It has a proverb that a friend in need is a friend indeed. As like the largest mangrove forest across the world, the Sundarbans our proud and strong ecosystem, proved itself again as a big shield as like the previous flood and cyclones that it protects thousands of lives and various animals during the presently hit super cyclone ‘Amphan’ and last year November hit ‘Bulbul”.
It has ascertained that huge damage has been made on assets but few casualties on life has sustained as it absorbed the worst of Amphan and the forest acts as a big shield to defence the super cyclone Amphan. It is a gift of the nature of Bangladesh as it acts like a wall whenever a severe cyclone hits the country.
The Bay of Bengal born super cyclonic storm ‘Amphan started becoming weaker when the vertex of the storm crossed the Sundarbans and West Bengal. Though the cyclonic storm advanced with a speed of 185 kph but it hit the Sundrabans with a speed of 115-120 kph. That ravaging cyclone had converted into a land depression on the mainland. Practically the ravaging ‘Amphan’ became weaker after it was resisted and fenced by the Sundrabans. The densely forest full of various trees and bushes that saved us from the destructive ‘Amphan’ like a good friend. This mega forest stands as a best shield during this volatile stormy situation and thousands of its trees protect the assets and lives as a big bulwark.
In the devastating ‘Sidor’ of November 15 of 2007 and in the ravaging ‘Aila’ of May 25 of 2009 the storms were also resisted by this Sundarbans which later on became weaker. Similarly the Sundrbans played the role of a bulwark against the ferocity of the ‘bulbul’ hit in November 9, 2019 thus Bangladesh was saved incurring minimum losses of life and properties.
The cyclone Amphan entered Bangladesh and West Bengal through the Sundarbans and then hit mostly in Satkhira and South parts of West Bengal districts. The forest reduced its wind speed and weakened it. That’s why Bangladesh didn’t face much casualties. It would have been worse if the cyclone came in without the resistance. The storm, however, has claimed a few lives in coastal districts as it uprooted trees, caused the collapse of houses and prevented people from taking the ailing ones to hospitals from cyclone shelters.
It is to be mentioned here that the mangrove forest Sundarbans covers an area of about 10,000 skm, of which forests in Bangladesh’s Khulna Division extend over 6,017 skm and in West Bengal, they extend over 4,260 skm across the South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas districts. The most abundant tree species are Sundri and Gewa. The forests provide habitat to 453 faunal wildlife, including 290 bird, 120 fish, 42 mammal, 35 reptile and eight amphibian species.
Despite a total ban on all killing or capture of wildlife other than fish and some invertebrates, it appears that there is a consistent pattern of depleted biodiversity or loss of species in the 20th century, and that the ecological quality of the forest is declining which is very alarming. Despite preservation commitments from both Governments, the Sundarbans are under threat from both natural and human-made causes. In 2007, the landfall of Cyclone Sidr damaged around 40% of the Sundarbans. The forest is also suffering from increased salinity due to rising sea levels and reduced freshwater supply. Again in May 2009 Cyclone Aila devastated Sundarban with massive casualties. At least 100,000 people were affected by this cyclone. The proposed coal-fired Rampal power station situated 14 km north of the Sundarbans at Rampal Upazila of Bagerhat District in Khulna, Bangladesh, is anticipated to further damage this unique mangrove forest according to a 2016 report by UNESCO.
But the ecosystem of Sundarbans has become very vulnerable to the pollution and may be changed the ecosystem’s biodiversity. The biggest threat of Sundarbans is the global warming due to climate change that will rise the sea level of the Bay of Bengal. For our own safety, it is necessary to save the Sundarbans and also to keep the balance of biodiversity. No industrial project can be established within 10 squire kilometers of Sundarbans as per government environmental laws, but the most controversial coal based Rampal power plant is going to be set up near Sundarbans ignoring the concern of civil society, environmental activist and UNESCO.
The poachers are desperately killing tigers, deer, snake, birds, illegal poaching of wildlife for their greedy business. The dishonest forest reservers are cutting the forest wood trees without proper replacement of plantation that is risky to be a desert of the forest. Many oil tanker is also running within Sundarbans rivers which is very harmfull for extinct fish spicies and mangrove forest.
A 2007 report by UNESCO has stated that an anthropogenic 45 cm rise in sea level (likely by the end of the 21st century, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), combined with other forms of anthropogenic stress on the Sundarbans, could lead to the destruction of 75 percent of the Sundarbans mangroves. Already, Lohachara Island and New Moore Island/South Talpatti Island have disappeared under the sea, and Ghoramara Island is half submerged.
Researches from the School of Oceanographic Studies, Jadavpur University, estimated the annual rise in sea level to be 8 millimetres in 2010. It had doubled from 3.14 mm recorded in 2000. The rising sea levels had also submerged around 7,500 hectares of forest areas. This, coupled with an around 1.5 °C rise in surface water temperatures and increased levels of salinity have posed a problem for the survival of the indigenous flora and fauna. The Sundari trees are exceptionally sensitive to salinity and are being threatened with extinction.
Loss of the mangrove forest will result in the loss of the protective biological shield against cyclones and tsunamis. This may put the surrounding coastal communities at high risk. Moreover, the submergence of land mass have rendered up to 6,000 families homeless and around 70,000 people are immediately threatened with the same. This is causing the flight of human capital to the mainland, about 13% in the decade of 2000-2010.
A 2015 ethnographic study, conducted by a team of researchers from Heiderberg university in Germany, found a crisis brewing in the Sundarbans. The study contended that poor planning on the part of the India and Bangladesh governments coupled with natural ecological changes were forcing the flight of human capital from the region.
Transparency International of Bangladesh (TIB), the Anti-Corruption human rights watchdog, demanded earlier that maximum measures be taken immediately to protect the world’s largest mangrove forest in the country’s own interests. It also called for stopping work on the coal-fired Rampal Power Plant and industries around the Sundarbans that poses a great risk to it. The contributions of the Sundarbans towards protecting this region from most of the storms and tidal surges as a shield are undeniable. This forest has been protecting the lives and resources of Bangladesh, one of the world’s most disaster-prone regions, for years being an impenetrable protection belt.
The Sundarbans not only acts as a bulwark from natural disasters, but also protects the biodiversity and geological features of the region and the livelihood of people. That’s why Bangladesh has to take highest measures to protect the forest. Sundarbans as a big shield during natural calamity, only government sincere efforts can save the world heritage mangrove forest Sundarbans. It has played a very important role in diverting the directions of the powerful cyclonic storm ‘bulbul’ and presently hit ‘Amphan’. We should play a positive role in conserving the Sundarbans keeping in mind the theme “If the Sundarbans saved, then it will be saved us!”
(Md. Zillur Rahaman is a Banker and Freelance Contributor, can be reached at [email protected])
