine material is deposited in low energy areas to form islands, these islands will be colonised into mangrove forest.
why are mangrove trees important for communitys in the sundarbans
mangrove trees are very good at dissipating wave energy, so areas surrounded by these trees will be at a significantly lower risk to erosion
what goods do the sundarbans provide
timber
charcoal
oil
medicines
paper
fur and skins
what services are provided by the sundarbans
fishing grounds
breeding grounds
biodiversity
fertile land
heritage
what oppurtunities are provided
-jobs such as: prawn farmers, forest workers and land owners
what is the biggest threat to the sundarbans
sea level rise poses the greatest threat, in 1924 the area was 11,620km2 and now it is just over 10,000km2. increased sea levels have led to flooding of land. this has consequently led to increased salinization of drinking water within these areas and also drowned crops.
why are humans at threat by living here
-climate change has led to more frequent storms occuring over the area
-tigers have been known to kill 232 people between 2001 and 2014
why is deforestation a problem here
8.2% of the forest has been lost to deforestation, as the world population rapidly increases there is ever growning need for land, the mangrove trees act as soft engineering sea defences which is very cost effective and great at reducing erosion, without these trees land will be left exposed and vunerable
natural challenges in the sundarbans
-low lying area at risk to flooding, many areas are only above water for 3 months a year
-monsoons are incrdibly common, heavy relentless precipitation hits these areas for months on end.
-cyclones are common
what is the vunerability to climate change
climate change has meant an increase in global temps. this has led to melting of ice caps and thermal expansion of water. it has also resulted in many areas reaching optimum sea level temps of 27 degrees whuch leaves this area at risk to more frequent cyclones. sagar island is an island in the bay of bengal which experiences an annual sea level rise of 12mm.
why is high water salinity a major problem
-non-halophytic plants will struggle to survive here, making it hard for agricultural farmers to make a living
-there is a higher infant mortality rate due to pregnant women consuming salinated water
what % of gdp does agriculture contribute to
13%
what does ICZM stand for
integrated coastal zone management
when was the ICZM introduced to this area
2005
why was the ICZM introduced to the sundarbans
to allow people of bangladesh sustainable economic development which would eventually lead to a reduction in poverty
how have people mitigated to change in the sundarbans
-5000km of embankments have been constructed to protect farmland
-afforestation of mangrove forest
how have people adapted to change in the sundarbans
-people have built houses on stilts to provide further protection to flooding
-storm shelters provided for 27% of the population
-30,000 people have had training from USAID on increasing farm productivity and using salt tolerant species of rice to allow production even despite coastal flooding
-development of floating farms
-water storage tanks to ensure there is enough clean water during times of flooding
-shrimp farming
why is shrimp farming a problem
in order to conduct shrimp farming, an area must be cleared, this means mangrove trees must be cut down and puts areas at risk.
why are floating farms not efficient
they are expensive
what is an example of a floating farm
the 3km2 farm in baniripara
what is an example of a floating farm
the 3km2 farm in baniripara
why is migration of people out of the sundarbans beneficial to the ecosystem
humans intefere with natural processes, so as more people migrate out of the forest nature can go back to its natural ways
what is the ipcc
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
what do the ipcc predict sea levels are meant to rise by in 2100
0.8m
what % of bangladesh land will be submerge by 2050
17%
where was the school which washed away
sagar island
what is a climate change refugee
people who are displaced by disasters caused by climate change
why is migration out of the sundarbans bad
300-400,000 people migrate arrive in Dhaka each year, which puts alot of pressure on the Bangladesh government
