Ecosystem
 | | Administration | | | | | Environmental Constraints | | | Low
soil suitability | | | Erratic rainfall and cold stress
risk | | | Steep slopes and mountains | | | Severe and very severe land
degradation | | | Low
to medium climatic production potential | | | High climatic production
potential |
|
In the south western part of
Bangladesh, in the district of greater Khulna, lies the Sundarbans,
"the beautiful forest." It is a virgin forest which until recently
owed nothing to human endeavour and yet nature has laid it out with
as much care as a planned pleasure ground. For miles and miles, the
lofty treetops form an unbroken canopy, while nearer the ground,
works of high and ebb-tide marked on the soil and tree trunks and
the many varieties of the natural mangrove forest have much to
offer to an inquisitive visitor.
Here land and water meet in many novel fashions. Wild life presents
many a spectacle. No wonder, you may come across a Royal Bengal
Tiger swimming across the streams or the crocodiles basking on the
river banks. With the approach of the evening herds of deer make
for the darking gladeswhere boisterous monkeys shower Keora leaves
from above for sumptuous meal for the former. For the botanist, the
lover of nature, the poet and the painter this land provides a
variety of wonders for which they all crave. The Sundarbans is a cluster of islands with an
approximate area of 3600 sq. km. forming the largest block of
littoral forests. It's beauty lies in its unique natural
surrounding. Thousands of meandering streams, creeks, rivers and
estuaries have enhanced its charm. Sundarbans meaning beautiful
forest is the natural habitat of the world famous Royal Bengal
Tiger, spotted deer, crocodiles, jungle fowl, wild boar, lizards,
rhesus monkey and an innumerable variety of beautiful birds.
Migratory flock of siberian ducks flying over thousands of sail
boats loaded with timber, gopatta (round-leaf), fuel wood, honey,
shell and fish further add to the serene natural beauty of the
Sundarbans.
This is indeed a land for the sportsmen. the
anglers and the photographer with its abundance of game. big and
small, crocodile. wild b ar. deer, pythons. wild birds and above
all the Royal Bengal iger, cunning, ruthless and yet majestic and
graceful. For the less adventurou5ly inclined, there are ducks and
snipes. heron and coots. yellow-lags and sandpipers. It is also the
land for t e ordinary holiday makers who desire to rest or wander
aroun at will to refresh their mind and feast their eyes with the
rich t easure that nature has so fondly bestowed.
Major Attractive Spots
The Sundarbans is an abundant natural resource for a number of
leisure, travel and research activities. These include wild life
photography including photography of the famous Royal Bengal Tiger,
wild life viewing, boating inside the forest, wild call recordings,
nature study, meeting fishermen, wood- cutters and
honey-collectors. Peace and tranquility in the wilderness, seeing
the world's largest mangrove forest and the riverine beauty are a
few of the treasures that greet the visitors.
Below is a list of famous places to be kept in mind for the
wildlife spotter :
Hiron Point (Nilkamal) for tiger, deer, monkey, crocodiles, birds
and natural beauty.
Katka for deer, tiger, crocodiles, varieties of birds and monkey,
morning and evening symphony of wild fowls. Vast expanse of grassy
meadows running from Katka to Kachikhali (Tiger Point) provide
opporunities for wild tracking.
Tin Kona Island for tiger and deer.
DubJar Char (Island) for fishermen. It is a beautiful island where
herds of spotted deer are often seen to graze.
Life Inside The Forest
Only means of transportation inside the forest is by boat. There is
no road or no trail of a path anywhere! The wood-cutters make
temporary dwellings at the edge of the forest at a height of 8-10
feet for fear of wild animals, others live on boats. In the
Chandpai region it is fascinating to see the nomadic fishermen
(living with families on boats) catching fish with the help of
trained otter. Exciting activities take place in Dublar Char in the
forest when fishermen from Chittagong gather for four months (mid
Oct. to mid Feb. ) to catch and dry fish. But the most daring and
exciting fall activities is presented by the honey-collectors who
work in groups for just two months (April-May) and it is
interesting to see how they locate a hive and then collect
honey.
Flora and Fauna
The Sundarbans is endowed by nature with rich flora and fauna. It
is a wonderful place to see or to shoot a Royal Bengal Tiger with
Camera if one has the time to wait in the forest. There are a good
number of tigers in the Sundarbans. Lovely spotted deer are easy to
find. Besides there is a wide variety of wild life for which the
Sundarbans is so famous.
Forest Area, Boundaries and Climate
The Sundarbans cover an area of nearly 240 sq. miles or 3600 sq.
km. and is bounded in the north by Bagerhat, Khulna and Satkhira
districts, in the south by the Bay of Bengal, in the east by
Baleswar (or Haringhata) river, Perojpur, Barisal district, and in
the west by Raimangal and Hariabhanga rivers which partially form
Bangladesh boundary with West Bengal in India.
The climate in the
Sundarbans is moderate. Air is humid. Full monsoon is rom June to
September. The annual rainfall average between 65 and 70 inches.
During ebb-tide the forest becomes bare by 6-7 feet and at high
tide (30 miles an hour) the entire territory of the forest floats
on water.
Brief description:
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.
