About Sundarbans

1. Sunderbans Tiger Reserve - Study of mangrove
forest management and tiger census
Ashok Kumar JP
Roll No : 43

2. • Sundarban National Park received recognition as World
Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.
• Sundarban Biosphere Reserve received the recognition of
UNESCO under its Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme
in November, 2001.
• Sundarban Tiger Reserve was constituted by GOI under
Project Tiger scheme, in 1973.
• Sundarban is the only mangrove forest in the world which
is the home of Tiger.

3. • Sunderbans national park is located at the
South Eastern tip of the Paraganas district
in the state of West Bengal.
• mangrove plants known as Sundari
(Heritiera Minor).
• Part of the world's largest delta formed by
the rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra and
Meghna.

4. • Apart from the tiger, a rich array of
biodiversity values both floral and
faunal.
• The total area of the Indian part of the
Sundarban forest, lying within the
latitude between 21°13'-22°40' North
and longitude 88°05'-89°06' East, is
about 4,262 sq km, of which 2,125 sq km
is occupied by mangrove forest across 56
islands and the balance is under water.

5. • The main attractions of the Sunderbans
are the Tiger and the reptiles like the
Monitor Lizard, Estuarine Crocodile and
the Olive Ridley Turtle etc.
• The Leopard, Indian Rhinoceros, Javan
Rhinoceros, Swamp Deer, Hog Deer and
Water Buffalo have all become locally
extinct from the delta in recent decades

6. Best Season:
• The best time to visit Sunderbans is
during winters between December
and February. Even migratory birds
could be seen at that time.
Access(Sunderban National Park) :
• The Sunderbans are not easily
accessible. To get to the
Sunderbans national park in India
the nearest airport is kolkatta, the
nearest railway station is Canning,
and the nearest town is Gosaba.

7. Wild Animals in Sunderban National Park
• Royal Bengal Tiger( Panthera tigris ) population in
the Sundarbans is estimated to be 76 (62 to 96)
according to Status of Tiger in India 2014 report.
• Sundarbans also harbours a good number of rare
and globally threatened animals including
Estuarine Crocodile ( Crocodilus porosus ), Fishing
Cat ( Felis viverrina ), Common otter ( Lutra lutra ),
Water Monitor lizard ( Varanus salvator ), Gangetic
Dolphin ( Platinista gangetica ), River Terrapin
(Batagur baska ).

8. Marine turtles like
• Olive Ridley ( Lepidochelys
olivacea ),
• Green Sea Turtle ( Chelonia
mydas ),
• Hawksbill Turtle ( Eritmochelys
imbricata ).

9. • Six species of Shark and Ray, are found here, are included in
Schedule I of Wildlife (Protection) Act to indicate that
Sundarban Reserved Forest is a natural biodiversity hot spot.
• Other mammals comprise of Wild boars, Spotted deer,
Porcupines and Rhesus macaque.
• Among the Snakes, the King cobra, the common cobra,
Banded krait, Russells Viper comprise the community of
venomous reptiles,
while the Python, Chequered Kil-Back, Dhaman, Green Whip
Snake and several other species constitute the non-venomous
snakes.

10. Birds
• There are about
248 bird species
found

11. Important Places in Sunderban
• Sajnekhali Watch Tower
• Sudhanyakhali Watch Tower
• Do Ban Ki Watch Tower
• Netidhopani Watch Tower
• Bhagatpur Crocodile Project
• Piyali
• Halliday Island
• Kanak

12. Objectives of Management
• Restoration of the unique mangrove ecosystem of
Sundarbans and conservation of its biodiversity.
• Development of sustainable economic, social activities
of the population living in the Biosphere Reserve.
• Facilitating research, monitoring, education and
training to perpetuate the achievements made.

13. JFM
• 52 FPCs and 14 EDCs have been registered in Sundarban. They
participate in protection of the forests against exploitations.
• Efforts is to create "alternate livelihood options" for the target groups and
dilute the biotic pressure on the ecologically fragile mangrove ecosystem.
• Development funds for the forest fringe villages, for creating resources
through the process of Micro-level Planning and participatory
implementation.
• Socio-economic and natural resource survey of the region shows that
sweet water for irrigation and drinking purpose is a highly scarce
commodity.

14. • Since the region is blessed with moderately high and
well-distributed rainfall, conservation of the rainwater
receives the topmost priority.
• Availability of irrigation water during dry months can
convert the mono-cropped areas into multi-cropped ones.
• Therefore, construction of irrigation canals and ponds
constitute important components of Eco-development
activities.
• The sweet water ponds and canals can also be
simultaneously used for fresh water aqua-culture to
generate additional income.

15. • Vocational training and input in cottage industries,
apiculture, mushroom cultivation, floriculture etc to make
the forest-dependent people more self-sufficient.
• Efforts have been made to encourage the poorer section
of the people to form Self-Help Groups (SHG) to avail of
bank loans to start their own ventures/trades.
• The FPC/EDC members are being encouraged to create
Community Fund, through their contributions which will
help to sustain the development activities in the villages
even after the withdrawal of the Fund from various
schemes.

16. Threats• Poaching of wildlife and illegal felling
of timber are among the most severe
environmental threats.
• Industrial development in the region
and opening up of access to trade have
also imposed increased demands on
forest resources, particularly timber.

17. • The growing barge traffic and lax
environmental enforcement have
also led to a number of oil spills
which continue to adversely impact
the ecosystem.
• Experts in climate change predict
that extreme weather, along with
just a 45 cm rise in sea level would
submerge 75 per cent of the
Sunderbans.

24. Meanwhile in Dhaka

25. Thank you