<p>The world is making progress towards ending the loss of mangrove forests, according to this new report by the FAO. Found on the coastlines of 123 countries worldwide, over 20 percent of mangroves are estimated to have been lost globally over the past 40 years, mainly due to both human activities and natural retraction.</p>
Time to check salinity intrusion in the Sundarbans Mohammad Asrafur Rahman Sundarban Mangrove forest of Bangladesh covers an area of about 6017 sq. km which is 62 percent of its total area whereas other 38 percent is situated in the West Bengal province of India. The average elevation from the mean sea level varies between 0.9 and 2.1 m. The rise in sea level and availability of less fresh water particularly during winter will cause inland intrusion of saline water.
Time to check salinity intrusion in the Sundarbans Mohammad Asrafur Rahman Sundarban Mangrove forest of Bangladesh covers an area of about 6017 sq. km which is 62 percent of its total area whereas other 38 percent is situated in the West Bengal province of India. The average elevation from the mean sea level varies between 0.9 and 2.1 m. The rise in sea level and availability of less fresh water particularly during winter will cause inland intrusion of saline water.
Honey collection in Sundarban begins Tapos Kanti Das . Khulna Honey collection in Sundarban began on April 1 and the Sundarban forest division has started distribution permits for honey collection. The department, however, imposed a ban on honey collection from the east division of the forest. Honey collection in Sundarban usually begins on every April 1 and ends on June 15, forest officials said.
Inauguration of Sunderban Wetlands in Kolkata Bookfair 2008 is a prelude to the predicament of the mangrove treasure trove, threatened by the phenomena of global warming. Mr Kiranmoy Nanda, fishery minister of West Bengal, Mr Tushar Kanjilal and other dignitaries attended the inaugural ceremony. The price tag for Sunderban Wetlands is Rs 500 and is available at the Benfish store in the fair. Written by Dr Madhumita Mukherjee, joint secretary of the fisheries department, government of West Bengal, the book highlights the recent changes in the biodiversity of Sunderbans and its impact on the people living there. Dr Mukherjee said that the ecological changes in the region have affected the lives of the animals and human beings. She also said that efforts are being made to ensure that people of Sunderbans can take benefit of alternative livelihood based on the results of scientific research. Mr Tushar Kanjilal, who has spent 40 years in Sunderbans, expressed his concern on the recent changes the region. In his speech, Mr Kanjilal spoke of the "environmental refugees' in Sunderbans, people who were compelled to migrate as the sea has swallowed their home. He said that the complete destruction of forests in 54 out of 102 islands in the Sunderban has taken its toll as two islands has already been wiped off. While speaking of the region, Mr Kiranmoy Nanda said: "The Sunderbans is like our mother.' He said that the government is making efforts to ensure protection and optimum utilisation of natural resources in the area. He said that filled canals are being restructured and measures are taken to protect the mangrove. He also said that for the weed collectors in Sunderbans, the government is looking for alternative source of living that will also connect them with the wetlands. Mr Nanda is hopeful that the upcoming 40000 sweet water bodies in Sunderbans, in addition to the existing 33000 will improve the situation. All the speakers were of opinion that the book is a storehouse of information that will help all those want to delve into the unknown facets of Sunderbans.
With the tiger fighting a losing battle for survival in the wild, here is the story of one man's resolve to see the royal beast in its natural habitat. Sought-after prize of tourists: A tigress at the Ranthambore Park. Tales of all-eluding tigers are perhaps the most swapped stories among eco-tourists. I remember sharing tables and travel stories with complete unknowns at a non-descript coffee house in Kolkata a year and a half back. Those were the days when the realisation that there existed fine demarcations between travellers also had not dawned on me. On that table that day, I understood that I was a cultural traveller
The wounded tiger captured from Jharkhali, in the Sunderbans, was roaring at the slightest provocation on Tuesday, much to the delight of its attendants at the Alipore zoo hospital. "The impatience and anger shows its condition is improving,' said veterinary surgeon Swapan Kumar Ghosh, bandaging the wounds with colleague Gopal Samanta. "True to its nature, the beast was expressing displeasure by biting at the chord with which we were tying its limbs for treatment. This aggressiveness was absent when it was brought to the zoo hospital last Friday... We are happy with the progress,' Ghosh added. Zoo director Subir Chowdhury said: "The animal is still under medication. We cannot say right now when it will be fit enough to be brought before visitors.' On Tuesday, only mediapersons were allowed a glimpse of the Royal Bengal Tiger. The minor wounds have almost dried up but the deep ones, especially those on the hind leg, will take some time to heal, said Ghosh. The tiger, suffering from anaemia, has been on iron supplement for the past few days. "We will test its blood next week to check whether the haemoglobin level has risen. We hope the level will rise, as the animal is consuming eight kg of meat daily
Bali Island (Sundarbans), Feb. 11: With the Sundarbans, the world's largest estuarine delta sinking by 2.5 mm every year, thanks to global warming, the British Deputy High Commission yesterday initiated a program to combat the adverse impacts of climate change.
Bali Island, Feb. 11: British high commissioner Richard Stagg yesterday inaugurated a mangrove project in the Sunderbans to combat global warming in the tiger reserve. The British deputy high commission in Calcutta, in collaboration with an NGO, will develop the mangrove forest along half a square kilometre of the riverbank in Bali Island, 200km from Calcutta. The deputy high commission is funding the project, estimated to cost around
Nature Environment & Wildlife Society (NEWS) is implementing a project on 'Assessing the impacts of Climate Change in Sunderbans', funded by British Deputy High Commission, Kolkata.
Sea levels on the Indian sub-continent are increasing at the rate of about 2.5 mm every year; the increase is greater in the eastern coast, with an estimated sea level rise of about 3.14 mm/year. This suggests that mean annual sea levels in the Indian sub continent will be some 3 cm higher in 2012 and 15 cm higher in 2060 than what it was in 2000.
