SUNDARBAN

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SUNDARBAN
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Let us explore in the Sundarban!
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Welcome to the Home of the Royal Bengal Tigers

• The Sundarbans, "the beautiful forest," lies in
  the south western part of Bangladesh, in the
  district of greater Khulna. The Sundarbans is a
  cluster of islands with an approximate area of
  3600 sq.. km. forming the largest block of
  littoral forests. It's beauty lies in its unique
  natural surrounding of meandering streams,
  creeks, rivers and estuaries, and the many unique
  animals.

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MAP OF THE BANGLADESH SUNDARBAN
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• The climate in the Sundarban is moderate. Air is
  humid. Full monsoon is from June to September.
  The annual rainfall average between 65 and 70
  inches. During ebb-tide the forest becomes bare
  by 6-7 feet and at high tide (30 miles an hour)
  the entire territory of the forest floats on
  water.

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Peace and tranquillity in the wilderness,
seeing the world's largest mangrove forest and
the riverine beauty are a few of the treasures
that greet the visitors.

• Some activities to do
• wild life photography including photography of
  the famous Royal Bengal Tiger,
• wild life viewing,
• boating inside the forest,
• wild call recordings,
• nature study,
• meeting fishermen, wood- cutters and
  honey-collectors.

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SUNDARBAN BIODIVERSITY

• The Sundarban ecosystem is characterized by a
  very dynamic environment due to the effect of
  tide, flooding, salinity, and cyclones. As a
  result, several remarkable species are found but
  some species extinct during the last century.

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The Biodiversity is represented by the following
taxonomic groups

• over 40 mammal species
• over 270 bird species
• over 45 reptiles species
• at least 11 amphibian species
• over 120 fish species
• an unknown number of invertebrates
• more than 330 plant species

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SUNDARBAN BIODIVERSITY
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Royal Bengal Tigers

• The Sundarban tiger population is supposed to be
  the largest surviving tiger population in the
  world. Estimates of the number tigers in
  Bangladesh Sundarban vary between 300 and 400,
  but there is a serious risk for their survival
  due to diseases, decrease of sudden prey, and
  pollution.

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WATCH TOWER
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SUNDARBAN DEERS

• The estimates for the deer in this area are
  50-80,000. Deer is the most important herbivore
  in terms of number and biomass (1150 kg/km2),
  and deer grazing and browsing is a main factor in
  the structure of the vegetation cover. Moreover,
  deer is the main prey of the Sundarban tiger.

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FISHERIES
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THREATS

• Commercial hunting/illegal hunting,
• Fishery,
• Intensifying land use (dams, irrigation) upstream
• Pollution,
• Pesticides,
• Exploitation of mineral gas, which is abundant in
  the underground of the Sundarban.

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Sundarban Biodiversity Conservation
Project

• The Government of Bangladesh and the
  international aid community have been acutely
  aware of the need to conserve the Sundarban for
  some time. In the late 1990s the Sundarban
  Biodiversity Conservation Project (SBCP) was
  conceived, and funding amounting to around US 77
  million was secured from the Asian Development
  Bank, Global Environment Facility and the
  Government of the Netherlands. The objective of
  the 6 year project is to secure the ecological
  integrity of the natural environment and its
  resources in the Sundarban through the
  sustainable utilization and management of all
  natural resources in the SRF.

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Expected outputs of the project

• A Sundarban Management Unit able to manage the
  Sundarban effectively.
• A management plan for the Sundarban
• A system for the sustainable management of all
  natural resources in the Sundarban
• Alternative livelihood systems for around 500,000
  persons who are partially dependent upon the
  resources of the Sundarban for subsistence.
• Income generation from eco-tourism
• Environmental awareness of the people of
  Bangladesh about the importance of protecting and
  conserving the Sundarban
• Raised international awareness of the importance
  of the Sundarban as a globally significant
  biodiversity hot spot

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Experience the unforgettable adventures yourself
at the Sundarban with no regrets!