A twenty-five year synthesis of mangrove ecosystem dynamics in the Sundarbans, West Bengal, India: A review

The Sundarbans, one of the largest contiguous blocks of mangroves in the world, has experienced a significant?environmental shift over the past 25 years. Formerly boasting a rich diversity of mangrove species, the area had been?indispensable for coastal protection, conservation of ecological system, and maintaining local people’s lives. In recent decades, escalating human pressures such as deforestation, aquaculture expansion, and industrial development have resulted in considerable loss and fragmentation of mangrove habitats. Today, rising seas, changes in salinity patterns, frequent and intense?extreme weather events and pollution in all its varieties threaten the system’s recovery by destabilizing it. Concurrently, the role?of mangroves in carbon capture and disaster risk reduction is receiving increasing attention. Due to these threats, various conservation and restoration programs—such as community-based projects and large-scale afforestation initiatives—have been successful in their?attempts. In the future, climate change is likely to increase vulnerability of Sundarbans?complex and changes in species composition and ecosystem processes may be driven here. However,?innovative restoration methods integrated with enabling policies and increased active involvement of local populations offer better prospects for maintaining the ecological status and functionality of the area. With this context, we collate synopsis about the past, present and future conditions of the Sundarbans mangrove habitat that accentuate the urgent attention these composite ecosystems require through integrated adaptive management to sustain their resilience to climate change.