Bio-shield of Sunderban Mangroves, Tropical Cyclone Remal and thereafter: Mitigating Climate Stress through Blue Carbon Storage and Sequestration

Abstract

Sundarban mangrove ecosystem, the largest mangrove ecosystem in the world consists of freshwater swamp forests forming one of the world's largest coastal wetlands. Named after the dominant mangrove tree species, Heritiera fomes, known as ‘sundari’ in Bengal, it forms a bio-shield protecting the densely populated coastal areas of India and Bangladesh from the severe impact of tropical cyclones like Amphan, Yaas, Remal and others. The mangroves store ‘blue carbon’ and thus play a crucial role in carbon sequestration. Protection, conservation and restoration of this unique coastal mangrove ecosystem may go a long way in combating and mitigating the effects of climate change.

Keywords

• climate change
• mangrove ecosystem
• blue carbon
• carbon sequestration