Rivers of the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta pp 107-124 | Cite as
The Sundarban
Abstract
The littoral tract of GBM delta is a unique area with thirteen major estuaries and many interlacing channels with intervening islands. This had been an area of dense mangrove forest which was partially reclaimed to facilitate agriculture and human habitation since the late eighteenth century. But the coastal Bengal had been the seat of an ancient civilization in the period 300 BC–1200 AD, but declined possibly due to gradual inundation. The tidal creeks were embanked to prevent ingress of saline water into the floodplain. The long-term effect of such premature reclamation was detrimental as sediment dispersal during high tide was impaired and the channels were choked. The coastline of the GBM delta has been changing fast; while the sea encroaching inland along Indian coast, the shape of the Meghna estuary in Bangladesh has changed due to accretion.
References
- Bandyopadhyay S, Bandyopadhyay MK (1996). Retrogradation of the western Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta, India and Bangladesh, Possible reasons. In: Tiwari RC (ed) proceedings of 6th conference of Indian Institute of Geomorphologists, National Geographer, 31(1&2):105–128Google Scholar
- Banerjee M (2008) Protnotatye Sundarban (in Bengali). In: Jana Debaprosad (ed) Sreekhanda Sundarban. Deep Prokashan, KolkataGoogle Scholar
- Bhattacharya A (2000) Embankments as large scale construction in the Indian Sundarbans and their impacts on the coastal ecosystems in Sundarbans. In: Guha Bakshi DN, Sanyal P, Naskar KR (ed) Sundarban Mangal. Naya Prokash, KolkataGoogle Scholar
- Brammer H (2014) Bangladesh’s dynamic coastal regions and sea-level rise. Climate Risk Manage 1(2014):51–62CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Brown S, And S, Nicholls RJ (2015) Subsidence and human influences in mega deltas: the case of the Ganges–Brahmaputra–Meghna. Sci Total Environ 527–528(2015):362–374CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Chakraborty SC (2005) The Sundarbans-terrain, legends, gods and myths. Geograph Rev India 67(1):1–11Google Scholar
- CSE (2009) Climate change/politics and facts. New DelhiGoogle Scholar
- CSE (2012). Living with the changing climate/Indian. Sundarbans, New DelhiGoogle Scholar
- Chattopadhyaya H (1999) The Mystery of Sundarbans. A. Mukherjee and Co. Pvt. limited, KolkataGoogle Scholar
- Goodbred SL Jr, Kuehl SA (1998) Floodplain processes in Bengal basin and the storage of the Ganges-Brahmaputra river sediment: an accretion study using137Cs and 210Pb geochronology. Sed Geol 121:239–258CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- Halder G (2000) Western Sundarban: An Introduction. In: Guha Bakshi DN, Sanyal P, Naskar KR (ed) Sundarban Mangal. Naya Prokash, KolkataGoogle Scholar
- Hazra S (2010) Temporal change detection (2001-2008) of Sundarbans. Unpublished report, WWF, IndiaGoogle Scholar
- Hunter WW (1875) A statistical account of Bengal, 24 Parganas and Sundarbans, 1. Trubner and co, LondonGoogle Scholar
- International Water Association (2017) Sundarban Joint Landscape Narrative (Unpublished Draft)Google Scholar
- IUCN (2014) Bangladesh Sundarban Delta/Vision 2050. Bangladesh Country OfficeGoogle Scholar
- Matin K (2016) Ujaner Bandh O Bangladesher Bhabishyat (in Bengali), Dibya Prakash, DhakaGoogle Scholar
- Oldham T (1870) President’s address. In: Proceedings, asiatic society of Bengal for February 1870, CalcuttaGoogle Scholar
- Pargiter FE (1934) A revenue history of Sundarbans, Reprinted by W.B. Dist. Gazetteers (2002)Google Scholar
- Paul AK (2002) Physiography of Mangrove Swamps-a study in the Sundarbans. In: Guha Bakshi DN, Sanyal P, Naskar KR, (ed) Sundarban Mangal. Naya Prokash, KolkataGoogle Scholar
- Ray NR (1949) Bangalir Itihas: Adi Parva, (in Bengali). Prachin Vanga Nirakasharta Durikaran Samiti, KolkataGoogle Scholar
- Rudra K (2011) The proposal of strengthening embankments in Sundarbans: myth and reality, www.counterviews.org/ Sundarbans_aila.html
- Rudra K (2012) Atlas of Changing River Courses in West Bengal. Sea Explorers’ Institute, KolkataGoogle Scholar
- Rudra K (2016) Evolution of the Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta(Ganga-Brahmaputra bawdwiper bibortan (in Bengali). Sudhu Sundarban Charcha (4th year/4th issue), 8–16Google Scholar
- Nady S, Bandyopadhyay S (2012) Trend of sea level change in the Hugli estuary India. Indian J Geo-Marine Sci 40(6):802–812Google Scholar
- Sanyal P (1999) Global Warming in Sundarbans Delta and Bengal Coast. In: Guha Bakshi DN, Sanyal P, Naskar KR (ed) Sundarbans Mangal. Naya Prokash, KolkataGoogle Scholar
- Sarkar MH, Akter J, Rahman M (2013) Century–scale dynamics of the Bengal Delta and future development. In: proceedings of the 4th international conference on water and flood Management, pp 91–104Google Scholar
- Unnikrishnan AS, Shankar D (2007) Are sea-level-rise trends along the coasts of the north Indian Ocean consistent with global estimates? Global Planet Change 57(3–4):301–307CrossRefGoogle Scholar
- WWF Report India (2010) Sundarbans: Future Imperfect. Climate Adaptation ReportGoogle Scholar
- WWF India (2011) Indian Sundarbans Delta: a vision. Policy DocumentGoogle Scholar