Sundarbans Could Entirely Vanish in The Next 50 Years, Taking With it The Bengal Tiger

Both Sundarbans and The Royal Bengal Tiger Are Under Threat of Being Completely Wiped Out by 2070.

World’s biggest mangrove forest – the Sundarbans – are under the threat of being completely wiped out in the next 50 years. By 2070, it will have submerged under-water due to the rising sea levels courtesy the climate change. Sundarbans is a region common to both India and Bangladesh – and the fact that we may lose it also indicates that the unique Bengal tigers will lose their habitat as well.

As of today, only 4,000 Bengal tigers alive in the region, and at the rate at which both man-made and natural disasters threaten its existence; it will be extinct in no time. The current number is a terribly low number as is it – the species is highly endangered. The top four factors contributing to threaten its existence are – habitat loss, climate change, poaching and reduction in breeding as per genomic evidence. Spanning across more than 10,000 square kilometres, the Sundarbans are the Royal Bengal Tiger’s last coastal stronghold.

The help of computer simulations has been taken to understand the time left for the Sundarbans region to submerge underwater and whether it’s possible for tigers and other prey species to survive there. Beyond climate change, the Sundarbans is suffering of growing pressure from industrial developments, new roads, and greater poaching. Though the situation is dire, the world’s largest mangrove forest could still be protected from the onslaught of climate change. We really have to look after this iconic ecosystem to conserve whatever’s left of it; and that will include developing new protected areas and reducing illegal poaching. This will build its resilience to future climatic extremes and rising sea levels.

There is no other place like Sundarbans left on Earth. So that wildlife such as the Bengal tiger can have a shot at survival, and don’t completely get wiped out from their habitat in India and Bangladesh, we need to be both aware and responsible and not contribute to the disruption of nature.