Sundarbans Flashcards
How has sea level change/climate change impacted the Sundarbans?
- high levels of salination in the delta, unusable for farming
- greater flooding and increasing intensity of risks are damaging wildlife and mangroves
What is one way the government is helping the forest dependent people in the Sundarbans?
- issuing grants and encouraging other sources of income such as farming or shop-keeping or eco-tourism
Why is the Sundarbans important for people’s livelihoods?
- fishing provides income
- wood/natural materials used for housing
- collection of food
- medicines
How is the Sundarbans being protected?
- complete moratorium on timber, non-timer can only be removed with a permit from the ‘buffer-zone’
- limited use of resources from June-August (most breeding seasons)
Why does the Sundarbans need to be protected in order to manage flood and erosion risk?
- mangroves reduce wave and storm energy before it comes into contact with urban areas
- they also reduce the rate of erosion. They trap sediment, allowing lands to form, becoming more resistant to SLC
In what ways is the Sundarbans management an integrated sustainable approach?
Sundarban delta Vision 2050 - considers all stakeholders at all levels to create an effective and acheivable management plan
What are two economic opportunities in the Sundarbans?
- food such as fish
- resources such as wood
What is a natural threat to the Sundarbans
- cyclones and flooding
- high salinity
What is a human threat to the Sundarbans?
- over-exploitation of resources
- lack of awareness
How have Bangladesh adapted to the threats facing the Sundarbans?
- salt tolerant crops (rice)
- cyclone shelters and training
What delta makes up the Sundarbans region?
Ganges, Padma and Brahmaputra and Meghna
What is the economic value of 1ha of mangrove forest?
$12,000
How long can salt-tolerant crops survive under water?
2 weeks
How long till the Sundarbans is underwater?
15-25 years
How many Bangladeshis live in the Sundarbans region?
2.3 million
How many people live in the Sundarbans (across India and Bangladesh)?
6.8 million
What is an MoU?
a nonbinding agreement that states each party’s intentions to take action
What MoU was signed in the Sundarbans?
- signed in September 2011
- conservation of the Sundarbans
- management of climate-related challenges
What is Sundarban Delta Vision 2050?
- backed by integrated management strategies
- focus on conserving present ecosystem
AO2: implementation is difficult,
other agreements/plans may be needed
Give an example of a tour operator promoting eco-toursim in the Sundarbans?
Bengal Tours Ltd
Guide Tours Ltd
What is the total area of the Sundarbans mangrove forest?
10,200 km2
How many species of plants are in the Sundarbans?
334
How many tons of fish were harvested from the Sundarbans in the fiscal year 2011-2012?
How many tourists visited in the same period?
4,800
183,600
How much illegally harvested timber were ceased by the Forest Department in the fiscal year 2011-2012?
27,600 cubic feet
What is causing high salinity in the Sundarbans?
- eustatic sea level change
- water abstraction from the Ganges river, which reduces freshwater flow into the delta
How long have embankments been built for?
since 1960s
What does the BI-SRCI suggest?
- management of the Sundarbans looks at it as one ecosystem (‘Joint Landscape Narrative’)
- ecotourism and sustainable communities
What percentage of people in the Sundarbans are exposed to disaster events?
92%
What percentage of losses in the Sundarbans are caused by cyclones?
45%
Why are mangroves good carbon sinks?
- can take in up to 10x more than forests
- store in soil and sediments for a long period of time
How much have sea levels risen in the Sundarbans?
3cm a year over the last 20 years
from 1975 to 2020, how much has mangrove density reduced by each year?
1.3% each year
How much are post-monsoon cyclones expected to increase by, between 2041-2060?
50% increase
How many km of embankments did Cyclone Aila destroy in 2009?
778km,
cost USD 670 million to rebuild
later destroyed by cyclone Amphan
What % of global C emissions does Bangladesh account for?
less than 0.5%
What opportunities for sustainable development in the Sundarbans are there?
- eco-tourism
- education
- biodiversity conservation
- bilateral cooperation
