The Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world, and the beauty of this forest, its location, and its biodiversity attract tourists. This forest also plays an important role in the local economy. However, the environment and biodiversity of the Sundarbans, which is a Unesco heritage site, are now under threat. Climate change, pollution, unregulated felling of trees, lack of awareness, and the indifference of the authorities are affecting the biodiversity of the forest.
The area of this forest has remained at 6,017 sq-km for more than 76 years, according to a survey conducted in 1947. Another survey was conducted in 2002, but the area remained the same on paper. But parts of the forest have broken in the last 20 years.
In the meantime, a shoal island called Bangabandhu Char has emerged, and several areas, including Dim Char, have broken away from the mainland. Another shoal island named Trikon Char has emerged in the estuary of Dublar Char.
There were 400 species of birds in the forest at one time, but there is no survey of them. However, the number of tigers has increased in a survey conducted in 2018 from what it was in 2015. In another survey in 2023, the number of deer also increased.
But what is the size of the forest now? The people of the Sundarbans are wondering whether the area has increased or decreased.
In 2001, environmentalists raised a demand to declare February 14 as Sundarbans Day, and people in the coastal regions of the country have been celebrating the day since 2002. But officially, the day has not been declared.
Kazi Mohammad Nurul Kabir, divisional forest officer of the Sundarbans West Division, said that there is destruction in the forest and also addition. But there has yet to be a survey on whether the size of this forest has decreased or increased, the official added.
Another forest officer, Abu Naser Mohsin Hossain, said that the size of the Sundarbans has apparently increased, but it is difficult to say without a survey.
He said various steps are being taken by the forest department to protect the forest. Leaflets have been circulated, and awareness campaigns have been run among the fishermen. There are plans to encircle the forest boundaries with nylon nets to prevent wild animals, including tigers and deer, from entering the villages. Camera trapping is underway to count several wild animals, including tigers. The latest camera survey of 2018 found 114 tigers in the Sundarbans. Earlier, there were 106 tigers in the 2015 survey, the official added.
Another latest investigation is currently underway, and the results will be announced on International Tiger Day on July 29 this year, Mohsin Hossain said.
He said that the piloting of the construction of a nylon fence in an area of 20km stretching in the Dansagor and Kaikhali areas is currently going on, and 10% of the work has been done so far.
Around 31.1% of the total forest area, which is 1,874 sq-km, consists of riverbed, inlet, bill, and water. There are 120 species of fish in the rivers and canals of the forest, and 31 species of animals that are endangered in the world still live in the Sundarbans.
Among them, 12 species are mostly seen in this forest. Among the endangered animals are the Royal Bengal Tiger, fishing cat, Ganges and Irawaddy dolphins, estuarine crocodiles, and the critically endangered endemic river terrapin (Batagur baska). The intense light and noise from ships and launches at night is having a detrimental effect on the life cycle of animals and birds in the Sundarbans.
In 1977, the Sundarbans mangrove forest was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (Unesco). Of the 50 species of plants in the world, 35 are found in the Sundarbans. Due to a rise in the sea level, river erosion, illegal settlements, and uncontrolled tree felling, the forest has lost 28.75% of its Sundari trees.
In 2002, a study on oil pollution in the Sundarbans funded by the Asian Development Bank reported that oil pollution could cause massive damage to the forest.
What is promising is that keora plants grow in abundance in the forest, and mangrove trees grow naturally in the newly created pastures. As a result, the Trikon Char has become a Keora forest. Interestingly, this salt-tolerant tree bears abundant fruit. A major part of Sundarbans honey comes from keora flowers.
A delegation of Unesco visited several places in the Sundarbans on February 7 and 8, 2023. In December 2019, Unesco identified 10 threats to the forest, including a rise in the sea level, river erosion, illegal settlements, and uncontrolled tree felling.
Things to do for the fishermen
In order to obtain a pass (permit) for fishing in the Sundarbans, a Boat Licence Certificate (BLC) must be obtained by the boat owners. Each time, before taking a new permit and at the time of submission, the concerned boat must be presented at the station with the necessary documents and fee.
A separate permit must be obtained for harvesting crabs. Every time the boat, fish, or crabs are measured and checked, the forest staff should be assisted. Fishing must be done in the waters specified in the pass. Crabs should be caught using the prescribed nets. A copy of the BLC and national identity card should be carried while fishing inside the Sundarbans. It should be submitted at the station from which the pass was issued on or before the submission date mentioned in the permit. The permit must be submitted whenever the boat leaves the forest. Fishermen can only dry and store fish caught from the sea from October to March every year. Fishing and crab harvesting in the Sundarbans should be avoided during calamities.
Mihir Kumar Do, a forest conservator, said that several measures are being implemented to protect wildlife and forests under the three-year Sundarbans Tiger Conservation Project, subject to an expenditure of Tk36 crore. The project includes a tiger census, the construction of high mounds in various parts of the Sundarbans to provide safe shelter to forest animals during cyclones and floods, and the construction of nylon fences. The construction of a nylon fence has started in the current financial year. Once the fence is completed, wildlife will not be able to enter the localities, he added.
Mihir Kumar said that this fence would be constructed in a 60-kilometre radius along the Satkhira, Chandpai, and Sarankhola ranges of the Sundarbans.
Farooq Ahmed, director of Sundarban Academy, complained that laws that are 200 years old are being used to protect the forest.
In addition to the forest department, various government institutions, including water development, fisheries, police, the Rapid Action Battalion, and the Coast Guard, are entering the protected areas of the forest at their will, he alleged.
Alongside this, ecotourism continues to bypass the Sundarbans protection policy. The positive aspect is that the government is now very conscious of the protection of the Sundarbans. Earlier, there was no such action, but now the government is consistently taking on big projects in this regard.
“We wanted one day of the year to be celebrated as a national day across the country to reflect the status of the Sundarbans and increase people's involvement in the matter. But the government is indifferent about it. Even in the last 21 years, the government has not taken this issue into consideration. And the forest department has not advanced in this regard either. They feel that the authority may go beyond the forest department if the day comes,” he said.
“A lot of fish are being lost due to poisoning. Biodiversity is also under threat due to the same reason. The government has not yet adopted a zero-tolerance policy in this regard,” he feared.