Shahriar Wahid, Mohammed Mainuddin, Francis Chiew, Fazlul Karim, Shaikh Nahiduzzaman, Rubayat Alam, Md. Raqubul Hasib
{"title":"Salinity dynamics in the Sundarbans of Bangladesh: influence of climate, freshwater inflow, and sea level changes","authors":"Shahriar Wahid, Mohammed Mainuddin, Francis Chiew, Fazlul Karim, Shaikh Nahiduzzaman, Rubayat Alam, Md. Raqubul Hasib","doi":"10.1007/s10661-025-14667-2","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem, the world’s largest contiguous mangrove forest, is under pressure from changing salinity due to climate change, reduced freshwater input from upstream rivers, and tidal dynamics in the Bay of Bengal. Despite its ecological and socio-economic significance, previous studies have not provided a comprehensive, location-specific assessment of salinity that explicitly links spatial heterogeneity with hydroclimatic drivers. This study synthesised and analysed the best available data in the Bangladesh Sundarbans over the 26 years to quantify the characteristics, trends, and interrelationships of these variables spatially and temporally. The results reveal that salinity has been consistently higher in the western part of the Sundarbans, and extreme salinity levels have increased since 2010. There has been a statistically significant decrease in the freshwater inflow from the Ganges through the Gorai River (at the Gorai railway bridge location) since the early 1980s, which has led to increased downstream salinity. Strong statistical correlations enabled robust predictions of salinity as a function of rainfall and temperature. A rising water level trend at Hiron Point is attributed to the rise in sea levels. The absence of long-term measurement data prevents the exploration of salinity dynamics in the numerous creeks that crisscross the mangrove ecosystem. It is crucial to establish continuous monitoring and assessment to better understand and manage the impacts of climate change and development on the Bangladesh Sundarbans and similar coastal ecosystems worldwide.</p><h3>Graphical abstract</h3>\n<div><figure><div><div><picture><source><img></source></picture></div></div></figure></div></div>","PeriodicalId":544,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Monitoring and Assessment","volume":"197 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10661-025-14667-2.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Environmental Monitoring and Assessment","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10661-025-14667-2","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem, the world’s largest contiguous mangrove forest, is under pressure from changing salinity due to climate change, reduced freshwater input from upstream rivers, and tidal dynamics in the Bay of Bengal. Despite its ecological and socio-economic significance, previous studies have not provided a comprehensive, location-specific assessment of salinity that explicitly links spatial heterogeneity with hydroclimatic drivers. This study synthesised and analysed the best available data in the Bangladesh Sundarbans over the 26 years to quantify the characteristics, trends, and interrelationships of these variables spatially and temporally. The results reveal that salinity has been consistently higher in the western part of the Sundarbans, and extreme salinity levels have increased since 2010. There has been a statistically significant decrease in the freshwater inflow from the Ganges through the Gorai River (at the Gorai railway bridge location) since the early 1980s, which has led to increased downstream salinity. Strong statistical correlations enabled robust predictions of salinity as a function of rainfall and temperature. A rising water level trend at Hiron Point is attributed to the rise in sea levels. The absence of long-term measurement data prevents the exploration of salinity dynamics in the numerous creeks that crisscross the mangrove ecosystem. It is crucial to establish continuous monitoring and assessment to better understand and manage the impacts of climate change and development on the Bangladesh Sundarbans and similar coastal ecosystems worldwide.
期刊介绍：
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment emphasizes technical developments and data arising from environmental monitoring and assessment, the use of scientific principles in the design of monitoring systems at the local, regional and global scales, and the use of monitoring data in assessing the consequences of natural resource management actions and pollution risks to man and the environment.
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号
