- Project Name: Sundarbans Biological Education Program.
- Project Location:
| District | Upazila | Union | School |
| Satkhira | Tala | Khaliskhali | Khaliskhali High school |
- Project duration and Beneficiaries:
The project will start in 2023, and about 200 students will get knowledge about this education program.
- Project Preface
Several ecosystems with significant conservation importance can be found in the coastal area. The Sundarbans, the longest stretch of mangrove ecosystem in the world, are located in Bangladesh’s south-western region; a portion of them has been designated a World Heritage Site. Mangrove forests are regarded as a critically important ecosystem in Bangladesh’s coastal regions.
Healthy mangroves are not only profitable ecosystems in and of themselves, but they also shield coastal communities from the sea. Fish and shrimp spawn and grow in mangrove ecosystems before venturing into deep and open waters. Mangroves serve as nurseries for a variety of species. Mangroves are crucial to the ecology of coastal populations’ commercial fishing as a result.
Mangrove ecosystems are extremely valuable to coastal people and the species that live there, yet they are being lost at alarming rates. A third of the world’s mangrove forests have vanished in the past 50 years. Overuse of forest resources by local communities, conversion to large-scale agriculture, forestry, salt extraction, urban growth and infrastructure, and diversion of freshwater for irrigation are all examples of human threats to mangroves.
The enormity of the Sundarbans is frequently covered in our nation’s textbooks, and its major goal is to raise people’s understanding of the area so that they can appreciate its advantages and significance. The level of people’s understanding about the Sundarbans will also be relatively limited if the debate in textbooks is similarly very constrained. Our nation’s youth, in particular, know relatively little about this. Therefore, it is our obligation to educate ourselves on the greatness of the Sundarbans. If we can inculcate the importance of the Sundarbans very well among the young generation of our country, especially among the people of the southern region of Bangladesh, then they can also make the local people aware of this matter and play a leading role in protecting the Sundarbans from destruction. By undertaking this project, SESDO is keen to play a leading role in increasing knowledge about the Sundarbans among local students and raising awareness about the Sundarbans among them. Through this project, SESDO wants to spread the message that the Sundarbans are a great blessing to the people of the southern region and the roots of society.
- Significance of the project
Saline water will enter inland due to the rise in sea level and the availability of less fresh water, especially in the winter when rainfall will be lower. Many mangrove species, which are intolerant of elevated salinity, could be in danger as a result. Additionally, the mangrove regions will be prevented from migrating to less salinous areas by the extremely dense human settlements just outside the mangrove area. The country’s economy would be impacted by the decline of the mangrove regions.
Additionally, numerous industries that depend on raw materials from the Sundarbans will face closure threats, which will lead to significant job losses. Ecosystems and biological variety are seriously at risk from climate change. A one-meter rise in sea level could completely submerge the Sundarbans. Climate change and sea level rise will have a significant impact on the environment and biodiversity of the Sundarbans. Many plant and animal species could go extinct as the area gets smaller. Ecosystems and biological variety will be impacted by summertime water shortages and wintertime water stress. Numerous mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, amphibian-like creatures, crustaceans, and most importantly, the Royal Bengal Tiger, will all go extinct.
So it is easy to imagine how much of a blessing the Sundarbans are for us and how helpful they can be for us in the context of our current climate. So, if we can increase knowledge and awareness about the Sundarbans among our country’s students, particularly the young generation, they will be able to help preserve our country’s biodiversity while also preventing climate change.
- Purpose of this Project
- Conduct public education campaigns to sensitize local communities, the tourism industry, and other sectors about the importance of mangroves.
- Conducting various awareness activities with local students.
- To increase various types of knowledge about the importance of the Sundarbans among them.