Key Highlights:
- Close to 3.5 million people living near the Sundarbans depend directly or indirectly on this forest
- In the past 23 years, fires in the Sundarbans have primarily affected only 5% of the mangrove forest in the Eastern Forest Division
- Predictions suggest that around 15.88 Teragram (Tg) Carbon will be lost from Sundarban mangroves by the year 2115
Amidst the tangle of Bangladesh’s Sundarbans, the whispers of leaves and the symphony of wildlife have been intermittently silenced by the crackling of fires, a dissonant chorus rising from the ashes of a once-thriving ecosystem. This majestic mangrove forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, stands as a guardian against the relentless encroachment of the sea, but it is now facing an existential threat from within.
The rampant deforestation, a byproduct of human insatiability, coupled with the insidious effects of climate change, has laid the groundwork for a series of devastating fire incidents. On the 4th of May, flames engulfed the Amurbunia region situated in the Chandpai Range within the Sundarban East Forest Division of Bagerhat.
You can also read: Sundarbans fire: Who’s to blame?
Coincidentally, there were reports of another fire outbreak at Latif Chila in the Sundarbans. Local fishermen noticed a blaze on Saturday afternoon (May 4) in the forest vicinity near the Amurbunia patrol post, situated within the Chandpai range of the Sundarban East Forest Division.
Close to 3.5 million people living near the Sundarbans depend directly or indirectly on this forest, which plays a pivotal role in supplying vital ecosystem services. Studies have pinpointed 24 such services provided by the Sundarbans. The monetary assessment of environmental services per hectare of the Sundarbans varies from $456 to $1,192. As a result, the Sundarbans persist in delivering environmental benefits amounting to $27.71 billion each year.
During the 18th century, the Bangladesh portion of the Sundarbans was double its present size. Now, it covers 6,017 square kilometers, making up 51% of the nation’s protected forest area.
Blazing Trail of Destruction in Eastern Sundarbans
In the past 23 years, fires in the Sundarbans have primarily affected only 5% of the mangrove forest in the Eastern Forest Division, leading to the destruction of approximately 75 acres of government-owned forest land over 24 years, caused by 26 separate incidents.
These recurrent fires have resulted in significant ecological harm, with vines and large trees perishing, disrupting animal habitats and breeding grounds, inducing panic among wildlife, and causing extensive damage to the forest ecosystem, notably impacting the food chain of forest fauna.
Notably, in the past 22 years, there have been no recorded fire incidents in the Khulna and Satkhira range areas. 24 fires, including the most recent one, have been concentrated in the Sharankhola and Chandpai range areas.
Additionally, fires broke out in Nangali in 2011 and Gulishakhali in 2014, followed by incidents in Pachakuralia, Nangali, Tula Tala, and the Sila area of Madrasa in subsequent years. Noteworthy are the fires in Dhansagar on February 8, 2021, and Sarankhola Das’s tenant on May 3 as well.
According to sources from the local community and forest authorities, the primary causes of fires in the eastern division of the forest were attributed to discarded cigarettes and fishermen igniting bushes to uncover fish concealed in the mud.
Sundarbans Dealing Devastating Blow as 1.5B Tons of Carbon Escapes Annually
Deforestation is a major factor contributing to these fire incidents. As a consequence of deforestation, the soil becomes exposed to sunlight, leading to elevated soil temperatures and accelerated soil carbon oxidation. Consequently, this process contributes to an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels creating a greater fuel load, providing ample material for fires to ignite and spread.
Forests function as vital carbon sinks, wherein trees engage in carbon sequestration, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Among these, mangrove trees excel in carbon sequestration efficiency. The Sundarbans, a distinctive carbon sink, face depletion due to ongoing deforestation. Mangrove trees serve as natural repositories, storing carbon dioxide.
The following chart illustrates the varying levels of carbon stock across different mangrove ecosystems worldwide.
Trees play a vital role in mitigating carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. However, when trees are cut down, burned, or removed, they become sources of carbon emissions. The constant deforestation has led to an increase in the ratio of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. It’s estimated that approximately 20% of greenhouse gas emissions, along with 1.5 billion tons of carbon, are released annually due to tropical deforestation.
Currently, there are 36.24 Teragram (Tg) and 54.95 Tg of carbon (C), resulting in a total blue carbon stock of about 91.19 Tg C. Predictions suggest that around 15.88 Tg C will be lost from Sundarban mangroves by the year 2115.
The link between Deforestation and Climate change
If deforestation continues to escalate, it will exacerbate climate change, potentially resulting in sea level rise, which in turn could render many residents homeless and jobless. The Sundarbans, home to approximately 425 species of wildlife, including 42 mammal species and 300 bird species, offers critical ecosystem services such as human life protection, cyclone shelter, aquatic life nursery, timber and oxygen production, waste recycling, sediment trapping, carbon sequestration, and food and building material supply.
However, these invaluable services are imperiled by the impacts of climate change. Given that Bangladesh’s coastal areas are particularly vulnerable to climate change, phenomena such as storm surges, drainage congestion, and sea level rise pose direct threats to the Sundarbans’ survival. According to the IPCC, around 20% of coastal ecosystems could be lost due to sea level rise by 2080, with regional variations exacerbating the situation.
As the flames of destruction continue to lick at the edges of the majestic Sundarbans, a stark reality emerges: the delicate balance of nature is under siege. It is not merely a forest that burns but a lifeline for communities and a bulwark against the rising tides of environmental degradation. The time to act is now, for in the twilight of this ecological wonder, lies the fate of countless lives and the future of our planet.
