Priority Landscapes in South Asia

Sunderban Landscape - Bangladesh, India

The only mangrove forest in the world inhabited by the tiger lies at the delta of the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers. Most waterways originating in the Himalayas flow into these two rivers, depositing silt and forming the alluvial Sunderban delta where they meet the Bay of Bengal.

Sunderban (Sanskrit for 'beautiful forest' or 'forest of the Sundari trees') is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on both the Bangladeshi and Indian sides. There are three protected areas on the Bangladeshi side, and with the Sunderban Tiger Reserve on the Indian side, together total around 4,000 sq km. An estimated 250 tigers exist in the Indian Sunderban, and about 350 tigers on the Bangladeshi side.

People living in and around this landscape depend on the mangroves for a variety of resources - honey, firewood, deer meat, thatch, fish and shrimp. Inevitable conflicts arise when they encroach upon the tiger's habitat.

Generating alternative livelihoods
WWF is working on one island to introduce alternatives for income generation so that local people would not have to depend heavily on mangrove forest resources. The communities of Chota Molla Khali are now engaged in batik painting, poultry and improved agriculture that bring them better income. They depend less on resources from prime tiger habitat.