Explainer: How the Sunderbans is losing its mangrove forest

July 02, 2017 07:20 pm | Updated May 28, 2018 03:49 pm IST

The mangrove forest cover in the Indian Sunderbans has been depleting alarmingly over the past few decades. The fragile ecosystem of the Indian Sunderbans that, other than being home to the Royal Bengal Tiger, also harbours a population of 4.5 million people. A study by the School of Oceanographic Studies, Jadavpur University, reveals that from 1986 to 2012, 124.418 sq. km. mangrove forest cover has been lost. This process in response to climate change and sea level rise poses a serious threat to the mangrove forest in future. The paper also notes that the mean sea level rise shows a rise by 2.6-4 mm a year. It can be considered a driving factor for coastal erosion, coastal flooding, and an increase in the number of tidal creeks. The Sunderbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Video Credits: Videvo Impressions of India Ep 10 | A glimpse of life in the Mangroves

 Shivakumar L Narayan

Licensed under creative commons Attribution licence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsidkDCriJEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMu6fe0QxqU

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