On #InsideSouthAsia with Bhairavi Singh: - #Pakistan finally gets its Prime Minister - #Taliban: do not photograph 'living things' - Inside the Sundarbans: Tiger conservation programme - Chenab bridge: world’s highest railway bridge - #Avalanche threat in Kashmir

Shehbaz Sharif set to return as Pak PM | No photograph of living things in Afghanistan

It is another milestone for India as Border Security Force has come up with an all-women border outpost in the remotest part of Sundarbans on the international border shared with Bangladesh. The old ship is converted into a floating outpost.

Women in BSF would be seen protecting vast water borders that India shares with Bangladesh

Mangrove trees have emerged as a lifesaver as the world looks at containing the rise in temperature. Women have lead plantation drive in Sundarbans to save the mangrove trees

Plantation drive in Sundarbans

As the world looks at containing the rise in temperature, Mangrove trees have emerged as a life-saver. Their roots can absorb twice the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide as compared to the trees found in the Amazon but in the last few years, human activities have brought devastation to the Mangrove ecosystem, one such example in Sundarbans.

India: 10,000 Mangrove saplings to be planted in Sundarbans, all women group lead drive

A lower-than-expected population of male Bengal tigers in the world's largest mangrove forest has sparked fears about the long-term viability of the endangered species in Bangladesh, officials said Tuesday.

A poaching crackdown by authorities in the Bangladeshi part of the Sundarbans mangroves saw an increase in the big cat population from 106 to 114 four years ago, according to a census published in May.

But a closer analysis of the data found the number of male tigers was lower than the typical ratio of one male for every three tigresses, with the figure now at one male for every five females, officials said.

"We are extremely worried. The standard ratio should be one male for every three female tigers," Jahidul Kabir, the government's conservator of forest wildlife, told AFP.

"In the Sharonkhola range, we found only two males against 19 female tigers," he said, adding the future of the tiger population in the Sundarbans could be at stake if the forest continues to lose male tigers," he added.

Authorities are planning to capture male tigers from other parts of the forest and introduce them in the Sharonkhola range, which is the densest tiger habitat in the mangroves.

The census was conducted on 1,656 square kilometres (640 square miles) of forest last year and used camera traps to count the big cats.

The Sundarbans, which also straddle parts of eastern India, is home to some rare flora and fauna including Irrawaddy dolphins and Bengal tigers, both declared endangered because of poaching and loss of habitat.

Alarm bells rang in 2015 when a census found that only 106 tigers were living in the forest, less than a quarter of the 440-strong population in 2004.&nbsp;

Since the 2015 findings, authorities have undertaken a series of measures to boost the number of Bengal tigers in the forest - one of the world's last remaining wild habitats for the big cats. &nbsp;&nbsp;

As part of the measures, the size of the wildlife sanctuary in the forest was more than doubled. An elite security force launched a major crackdown against pirates-turned-poachers active in the forest.

Monirul Khan, a zoology professor and a tiger expert at the state-run Jahangirnagar University, said he believed poaching was behind the low male tiger numbers.

"No doubt this is a worrying trend. And the possible reason is poaching," Khan said.

"Male tigers are aggressive and they cover bigger territory, which make them vulnerable to poaching."

A lower-than-expected population of male Bengal tigers in the world's largest mangrove forest has sparked fears about the long-term viability of the endangered species in Bangladesh, officials said Tuesday.

A lower-than-expected population of male Bengal tigers in the world's largest mangrove forest has sparked fears about the long-term viability of the endangered species in Bangladesh, officials said Tuesday. A poaching crackdown by authorities in the Bangladeshi part of the Sundarbans mangroves saw an increase in the big cat population from 106 to 114 four years ago, according to a census published in May. But a closer analysis of the data found the number of male tigers was lower than the typical ratio of one male for every three tigresses, with the figure now at one male for every five females, officials said. "We are extremely worried. The standard ratio should be one male for every three female tigers," Jahidul Kabir, the government's conservator of forest wildlife, told AFP. "In the Sharonkhola range, we found only two males against 19 female tigers," he said, adding the future of the tiger population in the Sundarbans could be at stake if the forest continues to lose male tigers," he added. Authorities are planning to capture male tigers from other parts of the forest and introduce them in the Sharonkhola range, which is the densest tiger habitat in the mangroves. The census was conducted on 1,656 square kilometres (640 square miles) of forest last year and used camera traps to count the big cats. The Sundarbans, which also straddle parts of eastern India, is home to some rare flora and fauna including Irrawaddy dolphins and Bengal tigers, both declared endangered because of poaching and loss of habitat. Alarm bells rang in 2015 when a census found that only 106 tigers were living in the forest, less than a quarter of the 440-strong population in 2004. Since the 2015 findings, authorities have undertaken a series of measures to boost the number of Bengal tigers in the forest - one of the world's last remaining wild habitats for the big cats. As part of the measures, the size of the wildlife sanctuary in the forest was more than doubled. An elite security force launched a major crackdown against pirates-turned-poachers active in the forest. Monirul Khan, a zoology professor and a tiger expert at the state-run Jahangirnagar University, said he believed poaching was behind the low male tiger numbers. "No doubt this is a worrying trend. And the possible reason is poaching," Khan said. "Male tigers are aggressive and they cover bigger territory, which make them vulnerable to poaching."

Bangladesh 'extremely worried' over low male tiger population

Climate change and rising sea levels could destroy the mangroves of Sundarbans, the last coastal stronghold of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sundarbans-world-heritage-forest-declared-pirate-free-by-bangladesh-19469">Bengal tiger</a> in India and Bangladesh, according to a study published by the James Cook University on Monday.

The littoral habitat of the predator, the world's biggest cat, could be completely destroyed over the next five decades, the study by the Australian university found.

"Fewer than 4,000 Bengal tigers are alive today," said JCU's Professor Bill Laurance, a co-author of the study.

The scientist said that the animal was now "mainly confined to small areas of India and Bangladesh" and warned that the Tigers were getting a "double whammy - greater human encroachment on the one hand and a worsening climate and associated sea-level rises on the other."

"Beyond climate change, the Sundarbans are under growing pressure from industrial developments, new roads, and greater poaching," Laurance added in a statement by the university.

The study's lead author, Sharif Mukul, of the Independent University Bangladesh, said that the Sundarbans region, which spans over 10,000 square kilometres (3,861 square miles), is the biggest mangrove forest on the planet and is "the most critical area for Bengal tiger survival."

"What is most terrifying is that our analyses suggest tiger habitats in the Sundarbans will vanish entirely by 2070," he added in the statement.

The study is based on computer simulations to assess the future suitability of the low-lying Sundarban region for tigers and their prey species and uses mainstream estimates of climatic trends from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The researchers' analyses also included factors such as extreme weather events and sea-level rise. In spite&nbsp;of the&nbsp;bleak forecast, the researchers are still hopeful of the Bengal tiger's survival.

"The more of the Sundarbans that can be conserved-via new protected areas and reducing illegal poaching-the more resilient it will be to future climatic extremes and rising sea levels," Laurance said.

"There is no other place like the Sundarbans left on Earth,' said Professor Laurance. 'We have to look after this iconic ecosystem if we want amazing animals like the Bengal tiger to have a chance of survival," he concluded.

Climate change and rising sea levels could destroy the mangroves of Sundarbans, the last coastal stronghold of the Bengal tiger in India and Bangladesh, according to a study published by the James Cook University on Monday.

Climate change and rising sea levels could destroy the mangroves of Sundarbans, the last coastal stronghold of the Bengal tiger in India and Bangladesh, according to a study published by the James Cook University on Monday. The littoral habitat of the predator, the world's biggest cat, could be completely destroyed over the next five decades, the study by the Australian university found. "Fewer than 4,000 Bengal tigers are alive today," said JCU's Professor Bill Laurance, a co-author of the study. The scientist said that the animal was now "mainly confined to small areas of India and Bangladesh" and warned that the Tigers were getting a "double whammy - greater human encroachment on the one hand and a worsening climate and associated sea-level rises on the other." "Beyond climate change, the Sundarbans are under growing pressure from industrial developments, new roads, and greater poaching," Laurance added in a statement by the university. The study's lead author, Sharif Mukul, of the Independent University Bangladesh, said that the Sundarbans region, which spans over 10,000 square kilometres (3,861 square miles), is the biggest mangrove forest on the planet and is "the most critical area for Bengal tiger survival." "What is most terrifying is that our analyses suggest tiger habitats in the Sundarbans will vanish entirely by 2070," he added in the statement. The study is based on computer simulations to assess the future suitability of the low-lying Sundarban region for tigers and their prey species and uses mainstream estimates of climatic trends from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The researchers' analyses also included factors such as extreme weather events and sea-level rise. In spite of the bleak forecast, the researchers are still hopeful of the Bengal tiger's survival. "The more of the Sundarbans that can be conserved-via new protected areas and reducing illegal poaching-the more resilient it will be to future climatic extremes and rising sea levels," Laurance said. "There is no other place like the Sundarbans left on Earth,' said Professor Laurance. 'We have to look after this iconic ecosystem if we want amazing animals like the Bengal tiger to have a chance of survival," he concluded.

Climate change threatens Sundarbans, coastal home of endangered Royal Bengal tiger: Study

Bangladesh&nbsp;police&nbsp;declared Thursday that rampant piracy in the Sundarbans was a thing of the past, crediting a gun buyback scheme for reducing crime and tiger poaching in the vast mangrove forest.

Police&nbsp;said more than 130 pirates operating in the forested delta region had surrendered their weapons and ammunition in exchange for cash, legal aid and mobile phones since the programme began just over a year ago.

The scheme had virtually eradicated the lawlessness once rife in the world&#39;s largest mangrove forest, a natural habitat for endangered Bengal tigers, said a spokesman for the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)&nbsp;police&nbsp;unit.

&quot;Most of the areas in Sundarbans are now pirate-free,&quot; Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan told AFP.

&quot;So far 132 pirates-turned-poachers from 12 groups have surrendered. They abducted fishermen and were engaged in wildlife poaching in the Sundarbans.&quot;

The battalion had spent more than a decade cracking down on criminality in the dense mangrove forest, with 117 pirates killed and nearly 400 arrested in sweeps since 2004.

But the buyback scheme, introduced in May 2016, has proved more effective in tackling crime in the UNESCO world heritage site.

Nearly 250 guns and 12,500 rounds of ammunition had been handed over in exchange for legal assistance, cash, mobile phones, winter clothing and gifts to mark the Islamic festival of Eid, Bhuiyan said.

The pirates are not granted amnesty for their offences but are viewed favourably for turning themselves in.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan awarded each of the surrendered pirates $2,000 at a ceremony in the coastal town of Bagerhat on Wednesday, the RAB said.

Conservationists said the surrender of so many pirates represented a small victory for Bengal tigers, prize targets for poachers.

&quot;They kill tigers and deer indiscriminately. They poach tigers and sell their meat and body parts to people connected with the illegal wildlife trade,&quot; Anwarul Islam, a zoology professor at Dhaka University, told AFP.

The Sundarbans, which also straddle parts of eastern India, are home to rare wildlife including Irrawaddy dolphins and Bengal tigers -- both of which are endangered species due to poaching and habitat encroachment.

The big cat population in the 10,000 square-kilometre (3,861 sq mile) forest dropped to just over 100 in 2015 from an estimated 440 a decade earlier.

A UN agency last year urged&nbsp;Bangladesh&#39;s government to halt construction of a huge power plant at the edge of the forest, warning the controversial project could &quot;irreversibly damage&quot; the Sundarbans.

.

Police said more than 130 pirates operating in the forested delta region had surrendered their weapons and ammunition in exchange for cash, legal aid and mobile phones

Bangladesh police declared Thursday that rampant piracy in the Sundarbans was a thing of the past, crediting a gun buyback scheme for reducing crime and tiger poaching in the vast mangrove forest. Police said more than 130 pirates operating in the forested delta region had surrendered their weapons and ammunition in exchange for cash, legal aid and mobile phones since the programme began just over a year ago. The scheme had virtually eradicated the lawlessness once rife in the world's largest mangrove forest, a natural habitat for endangered Bengal tigers, said a spokesman for the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) police unit. "Most of the areas in Sundarbans are now pirate-free," Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan told AFP. "So far 132 pirates-turned-poachers from 12 groups have surrendered. They abducted fishermen and were engaged in wildlife poaching in the Sundarbans." The battalion had spent more than a decade cracking down on criminality in the dense mangrove forest, with 117 pirates killed and nearly 400 arrested in sweeps since 2004. But the buyback scheme, introduced in May 2016, has proved more effective in tackling crime in the UNESCO world heritage site. Nearly 250 guns and 12,500 rounds of ammunition had been handed over in exchange for legal assistance, cash, mobile phones, winter clothing and gifts to mark the Islamic festival of Eid, Bhuiyan said. The pirates are not granted amnesty for their offences but are viewed favourably for turning themselves in. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan awarded each of the surrendered pirates $2,000 at a ceremony in the coastal town of Bagerhat on Wednesday, the RAB said. Conservationists said the surrender of so many pirates represented a small victory for Bengal tigers, prize targets for poachers. "They kill tigers and deer indiscriminately. They poach tigers and sell their meat and body parts to people connected with the illegal wildlife trade," Anwarul Islam, a zoology professor at Dhaka University, told AFP. The Sundarbans, which also straddle parts of eastern India, are home to rare wildlife including Irrawaddy dolphins and Bengal tigers -- both of which are endangered species due to poaching and habitat encroachment. The big cat population in the 10,000 square-kilometre (3,861 sq mile) forest dropped to just over 100 in 2015 from an estimated 440 a decade earlier. A UN agency last year urged Bangladesh's government to halt construction of a huge power plant at the edge of the forest, warning the controversial project could "irreversibly damage" the Sundarbans. .

Sundarbans, world heritage forest, declared pirate-free by Bangladesh

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