365
Jambu Island of this region is reduced in size by land erosion, but currently forested by mangrove. Fisherman community was settled in the south central part of
the island, and fish drying platforms were also extended over a large area of the
island surface in the expanse of mangrove in the decades of 1980s and 1990s and
even up to 2007. One of the permanent settlement units (J.L. No. 420) was also
located at the northern limit of the island within the mangrove forest since 1966.
However, the forest department has removed all the settlers from the island at present. Mangrove forests are now well preserved in the distal island, though a large part
is affected severely by erosion.
Henry’s island on the shores of the Bay of Bengal and Saptamukhi river estuary
is another extent of mangrove forest in which fishery project, mangrove ecotourism
Fig. 11.3 Causes of mangrove degradations identified from the southwestern part of the Sundarban
(India). (a) Location of fish drying platforms on the spit back surface adjacent of mangrove wetlands; (b) encroachment of fish farming plots into the inner part of mangrove wetlands; (c) landward movement of wash over sand fan lobes submerging the mangrove wetlands and (d) land
reclamation processes, removing the natural mangrove wetlands of the Sundarban
11 Mangrove Degradation in the Sundarbans
Jambu Island of this region is reduced in size by land erosion, but currently forested by mangrove. Fisherman community was settled in the south central part of
the island, and fish drying platforms were also extended over a large area of the
island surface in the expanse of mangrove in the decades of 1980s and 1990s and
even up to 2007. One of the permanent settlement units (J.L. No. 420) was also
located at the northern limit of the island within the mangrove forest since 1966.
However, the forest department has removed all the settlers from the island at present. Mangrove forests are now well preserved in the distal island, though a large part
is affected severely by erosion.
Henry’s island on the shores of the Bay of Bengal and Saptamukhi river estuary
is another extent of mangrove forest in which fishery project, mangrove ecotourism
Fig. 11.3 Causes of mangrove degradations identified from the southwestern part of the Sundarban
(India). (a) Location of fish drying platforms on the spit back surface adjacent of mangrove wetlands; (b) encroachment of fish farming plots into the inner part of mangrove wetlands; (c) landward movement of wash over sand fan lobes submerging the mangrove wetlands and (d) land
reclamation processes, removing the natural mangrove wetlands of the Sundarban
11 Mangrove Degradation in the Sundarbans