Sundarban of Bangladesh

The Sundarbans is a mangrove delta area formed by the confluence of the Padma, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers in the Bay of Bengal. It covers the area from the Baleswar River in Khulna Division in Bangladesh to the Hooghly River in West Bengal State in India. It includes closed and open mangrove forests, agricultural land, tidal flats and arid areas crossed by numerous rivers and tidal channels. The Sundarbans are home to the largest mangrove area in the world.Four protected areas in the Sundarbans are UNESCO World Heritage Sites viz.Sundarbans West (Bangladesh), Sundarbans South (Bangladesh), Sundarbans East (Bangladesh) and Sundarbans National Park (India). Despite these protections, Indian Sundarbans were listed as Vulnerable in a 2020 assessment. under the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems.The Sundarbans mangroves cover an area of about 10,000 square kilometers (3,900 sq mi), of which the forests of Khulna Division in Bangladesh cover more than 6,017 square kilometers (2,323 sq mi) and West Bengal more than 4,260 sq km. (1,640 square miles) in South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas districts. The most common tree species are Sundri (Heritiera fomes) and Gewa (Excoecaria agallocha). The forests are home to ,453 wild animals, including 290 birds, 120 fish, 42 mammals, 35 species of reptiles and eight species of amphibians.Despite the total ban on the killing or capture of wildlife other than fish and some invertebrates, there seems to be a consistent pattern of biodiversity decline or species loss and the ecological quality of forests declining throughout the 20th century away . Despite conservation pledges from both governments, the Sundarbans are threatened by both natural and man-made causes. In 2007 Cyclone Sidr damaged around 40% of the Sundarbans. The forest also suffers from increased salinity caused by sea level rise due to climate change and reduced freshwater supplies. In May 2009, Cyclone Aila devastated the Sundarbans causing extensive damage.This cyclone affected at least 100,000 people.The Rampal coal-fired power plant project, located 14 km (8.7 miles) north of the Sundarbans at Rampal Upazila in the Bagerhat district of Khulna, Bangladesh, is expected to cause further damage to this unique mangrove forest, according to a 2016 UNESCO report It is expected to that change will continue to adversely affect both natural systems and human populations in the region, leading to further ecosystem degradation and climate migration. Experts studying the region recommend continuing to focus on mangrove forest restoration and management and helping human populations adapt through processes such as managed retreat and investment in resilient infrastructure.