The Sundarbans (literal meaning- Beautiful Forest) is the home of about several hundreds Royal Bengal Tigers, about a quarter of a million spotted deers, rhesus monkeys, salt-water crocodiles, a variety of mangrove flora and fauna and is one of the world's most unique regions. Part of Sundarbans is now in the UNESCO's World Heritage list. Located along the mouth of the Bay of Bengal, over 10,000 square kilometers of India and Bangladesh, the Sundarbans is the world's largest single tract mangrove ecosystem covering about 1 million ha.

I had opportunity to make few trips and to spend sometime inside this magnificent forest. Water transport is the only means to visit this forest, since a number of rivers (e.g. Balewashar, Pasur, Sibsha, Malancha, Raimangal, Harinbanga etc) and their channels flow through the forest. Sundarbans is featured by regular inundation by tidal water from the Bay of Bengal through these river systems. The presence of plants with special germination system (e.g. viviperous i.e. seeds germinate while still attached with the tree, drop on the soft ground and quickly develop root system and get established as a new plant as in characteristic species including Rhizophora spp., kankra- Bruguiera gymnorhiza, goran- Ceriops spp., and baen- Avicennia officinalis), and presence of pneumatophores (special breathing roots) for Sundri- Heritiera fomes and keora- Sonneratia apetala make this mangrove ecosystem unique. Being a forestry academic/researcher, I found Sundarbans as the most precious place on earth to study its fauna and flora (wildlife, plants, trees in this delicate and fragile ecosystem). For any person who visited this forest, the tranquility, harmony and peace, particularly at night, is not comparable to any place or environment. The attractions of the Sundarbans are beyond description, those people who have visited this forest can really appreciate it. I urge individuals and orgnaisations to come forward to raise the awareness to conserve this one of the most beautiful landscapes on this earth. It is our/ everyone's responsibility to protect the natural wilderness of the world for the sake of our future generation. Then we can truly make and move forward to a sustainable world.

Sundarbans Tiger Project

UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (Bangladesh part)

UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (West Bengal, Indian part)

Bangladesh Forest Department

Smartoffice page for Sundarbans

Tourist Information on Sundarbans

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