Vast swaths of the world’s largest mangrove forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Sundarban delta that spans parts of India and Bangladesh, were dealt a potentially devastating blow when Tropical Cyclone Amphan crashed over the coasts of both countries.
“As per our initial estimate, about (a 994-square-mile) area in the Sundarbans has suffered damage,” chief wildlife warden Ravi Kant Sinha told the Times of India.
The damage Sinha cited is in the Indian portion of the Sundarbans, which helps protect the densely populated city of Kolkata from some of the worst impacts of cyclones that frequently hit the region.
Tropical Cyclone Amphan roared ashore May 20 with major storm surge, high winds and torrential rainfall, leaving more than 100 people dead in its wake. The storm caused billions of dollars in damage and forced millions to evacuate.
The Sundarban delta is dotted by 102 islands, including 54 that are inhabited. The region spans a total of about 4,000 square miles and is not only ecologically important due to the mangrove forests, but is also home to the largest population of wild tigers in the world, according to UNESCO. The Sundarbans were declared a World Heritage Site in 1987.
The remote area is also home to millions of people whose homes were swept away and land destroyed. Many have migrated to cities in recent years, but the coronavirus pandemic has limited those opportunities.
“It is a recipe for disaster,” Annu Jalais, a professor at the National University of Singapore who has studied the Sundarbans for 20 years, told the Associated Press.
While it is believed that the Sundarban mangroves helped shield some areas, Amphan created an environmental and humanitarian crisis in an area already extremely vulnerable to weather, climate change and rising sea levels.
The storm inundated many areas with salt water, which could make farming more difficult and impact sources of drinking water.
“In the Vidya and Haldibari regions, some creeks have been opened up by the cyclone,” Sinha said. “It’s likely to change the tidal pattern and trigger erosion of islands.”
The salt water inundation also affected freshwater ponds, a key source of fish for local villagers.
“We are left with nothing, with nowhere to go,” Elema Bibi, a local fisherwoman told the AP. “There is no source of income. I just have a pile of rotting fish.”
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