Sundarbans World Heritage site devastated by cyclone, according to UNESCO experts who visited the site

The cyclone that left more than 3,000 people dead in Bangladesh in mid November, also devastated the Sundarbans World Heritage Site, according to UNESCO experts who visited the mangrove forest on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers.

The experts found that 40 percent of the site has been seriously damaged by cyclone Sidr. It struck at the heart of the East Sundarbans, the biologically richest part of the Bangladeshi World Heritage property. Foliage has been stripped from the branches of trees in over 30 percent of the property. Large trees have been felled by the wind and the crowns of many others have been severely damaged.

The 140,000-hectare Sundarbans, one of the largest mangrove ecosystems in the world, is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands. It is home to a wide range of fauna, including 260 bird species, the Bengal tiger and other threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile and the Indian python. The extent of the impact of the cyclone on the wildlife has yet to be ascertained.

The experts are concerned that poaching and other intrusions could jeopardize the regeneration of the Sundarbans ecosystem, which should normally take 10 to 15 years. The field stations, boats, jetties and equipment of the Bangladeshi Forest Department in the area have been washed out to sea by the storm, severely compromising the authority’s capacity to manage the site, which was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1997. The Sundarbans are breeding grounds for fish, shrimp and crab which migrate to areas beyond the site boundary, providing a livelihood for 300,000 people in the area.

The mission has urged donors to support efforts by Bangladesh to re-build the capacity of the Forest Department to manage the site, by restoring and rebuilding infrastructure (remote field stations, jetties) and replacing lost materials - such as boats and communications equipment.

UNESCO, alongside other United Nations agencies and NGOs, is working with the authorities of Bangladesh on the reconstruction of the country. UNESCO’s Office in Dhaka is also working with the government to assist the national rehabilitation of affected institutions, especially schools.

• Author(s):Press Release No.2007-156
• Source:UNESCOPRESS
• 12-12-2007