Saving the Sundarbans from development

doi:10.1126/science.abb9448

GSTDTAP > 气候变化

DOI	10.1126/science.abb9448
	Saving the Sundarbans from development
	Sharif A. Mukul; Saleemul Huq; John Herbohn; Nathalie Seddon; William F. Laurance
	2020-06-12
发表期刊	Science
出版年	2020
英文摘要	The Padma Bridge construction project in Bangladesh is near completion ([ 1 ][1]). The 6.15-km-long bridge, costing nearly US$4 billion ([ 2 ][2]), will connect the northern and eastern parts of the country to the southwest Khulna division, which includes the Sundarbans—the world's largest mangrove forest stretching over 10,000 km2 in Bangladesh and India ([ 3 ][3]). The bridge, when commissioned, is expected to boost Bangladesh's gross domestic product by as much as 1.2% ([ 4 ][4]), but it will also put the fragile Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem at risk. Bangladesh has already lost the Chakaria Sundarbans, one of the oldest mangrove forests in South and Southeast Asia, as a result of the rise of commercially profitable shrimp farming ([ 5 ][5]). The same could happen in the Khulna division, where the bridge construction has exacerbated increasing land prices and expanding development of real estate, fisheries, tourism, and resorts near the Sundarbans ([ 6 ][6]). The bridge will also facilitate greater access to the busy Mongla Port and likely accelerate forest clearing and land grabbing in the area. Although economic gains are important, ecological and environmental issues must be considered in long-term development plans. The Sundarbans mangroves region is a UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization World Heritage Site, a Ramsar site, and a Class 3 tiger conservation landscape of global priority ([ 7 ][7]). At least 355 Edited by Jennifer Sills species of birds, 49 species of mammals (including the globally endangered Bengal tiger), 87 species of reptiles, 14 amphibians, 291 species of fish, and 334 species of plants have been recorded in the area ([ 3 ][3]). The Sundarbans region is situated on the highly active Ganges-Brahmaputra delta, the third largest river basin in the world after the Amazon and the Congo ([ 8 ][8]). One-third of the Sundarbans consists of rivers and streams, which act as a nursery for fish and other aquatic life, including Asia's last two remaining freshwater dolphin species: the Ganges river dolphin and Irrawaddy dolphin ([ 9 ][9]). More than 3.5 million people depend on the Sundarbans ecosystem for their livelihood and income ([ 10 ][10]). The world-renowned mangrove forest regularly protects human lives and habitation from cyclones and tidal surges ([ 11 ][11]). The Sundarbans region also plays an important role in regulating key ecological processes, including carbon sequestration, storage, and cycling ([ 12 ][12]). The Sundarbans forest already faces many challenges, including sea-level rise, salinity intrusion, habitat degradation, and biodiversity loss ([ 3 ][3]). The government's plan to establish a coal-based power plant has also threatened the region's sustainability ([ 11 ][11]). Once traffic begins entering Khulna by way of the Padma Bridge, the risks will only increase. The Government of Bangladesh should provide clear guidelines for development, including strict regulations on land clearing, landfilling, waste disposal, and wastewater discharge. To protect the Sundarbans, any development in the region should also comply with policies that conserve local ecosystems and livelihoods. 1. [↵][13]Government of Bangladesh, “Padma multipurpose bridge project” (2015); [www.padmabridge.gov.bd][14]. 2. [↵][15]1. J. J. Hamre et al ., “Padma bridge (construction)” (Reconnecting Asia, 2020). 3. [↵][16]1. S. A. Mukul et al ., Sci. Tot. Environ. 663, 830 (2019). [OpenUrl][17] 4. [↵][18]1. J. Islam , “Padma Bridge will up GDP by 1.2 pc,” The Daily Observer (2015). 5. [↵][19]1. S. R. Biswas et al ., Wetlands Ecol. Manage. 17, 365 (2009). [OpenUrl][20] 6. [↵][21]1. M. Anam et al ., “Padma bridge–new lifeline of development,” The Daily Star (2016). 7. [↵][22]1. M. M. H. Khan et al ., “Bangladesh tiger action plan, 2018–2017” (Bangladesh Forest Department, Dhaka, 2018). 8. [↵][23]1. G. Rasul , Int. J. River Basin Manage. 13, 387 (2015). [OpenUrl][24] 9. [↵][25]1. B. D. Smith et al ., Mar. Mammal Sci. 22, 527 (2006). [OpenUrl][26] 10. [↵][27]1. M. S. Uddin et al ., Ecosyst. Serv. 5, e88 (2013). [OpenUrl][28] 11. [↵][29]1. P. Schwartzstein , “This vanishing forest protects the coasts—and lives—of two countries,” National Geographic (2019). 12. [↵][30]1. D. C. Donato et al ., Nat. Geosci. 4, 293 (2011). 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领域	气候变化 ; 资源环境
URL	查看原文
引用统计	被引频次：14[WOS] [WOS记录] [WOS相关记录]
文献类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.173/C666/handle/2XK7JSWQ/274447
专题	气候变化资源环境科学
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Sharif A. Mukul,Saleemul Huq,John Herbohn,et al. Saving the Sundarbans from development[J]. Science,2020.
APA	Sharif A. Mukul,Saleemul Huq,John Herbohn,Nathalie Seddon,&William F. Laurance.(2020).Saving the Sundarbans from development.Science.
MLA	Sharif A. Mukul,et al."Saving the Sundarbans from development".Science (2020).