The Eastern Sundarbans form one of the world’s largest contiguous mangrove forests, and comprise nearly half of Bangladesh’s remaining natural forest.  These vast mudflats and mangroves hold immense economic and social importance to the people of Bangladesh. About one third of the total area is protected for biodiversity conservation and two thirds is used as a production zone for timber, goalpata, fuelwood, and pulpwood. Leaves, mollusk shells, crabs, honey, beeswax and fish are harvested by local communities.  

Among Asia’s largest carbon stores, these wetlands, when kept intact, can sequester carbon equivalent to Saudi Arabia’s annual oil emissions, offering opportunities for carbon financing for livelihoods and biodiversity conservation. The site has excellent—but still unrealized—potential for ecotourism, research, and conservation education. The mangroves act as a natural buffer, protecting densely populated farmlands from cyclones and tidal surges from the Bay of Bengal.