Where is Sundarban Biosphere Reserve?

Why in news?

• The first-ever festival was organised by the Sundarban Tiger Reserve (STR) division of the West Bengal Forest Department, where six teams visited different areas inside the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve.

Key facts of the Sundarban Biosphere Reserve

• The Sundarbans is located on the delta of the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers in the Bay of Bengal.
• This Biosphere Reserve includes Sundarban Tiger Reserve, Sundarban National Park (core area), Halliday Island and Lothian Island Wildlife Sanctuaries with Sajnakhali Wildlife Sanctuary forming its buffer area.
• It is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Flora: The vegetation of the area is moist tropical forests and tidal forests.

• Fauna: It is home to Royal Bengal Tiger, Estuarine Crocodile, Gangetic Dolphin, Water Monitor Lizard etc

 

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Q1) What are Biosphere Reserves?

Biosphere reserves are ‘learning places for sustainable development’. They are sites for testing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and managing changes and interactions between social and ecological systems.

Source: 145 bird species were spotted during the first bird festival in Sundarbans
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