Trivia Quiz # 185

Quote:

The Sundarbans mangrove forest, one of the largest such forests in the world (140,000 ha), lies on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers on the Bay of Bengal. It is adjacent to the border of India’s Sundarbans World Heritage site inscribed in 1987. The site is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests, and presents an excellent example of ongoing ecological processes. The area is known for its wide range of fauna, including 260 bird species, the Bengal tiger and other threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile and the Indian python.
Bangladesh was struck by a powerful cyclone on November 15 which left more than 3,000 people dead and millions without shelter. While a major international relief effort is currently underway to respond Cyclone Sidr's devastating impact on life and property, UNESCO's World Heritage Centre also sent a team to the Sundarbans World Heritage site, which was badly hit by the disaster.

Home to one of the largest populations of the endangered Bengal tiger, the Sundarbans, is a rich mangrove ecosystem which provides a breeding ground for fish, shrimps and crabs which, upon migrating out of the World Heritage site, provide a sustainable livelihood for hundreds of thousands of people in the vicinity.

The cyclone struck at the heart of the East Sundarbans component of the World Heritage site. During their November 30 site visit, the WHC team noted that 40 percent of the site has been seriously affected. In the biologically richest portion of the Sundarbans, which accounts for about 30 percent of total surface area, most foliage has been stripped from branches, and most of larger trees have been blown down or have suffered major crown damage. In the absence of detailed surveys of birds, tigers, deer and aquatic life, the team presumes that a measurable setback has occurred to fauna. If left to recuperate, the Sundarbans, along with its World Heritage component, will likely return to near pre-cyclone conditions within 10 to 15 years.

On the other hand, the Forest Department has lost all of its operational capacity after all of its field stations, boats, jetties and equipment was completely destroyed in the affected region. It is unlikely, on its own, to re-establish its management capacity for many years to come given the other priorities to which national financial resources are allocated. The involvement of the international community will be required to ensure that the Forest Department quickly regains its capacity to manage the Sundarbans and avoid irreversible damage from the risk of uncontrolled exploitation of resources.