Bangladesh Sundarbans: Present Status of the Environment and Biota

A significant decline in sediment-laden freshwater discharge through the Bangladesh Sundarbans Mangrove Forests (BSMF) since the Farakka Barrage's operation in 1975 has led to increased polyhaline conditions, threatening the growth and distribution of Heritiera fomes (sundri), a commercially important mangrove. This study reveals that the BSMF has lost approximately 66 km² of forestland, with a decrease in tree cover from 296 plants per hectare in 1959 to 144 by 1996 and a projected further decline to 109 plants per hectare by 2020. The research utilized Landsat satellite data and GIS analysis from 1970s to 2010, demonstrating that reduced freshwater discharge has altered the mangrove ecosystem, favoring less commercially valuable species like Bruguiera sexangula, Excoecaria agallocha, and Sonneratia apetala. The study suggests restoring pre-1975 sediment flow conditions through water sharing agreements and dredging to mitigate salinity and erosion, potentially funding such efforts through carbon trading, given the BSMF's substantial carbon reserve of 56 million metric tons.

Aziz, A., & Paul, A. (2015). Bangladesh Sundarbans: Present Status of the Environment and Biota. Diversity, 7(3), 242–269. https://doi.org/10.3390/d7030242