Bangladesh development threatens fragile Sundarbans mangroves

DHAKA, Dec. 23 (NsNewsWire) — Bangladesh’s rapid development on the doorstep of the ecologically fragile Sundarbans mangrove forest means “environmental disasters” like this month’s oil spill in the massive delta are increasingly likely, experts warn.

Authorities failed to organise a proper clean up until four days after the sunken tanker spewed tens of thousands of litres of oil into a dolphin sanctuary — ordering villagers and fishermen armed only with sponges and pans to scoop up the thick tar.

The Bangladeshi government opened up the delta in 2011 to large commercial vessels — a decision environmental experts described as a “bomb waiting to explode”.

The world’s largest mangrove forest faces further threat from a range of projects underway to feed Bangladesh’s booming economy, including a coal-fired power plant and a massive grain silo.

“The forest has lost half its cover in the last five decades. Now we’ve laid the groundwork to put the last nail in its coffin,” Bangladesh’s top independent wildlife expert, Mohsinuzzaman Chowdhury, said of the projects.