World Heritage Identification Number: 798
World Heritage since: 1997
Category: Natural Heritage
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇧🇩 Bangladesh
Continent: Asia
UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific
Map
The Sundarbans: A Unique Mangrove Forest Ecosystem in South Asia
The Sundarbans, located in the Bay of Bengal, is a remarkable mangrove forest that straddles the border between India and Bangladesh. This extensive forest, covering approximately 10,000 square miles, is the world's largest single block of mangrove forest, making it a significant global ecosystem.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
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.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
The Committee inscribed the site under criteria (ix) and (x) as one of the largest remaining areas of mangroves in the world, which supports an exceptional biodiversity with a wide range of flora and fauna, including the Bengal Tiger and provides a significant example of on-going ecological processes (monsoon rains, flooding, delta formation, tidal influence and plant colonisation).
Encyclopedia Record: Sundarbans
Sundarbans is a mangrove forest area in the Ganges Delta formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers in the Bay of Bengal. It spans the area from the Hooghly River in India's state of West Bengal to the Baleswar River in Bangladesh's Khulna Division. It comprises closed and open mangrove forests, land used for agricultural purpose, mudflats and barren land, and is intersected by multiple tidal streams and channels. Spread across 10,000 km2 (3,900 sq mi), it is the world's largest mangrove forest. The islands are also of great economic importance as a storm barrier, shore stabiliser, nutrient and sediment trap, a source of timber and natural resources, and support a wide variety of aquatic, benthic and terrestrial organisms. They are an excellent example of the ecological processes of monsoon rain flooding, delta formation, tidal influence and plant colonisation. Covering 133,010 ha, the area is estimated to comprise about 55% forest land and 45% wetlands in the form of tidal rivers, creeks, canals and vast estuarine mouths of the river. About 66% of the entire mangrove forest area is estimated to occur in Bangladesh, with the remaining 34% in India.Additional Site Details
Area: 139,500 hectares
(x) — Contains most important habitats for biodiversity
Coordinates: 21.95 , 89.18333
Image
© Monster eagle, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
