In this study, we document changes in the shoreline of the
Sundarbans using remotely sensed satellite data. We identify regions of and
quantify the extent of erosion and sedimentation in the region and assess land
use and land use patterns over a 14 year period from 2000 to 2014. The Sundarbans forest contains the largest single block of
tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world. It is a fragile coastal
ecosystem that is affected by factors such as freshwater influx, salinity
changes, global climate changes and sea level fluctuations, amongst others
caused by natural and/or anthropogenic forcings. Due to these factors, mangrove
forests such as the Sundarbans often are subjected to large degree of
sedimentation (accretion) and erosion leading to the changes in the shorelines
(Rahman, 2010). In this study, we quantify the extent of sedimentation and
erosion in order to assess changes in the shoreline of the Sundarbans. Our
study focuses on two regions; one in the Bangladesh Sundarbans and the other in
the Indian Sundarbans