Mapping Ecosystem Services in India's Largest Estuary: A Systematic Review of the Hooghly Matlah Estuarine System Using CICES

ABHILASH THAPA; NEHA W. QURESHI; P.S. ANANTHAN; DIBAKAR BHAKTA; PIYASHI DEBROY; RINCHEN N. BHUTIA

doi:10.54894/JISCAR.42.2.2024.159555

Authors

ABHILASH THAPA ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai- 400 061, Maharashtra, India
NEHA W. QURESHI ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai- 400 061, Maharashtra, India
P.S. ANANTHAN ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai- 400 061, Maharashtra, India
DIBAKAR BHAKTA ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, Kolkata - 700 120, West Bengal
PIYASHI DEBROY ICAR-Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, Kolkata - 700 120, West Bengal
RINCHEN N. BHUTIA ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, RSS, Canning Town - 743 329, West Bengal

https://doi.org/10.54894/JISCAR.42.2.2024.159555

Keywords:

Ecosystem services, CICES, Systematic review, Hooghly Matlah estuarine system

Abstract

The Hooghly Matlah Estuarine System (HMES), renowned as India’s largest and most productive estuary, provides various ecosystem services essential for human well-being. While some research has concentrated on the Sundarbans region, there have been limited efforts to thoroughly identify all the services offered by the HMES using an internationally recognized classification. This study aims to document and summarize the ecosystem services provided by the HMES in India. To achieve this, a systematic literature review focused on the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES, version 5.2) to catalog the relevant services associated with the estuary. We utilized the Google Scholar database and the Google search engine to gather scientifically supported data drawn from both peer-reviewed articles and grey literature. Our findings revealed 59 ecosystem services out of the 99 listed in CICES, constituting approximately 59.60 % of the total. This includes 38 biophysical services provided by the living systems (61.29% of the 62 biophysical class) and 21 geophysical services derived from non-living components of ecosystems (56.76% of the 37 geophysical class). The HMES demonstrates a remarkable level of multifunctionality, with its services almost evenly distributed across provisioning (21), regulating (18), and cultural (20) categories. This broad range of services highlights the essential role of the HMES in sustaining several types of ecological processes essential to both human life and the health of ecosystems. The study suggests prioritizing thoughtful policies and sustainable management approaches to safeguard the estuary’s rich biodiversity, keep its ecosystems healthy, and ensure the well-being of the communities that depend on it.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Acharya, K.V., Dadhaniya, P., Shendage, A., Badne, A. and Chava, A. (2019). Estuarine fisheries resource of India. International Journal of Sciences and Applied Research 6(1): 1-12.

Agencies. (2023). Women artists of the Sundarbans, The Shillong Times, The Shillong Times Pvt. Ltd., Rilbong, Meghalaya, India. Available from https://theshillongtimes.com/2023/03/26/women-artists-of-the-sundarbans/ (Accessed 06/07/2024)

Akber, M.A., Patwary, M.M., Islam, M.A. and Rahman, M.R. (2018). Storm protection service of the Sundarbans mangrove forest, Bangladesh. Natural Hazards 94: 405-418.

Aktar, N. (2016). Agricultural productivity and productivity regions in West Bengal. Nehu Journal 8(2): 49-69.

Anon, (2021). Travel bucket list: India - West Bengal (Part 6), Memories & Such. Available from https://memoriesandsuch.com/2021/06/07/travel-bucket-list-india-west-bengal-part-6/ (Accessed 24/07/2024)

Ashley, M., Murillas, A., Muench, A., Marta-Pedroso, C., Rodwell, L., Rees, S., Rendle, E., Bašić, T., Copp, G.H., Díaz, E. and Nachón, D.J. (2023). An evidence base of ecosystems services provided by diadromous fish in the European Atlantic Area. Ecosystem Services 64: 101559. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2023.101559

Ayappan, S. (2011). Handbook of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Directorate of Knowledge Management in Agriculture, ICAR, New Delhi. 1116 p.

Banerjee, S., Ladd, C.J., Chanda, A., Shil, S., Ghosh, T., Large, A. and Balke, T. (2023). Securing the sustainable future of tropical deltas through mangrove restoration: Lessons from the Indian Sundarban. One Earth 6(3): 190-194.

Barbier, E.B., Hacker, S.D., Kennedy, C., Koch, E.W., Stier, A.C. and Silliman, B.R. (2011). The value of estuarine and coastal ecosystem services. Ecological Monographs 81: 169-193.

Bardhan, M. (2021). An empirical study on mangrove restoration in Indian Sundarbans—a community-based environmental approach. Modern Cartography Series 10: 387-405.

Bera, B., Bhattacharjee, S., Sengupta, N., Shit, P.K., Adhikary, P.P., Sengupta, D. and Saha, S. (2022). Significant reduction of carbon stocks and changes of ecosystem service valuation of Indian Sundarban. Scientific Reports 12(1): 7809. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-11716-5

Bhadra, T., Mitraa, S. and Hazrab, S. (2022). Identification of the Flow Dependent Ecosystems and their Services in the Indian Sundarbans. Journal of Sustainable Science and Transformative Research-Reviews & Letters 1(1): 30-34.

Bhattacharya, A. and Jana, T.K. (1993). Studies on the role of salt-tolerant plants in the formation and stabilization of coastal dunes of the deltaic Sunderbans, North-East coast of India. In: Towards the Rational Use of High Salinity Tolerant Plants. H. Lieth and A.A. Masoom (eds.), Tasks for vegetation science, vol 27. Springer, Dordrecht. pp 363-370.

Bhattacharyya, P., Padhy, S.R., Khanam, R., Nayak, A.K., Dash, P.K., Reddy, C.S., Chakraborty, A., Mandal, D., Swain, S. and Baig, M.J. (2023). Marine estuaries act as better sink for greenhouse gases during winter in undisturbed mangrove than degraded ones in Sundarban, India. Marine Environmental Research 191: 106147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.106147

Blaber, S.J.M. (2002). ‘Fish in hot water”: the challenges facing fish and fisheries research in tropical estuaries. Journal of Fish Biology 61: 1-20.

Boeker, M., Vach, W. and Motschall, E. (2013). Google scholar as replacement for systematic literature searches: good relative recall and precision are not enough. BMC Medical Research Methodology 13: 1-12.

Booi, S., Mishi, S. and Andersen, O. (2022). Ecosystem Services: A Systematic Review of Provisioning and Cultural Ecosystem Services in Estuaries. Sustainability 14(12): 7252. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127252

Chakraborti, U., Biswas, O., Das, A.K., Roy, S., Das, P. and Mitra, B. (2016). Studies on Sacred Groves and Sacred Trees along the Eastern bank of river Hoogly of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Indian Forester 142(2): 156-166.

Chakraborty, D. (2024). Mangroves as an Effective Tool of Phytoremediation and Its Implications on Agricultural Land in Estuarine Zones. In: Phytoremediation and Biofortification, N.K. Singh, S. Afzal and T. Aftab (eds.), Apple Academic Press, Taylor and Francis, London. pp 131-146.

Chakraborty, H., Debroy, P., Kunui, A., Nandy, S.K., Jana, C., Sahoo, A.K. and Das, B.K. (2024). Hilsa fisheries in India: A socio-economic analysis of fishers in deltaic Ganga region of river Hooghly. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 8: 1310077. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1310077

Chanda, A. and Akhand, A. (2023). Challenges towards the Sustainability and Enhancement of the Indian Sundarban Mangrove’s Blue Carbon Stock. Life 13(8): 1787. https://doi.org/10.3390/life13081787

Chapke, R.R. (2009). Constraints and motivation behind jute cultivation. Indian Journal of Extension Education 45(3-4): 85-91.

Chatterjee, A. and Bhattacharyya, S. (2015). Distribution and abundance of monitor lizards (Varanus spp.) in human habitations of south west Bengal: People’s tradition of coexisting with wildlife. African Journal of Science and Research 3(7): 1-7.

Chatterjee, S., Mazumdar, D. and Chakraborty, S.K. (2014). Ecological role of fiddler crabs (Uca spp.) through bioturbatory activities in the coastal belt of East Midnapore, West Bengal, India. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India 56(2): 1-25.

Chattopadhyay, (2014). Matla River, Poem Hunter. Available at https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/matla-river/ (Accessed 04/07/2024)

Chattopadhyay, D., Mandal, R., Chakraborty, A., Das, A. and Adhikari, S. (2024). Prerequisite steps for domestication of hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) in freshwater pond. Science and Culture 90(1-2): 14-18.

Chowdhury, A., Naz, A., Iyer, A.S. and Bhattacharyya, S. (2021). Ecosystem based disaster risk reduction at Indian Sundarbans: A lesson learned from AMPHAN supercyclone. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 796(1): 012042. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/796/1/012042

Collins, A., Coughlin, D., Miller, J. and Kirk, S. (2015). The production of quick scoping reviews and rapid evidence assessments: A how to guide. Joint Water Evidence Group, Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the Environment Agency, London. 63 p. Available from https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/512448 (Accessed 30/06/2024)

Costanza, R. (2008). Ecosystem services: multiple classification systems are needed. Biological Conservation 141(2): 350-352.

Costanza, R., d'Arge, R., De Groot, R., Farber, S., Grasso, M., Hannon, B., Limburg, K., Naeem, S., O'neill, R.V., Paruelo, J. and Raskin, R.G. (1997). The value of the world's ecosystem services and natural capital. Nature 387(6630): 253-260.

Culhane, F., Frid, C., Gelabert, E., White, L. and Robinson, L. (2018). Linking marine ecosystems with the services they supply: what are the relevant service providing units?. Ecological Applications 28(7): 1740-1751.

Daily, G.C. (1997). Introduction: what are ecosystem services. Nature’s services: Societal Dependence on Natural Ecosystems 1(1): 1-10.

Das, S. and Hazra, S. (2020). Trapped or resettled: Coastal communities in the Sundarbans Delta, India. Forced Migration Review, Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford, United Kingdom. 64 p. Available from https://www.fmreview.org/das-hazra/#_edn3 (Accessed 10/08/2024)

Das, D. (2014). Kshitish Bishal and his paintings on Sundarban. SAU Sociology. Available from https://sausociology.wordpress.com/2014/12/07/kshitish-bishal-and-his-paintings-on-sundarban/ (Accessed 10/08/2024)

Das, G.K. (2020). Forest covers of West Bengal: A district-wise review. Reason-A Technical Journal 19: 26-63.

Das, G.K. (2023). Coastal tourism and pollution. In: Coastal environments of India: A coastal West Bengal perspective, Springer International Publishing, Cham. pp 213-232.

Das, I., Chanda, A., Akhand, A. and Hazra, S. (2023). Carbon biogeochemistry of the estuaries adjoining the Indian Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem: A review. Life 13(4): 863. https://doi.org/10.3390/life13040863

Das, J. (2015). Tourist Guide Book of Sundarbans. First edition. Self-published, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. 120 p. Available from https://wbtourism.gov.in/River%20and%20Cruise%20tourism/details?template_id=1&id=640f08d16eba05b8070d288c (Accessed 05/07/2024)

Das, S.K. (2007). Opportunities of eco-tourism in the Sundarbans: A study of prospects and associated problems. In: Environmental Concerns and Perspectives, S.D. Banik, S.K. Basu and A.K. De (eds.), APH Publishing Corporation, New Delhi. pp 151-167.

Defeo, O., McLachlan, A., Schoeman, D.S., Schlacher, T.A., Dugan, J., Jones, A., Lastra, M. and Scapini, F. (2009). Threats to sandy beach ecosystems: A review. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 81: 1–12.

Department of Power. (2024). Freserganj Wind Farm Project, at Freserganj, South 24 Parganas. Department of Power, Government of West Bengal, Kolkata. Available from https://wbpower.gov.in/by-wbreda/ (Accessed 29/06/2024)

Dutta, S., Chakraborty, K. and Hazra, S. (2016). The status of the marine fisheries of West Bengal coast of the northern Bay of Bengal and its management options: A review. Proceedings of the Zoological Society 69(1): 1-8.

Ekka, A., Pandit, A., Katiha, P.K. and Biswas, D.K. (2020). Economic value of ecosystem services of Gosaba estuarine ecosystem of Sundarbans. Journal of Inland Fisheries Society of India 52(2): 157-163.

Fegley, S.R. and Michel, J. (2021). Estimates of losses and recovery of ecosystem services for oiled beaches lack clarity and ecological realism. Ecosphere 12: 03763. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3763

Fisher B. and Turner K. (2008). Ecosystem services: Classification for valuation. Biological Conservation, 141: 1167-1169

Ganguly, D., Ray, R., Majumder, N., Chowdhury, C. and Jana, T.K. (2014). Monsoonal influence on evapotranspiration of the tropical mangrove forest in Northeast India. American Journal of Climate Change 3(2): 13. http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=47417

García-Onetti, J., Scherer, M.E., Asmus, M.L., Sanabria, J.G. and Barragán, J.M. (2021). Integrating ecosystem services for the socio-ecological management of ports. Ocean & Coastal Management 206: 105583. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2021.105583

Ghosh, A. (2021). Jungle Nama: A Story of the Sundarban, First edition, HarperCollins Publishers India, New Delhi. 88 p.

Ghosh, D. and Shirodkar, A.D. (2023). Adaptive reuse of abandoned jute mills along the Hooghly river in Bengal: A sustainable approach, Proceedings International Conference of Contemporary Affairs in Architecture and Urbanism-ICCAUA, 6(1): 733-741. https://doi.org/10.38027/iccaua2023en0166

Ghosh, P. and Mandal, S., (2020). Assessment of water quality status of some water bodies in Kolkata. International Journal of Chemical and Environmental Sciences 1(2): 54-57.

Ghosh, R., Mukherjee, J., Pathak, S., Choudry, A. and Bhattacharya, S. (2022). Dried Fish in West Bengal, India: Scoping report, DFM Working Paper 9, The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. Available from https://driedfishmatters.org/pub/dried-fish-in-west-bengal-india-scoping-report.html (Accessed 09/05/2024)

Ghosh, S., Bakshi, M., Kumar, A., Ramanathan, A.L., Biswas, J.K., Bhattacharyya, S., Chaudhuri, P., Shaheen, S.M. and Rinklebe, J. (2019). Assessing the potential ecological risk of Co, Cr, Cu, Fe and Zn in the sediments of Hooghly–Matla estuarine system, India. Environmental Geochemistry and Health 41: 53-70.

Ghoshal, T.K., De, D., Biswas, G., Kumar, P. and Vijayan, K.K. (2019). Brackishwater aquaculture: Opportunities and challenges for meeting livelihood demand in Indian sundarbans. In: The Sundarbans: A disaster-prone eco-region: Increasing livelihood security, Sen, H. (eds.), Springer, Cham. pp 321-349.

Giustini, D. and Boulos, M. (2013). Google scholar is not enough to be used alone for systematic reviews. Online Journal of Public Health Informatics 5(2). https://doi.org/10.5210/ojphi.v5i2.4623

Gopal, B. and Chauhan, M. (2006). Biodiversity and its conservation in the Sundarban mangrove ecosystem. Aquatic Sciences 68: 338-354.

Gopal, B. and Chauhan, M. (2018). The transboundary sundarbans mangroves (India and Bangladesh). In: The Wetland Book: II: Distribution, Description, and Conservation, C. M. Finlayson, G.R. Milton, R.C. Prentice and N. Davidson (eds.), Springer, Cham. pp 1733-1742.

Goswami, G., Mandal, S., Basack, S., Mukherjee, R. and Karakouzian, M. (2023). Assessing the impacts of land use and land cover changes on the water quality of river Hooghly, West Bengal, India: A case study. Hydrology 10(3): 71. https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology10030071

Goswami, S., Agrawal, N., Sengupta, N., Baidya, A. and Sahana, P.K. (2022). Absence of vitamin D deficiency among outdoor workers with type 2 diabetes mellitus in southern West Bengal, India. Cureus 14(2). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.22107

Haines-Young R.H. and Potschin M. (2013). CICES V4.3 – Revised report prepared following consultation on CICES Version 4, August-December 2012, European Environment Agency, Copenhagen. EEA Framework Contract No EEA/IEA/09/003. Available from www.cices.eu (Accessed 02/04/2024)

Haines-Young, R. & Potschin, M. (2018). Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES) V5.1 Guidance on the Application of the Revised Structure, Fabis Consulting Ltd, Nottingham. Available from www.cices.eu (Accessed 02/04/2024)

Haines-Young, R. (2023). Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES) V5.2 and Guidance on the Application of the Revised Structure, Fabis Consulting Ltd, Nottingham. Available from www.cices.eu (Accessed 02/04/2024)

Haines-Young, R. and Potschin, M., (2010). Proposal for a common international classification of ecosystem goods and services (CICES) for integrated environmental and economic accounting, European Environment Agency, Copenhagen. 30 p. Available from https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/CEM/pdf/UNCEEA-5-7-Bk1.pdf (Accessed 03/04/2024)

Haines-Young, R.H. and Potschin, M.B. (2009). Methodologies for defining and assessing ecosystem services. CEM Report No, 14, Final Report, Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), Peterborough.

Haldar, A. and Bhattacharya, A. (2020). Sustainable energy development and participatory management scenario in the Sundarban: a case study in the Sagar Island, West Bengal, India. In: Geoecology of Landscape Dynamics, S. Sahdev, R.B. Singh and M. Kumar (eds.), Advances in Geographical and Environmental Sciences. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2097-6_20

Harris, L.R. and Defeo, O. (2022). Sandy shore ecosystem services, ecological infrastructure, and bundles: New insights and perspectives. Ecosystem Services 57: 101477. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2022.101477

Hati, P., Roy, G., Bhattacharyya, I., Kundu, D. and Sengupta, D. (2020). Present scenario of water supply in Kolkata. International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology 7: 4060-4066.

Hossain, M.I., Nabi, M.R., Ansari, M.N.A., Latif, A., Mahmud, M.R. and Islam, M.S. (2016). Ecosystem services of the world largest mangrove forest Sundarban in Bangladesh. International Journal of Innovation and Scientific Research 27(1): 9-15.

Islam, S.N. (2014). Biosphere reserve, heritage identity and ecosystem services of Sundarbans transnational site between Bangladesh and India. Proceedings The Right to [World] Heritage, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Brandenburg, Germany. 225 p.

Ivermee, R. (2017). The Hooghly river: A sacred and secular waterway. Education About ASIA 22(2): 30-34.

Ivermee, R. (2020). Hooghly: The Global History of a River, First edition, Oxford University Press, C. Hurst & Co. (Publishers) Ltd., London.

Jakubiak, M. and Chmielowski, K. (2020). Identification of urban water bodies ecosystem services. Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Formatio Circumiectus 19(3): 73-82.

Jameel, Y., Stahl, M., Michael, H., Bostick, B.C., Steckler, M.S., Schlosser, P., van Geen, A. and Harvey, C. (2023). Shift in groundwater recharge of the Bengal Basin from rainfall to surface water. Communications Earth & Environment 4(1): 14. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00650-z

Jha, B.C., Nath, D., Srivastava, N.P. and Satpathy, B.B. (2008). Estuarine fisheries management options and strategies. Policy Papers 3, Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, West Bengal, India. pp 1-23.

Jhingran, A.G. and Ghosh, K.K. (1978). The fisheries of the Ganga River system in the context of Indian aquaculture. Aquaculture 14(2): 141-162.

Kanga, S., Meraj, G., Das, B., Farooq, M., Chaudhuri, S. and Singh, S.K. (2020). Modeling the spatial pattern of sediment flow in lower Hugli estuary, West Bengal, India by quantifying suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and depth conditions using geoinformatics. Applied Computing and Geosciences 8: 100043. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acags.2020.100043

Karmakar, S. (2018). Ethnic identity and forest preservation: a sociological enquiry on Sundarbans, West Bengal. Journal of Research in Social Science and Humanities 6(1): 20-25.

Khan, R. (2013). Wildlife of the Sundarban. Sundarban: Rediscovering Sundarban, The Mangrove Beauty of Bangladesh, K. Reza (ed.), Nymphea Publication, Dhaka, Bangladesh. pp 36-73.

Khoshoo, T.N. (1997). Conservation of India's endangered mega animals: Tiger and lion. Current Science 73(10): 830-842.

Koli, P. (2021). Hooghly River Swims. Available from https://prabhatkoli.com/hooghly-river-swim/ (Accessed 17/05/2024)

Kubalíková, L. (2020). Cultural Ecosystem Services of Geodiversity: A Case Study from Stránská skála (Brno, Czech Republic). Land 9. https://doi.org/10.3390/land9040105

Kuhn, T. K., Oinonen, S., Trentlage, J., Riikonen, S., Vikström, S., & Burkhard, B. (2021). Participatory systematic mapping as a tool to identify gaps in ecosystem services research: insights from a Baltic Sea case study. Ecosystem Services 48: 101237. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2020.101237

Kumar, P., Kailasam, M., Sundaray, J.K. and Ghoshal, T.K. (2022). Sustainable fisheries/aquaculture of hilsa, Tenualosa ilisha in changing and dynamic riverine ecosystem of India and its neighborhood. Ecological Significance of River Ecosystems: 455-480.

Lal, D.M., Sreekanth, G.B., Shivakrishna, A., Kumar, R., Nayak, B.B. and Abidi, Z.J. (2021). Ecosystem health status and trophic modeling of an anthropogenically impacted small tropical estuary along India’s west coast. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28(26): 35073-35093.

Lama, T.D., Burman, D., Mandal, U.K., Sarangi, S.K. and Sen, H.S. (2021). Transforming Coastal Zone for Sustainable Food and Income Security. Proceedings International Symposium of ISCAR on Coastal Agriculture, Indian Society of Coastal Agricultural Research, March 16-19, 2021, Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Canning Town, West Bengal. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-95618-9

Madhav, N.V. and Victor, J.R. (2011). Wryneck Jynx torquilla feeding on bird in Sundarbans, West Bengal, India. In Indian Birds, A. Pittie (eds.), New Ornis Foundation, Hyderabad. 48 p.

Mahmood, H. (2015). Handbook of Selected Plant Species of the Sundarbans and the Embankment Ecosystem, Sustainable Development and Biodiversity Conservation in Coastal Protection Forests, Bangladesh, GIZ GmbH, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Dhaka, 116 p.

Mallick, J.K. (2023). A review and field verification of avian diversity and habitat use in the greater Sundarbans of India, Bangladesh and their hinterland. Probe-Animal Science 5(1): 1-42.

Mandal, M.H., Roy, A. and Siddique, G. (2021). Spatial dynamics in people-wetland association: an assessment of rural dependency on ecosystem services extended by Purbasthali Wetland, West Bengal. Environment, Development and Sustainability 23(7): 10831-10852.

Mandal, S., Debnath, M., Ray, S., Ghosh, P.B., Roy, M. and Ray, S. (2012a). Dynamic modelling of dissolved oxygen in the creeks of Sagar island, Hooghly-Matla estuarine system, West Bengal, India. Applied Mathematical Modelling 36(12): 5952-5963.

Mandal, S., Ray, S. and Ghosh, P.B. (2012b). Modelling the impact of mangroves on fish population dynamics of Hooghly-Matla estuarine system, West Bengal, India. Procedia Environmental Sciences 13: 414-444.

Mandala, S.R., Sarkarb, A. and Ghoshc, P.B. (2009). Degradation of mangrove litter and its contribution as dissolved inorganic nitrogen to the adjacent estuary of Sagar island, Sunderban mangrove ecosystem, India. In: Mangroves Ecology, Biology and Taxonomy, J.N. Metras (eds.), Nova Science Publishers, Inc., New York. pp 1-19.

Marois, D.E. and Mitsch, W.J. (2015). Coastal protection from tsunamis and cyclones provided by mangrove wetlands–a review. International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & Management 11(1): 71-83.

Martin, C.L., Momtaz, S., Gaston, T. and Moltschaniwskyj, N.A. (2020). Estuarine cultural ecosystem services valued by local people in New South Wales, Australia, and attributes important for continued supply. Ocean & Coastal Management 190: 105160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2020.105160

Merida, V.E., Cook, D., Ögmundarson, Ó. and Davíðsdóttir, B. (2022). Ecosystem services and disservices of meat and dairy production: A systematic literature review. Ecosystem Services 58: 101494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2022.101494

Miah, M.Y., Hossain, M.M., Schneider, P., Mozumder, M.M.H., Mitu, S.J. and Shamsuzzaman, M.M. (2021). Assessment of ecosystem services and their drivers of change under human-dominated pressure-the Meghna River estuary of Bangladesh. Sustainability 13(8): 4458. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084458

Mitra, A. (2020). Mangrove forests in India, First edition, Springer International Publishing, Switzerland. 361 p. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20595-9

Mitra, A. and Zaman, S., (2021). Estuarine Acidification: Exploring the Situation of Mangrove Dominated Indian Sundarban Estuaries, First edition, Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84792-0.

Mitra, A., Zaman, S., Mitra, A. and Zaman, S. (2020). Water pollution and its mitigation. In: Environmental Science-A Ground Zero Observation on the Indian Subcontinent, A. Mitra and S. Zaman (eds.), Springer, Cham. pp 277-313. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49131-4_8

Mitra, D. (2023). Lost Art Form of Sunderbans Revived. The Telegraph. Available from https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/news/lost-art-form-of-sunderbans-revived/cid/1910339 (Accessed 18/06/2024)

Mitra, P.M., Karmakar, H.C., Sinha, M., Ghosh, A. and Saigal, B.N. (1997). Fisheries of the Hooghly-Matlah Estuarine System-an Appraisal. Technical Bulletin No. 67, Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute. Kolkata, India. 49 p. Available from https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=80678ad4ac85e868d4fbc5f00d38aa3a6d9d9205 (Accessed 18/06/2024)

Mitra, S., Ghosh, S., Satpathy, K.K., Bhattacharya, B.D., Sarkar, S.K., Mishra, P. and Raja, P. (2018). Water quality assessment of the ecologically stressed Hooghly River Estuary, India: A multivariate approach. Marine Pollution Bulletin 126: 592-599.

Mukherjee, J., Karan, S., Chakrabarty, M., Banerjee, A., Rakshit, N. and Ray, S. (2019). An approach towards quantification of ecosystem trophic status and health through ecological network analysis applied in Hooghly-Matla estuarine system, India. Ecological Indicators 100: 55-68.

Mukherjee, P., Pramanick, P., Zaman, S. and Mitra, A. (2021). Phytoremediation of heavy metals by the dominant mangrove associate species of Indian Sundarbans. Journal of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Management 29(4): 391-402.

Mukhopadhyay, K. (2004). An assessment of a biomass gasification based power plant in the Sunderbans. Biomass and Bioenergy 27(3): 253-264.

Mukhopadhyay, S.K., Biswas, H., De, T.K. and Jana, T.K. (2006). Fluxes of nutrients from the tropical River Hooghly at the land-ocean boundary of Sundarbans, NE coast of Bay of Bengal, India. Journal of Marine Systems 62(1-2): 9-21.

Mukhopadhyay, S.K., Sreeraj, C.R., Raghunathan, C. and Sen, A. (2022). First report of a hermit crab Clibanarius longitarsus (De Haan, 1849) (Crustacea: Anomura) from sunderbans, India. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 10(1): 220-223.

Nahlik, A.M., Kentula, M.E., Fennessy, M.S. and Landers, D.H. (2012). Where is the consensus? A proposed foundation for moving ecosystem service concepts into practice. Ecological Economics 77: 27-35.

National Mission for Clean Ganga, (2020). Namami Gange Programme at a Glance, Ministry of Jal Shakti, New Delhi. Available from https://nmcg.nic.in/pdf/NGP-At%20a%20Glance%20(Final%20Version%20Printed).pdf (Accessed 17/06/2024)

Naz, A. and Chowdhury, A. (2022). Eco-Engineering and mangrove restoration methods to stabilize earthen embankments and establishing bio-shield against natural disasters: A case study from Sundarban Ramsar Wetland, India. In: Assessing, Mapping and Modelling of Mangrove Ecosystem Services in the Asia-Pacific Region, R. Dasgupta, S. Hashimoto and O. Saito (eds.), Science for Sustainable Societies. Springer, Singapore. pp 183-198.

Neogi, S.B., Dey, M., Lutful Kabir, S.M., Masum, S.J.H., Kopprio, G.A., Yamasaki, S. and Lara, R.J. (2016). Sundarban mangroves: Diversity, ecosystem services and climate change impacts. Asian Journal of Medical and Biological Research 2(4): 488-507.

Pal, D., Pahari, D., Chatterjee, T., Mondal, S., Ghosh, D., Chaudhury, P. and Mitra, B. (2022). An illustration on the foraging activity of Nomia sp. (Family Halictidae) and Apis (Megapis) dorsata (Family Apidae) on Acanthus ilicifolius at Kanaichatta, Purba Medinipur. Journal of Advanced Scientific Research 3: 229-239.

Patra, P. (Director) (2023). Drifting in the Waters of Sundarbans, Wild Tiger Productions, New Delhi. Available from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27262998/ (Accessed 14/07/2024)

Paul, A.K., Ray, R., Kamila, A. and Jana, S. (2017). Mangrove degradation in the Sundarbans. In: Coastal wetlands: alteration and remediation, C. Makowski (ed.), Springer, Cham. pp 357-392.

Powerline. (2020). Case in point: Best practices in water management at TPPs, Powerline, New Delhi. Available from https://powerline.net.in/2017/07/08/case-in-point/ (Accessed 14/07/2024)

Qasim, S.Z. (2003). Indian estuaries, First edition, Allied Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India. 420 p.

Rai, A. and Das, S. (2022). Religious tourism in the age of commodification and reconstruction of heritagescapes: A neighborhood-based study along the stretch of river Hooghly, North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India. In: Advances in Urbanism, Smart Cities, and Sustainability, U. Chatterjee, A. Biswas, J. Mukherjee and S. Majumdar (eds.), CRC Press, Boca Raton. pp 59-90.

Raja, R.A., Ghoshal, T.K., Sundaray, J.K., De, D., Biswas, G., Kumar, S., Panigrahi, A., Kumaran, M. and Pradhan, J.K. (2012). Status and challenges of livestock farming community in Sunderban India. The Indian Journal of Animal Sciences 82(4): 436-438.

Ramesh, R. (2009). River Hooghly. Poem Hunter. Available at https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/river-hooghly/ (Accessed 16/06/2024)

Ray, S. and Straškraba, M. (2001). The impact of detritivorous fishes on a mangrove estuarine system. Ecological Modelling 140(3): 207-218.

Roshith, C. M., Meena, D. K., Manna, R. K., Sahoo, A. K., Swain, H. S., Raman, R. K., Sengupta, A. and Das, B. K. (2018). Phytoplankton community structure of the Gangetic (Hooghly-Matla) estuary: Status and ecological implications in relation to eco-climatic variability. Flora 240: 133-143.

Roshith, C.M., Sharma, A.P., Manna, R.K., Satpathy, B.B. and Bhaumik, U. (2013). Ichthyofaunal diversity, assemblage structure and seasonal dynamics in the freshwater tidal stretch of Hooghly estuary along the Gangetic delta. Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management 16(4): 445-453.

Roy, A., Manna, R.K., Ghosh, S., Sahu, S.K. and Das, B.K. (2023). Assessment of women's contribution in small‐scale fisheries in Indian Sundarbans: Issues, strategies, and way forward for sustainability. Fisheries Management and Ecology 30(4): 378-391.

Roy, U., Sarwardi, S., Majee, N.C. and Ray, S. (2016). Effect of salinity and fish predation on zooplankton dynamics in Hooghly–Matla estuarine system, India. Ecological Informatics 35: 19-28.

Ruiz-Agudelo, C.A., Suarez, A., Gutiérrez-Bonilla, F.D.P. and Cortes-Gómez, A.M. (2022). The economic valuation of ecosystem services in Colombia. Challenges, gaps and future pathways. Journal of Environmental Economics and Policy: 12(3): 285-304.

Sadanah, K. (2014). Roar, AA Films, Mumbai. Available from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roar:_Tigers_of_the_Sundarbans (Accessed 15/06/2024)

Saha S. (2022). Floated, a chance to kayak down the river - Yacht club to be launched this winter hopes to turn hospitality hub into tourism hot spot, Telegraph, West Bengal, India. Available from https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/floated-a-chance-to-kayak-down-the-river-yacht-club-to-be-launched-this-winter-hopes-to-turn-hospitality-hub-into-tourism-hot-spot/cid/1262135 (Accessed 15/06/2024)

Saha, A. and Sarkar, C. (2022). Protecting the precious Sundarbans: A comprehensive review of biodiversity, threats and conservation strategies in the mangrove ecosystem. Conscientia 10: 60-80.

Saha, S. and Dash, G. (2021). Climatic stress on cultured Scylla sp.: Impact on livelihood and public health in West Bengal. International Journal of Researches in Biosciences, Agriculture & Technology 17: 331-344.

Sahoo, A.K., Wahab, M.A., Phillips, M., Rahman, A., Padiyar, A., Puvanendran, V., Bangera, R., Belton, B., De, D.K., Meena, D.K. and Behera, B.K. (2018). Breeding and culture status of Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha, Ham. 1822) in South Asia: A review. Reviews in Aquaculture 10(1): 96-110.

Sannigrahi, S., Pilla, F., Basu, B., Basu, A.S., Zhang, Q., Wang, Y., Joshi, P.K., Chakraborti, S., Coscieme, L., Keesstra, S. and Roy, P.S. (2020). Identification of conservation priority zones using spatially explicit valued ecosystem services: A case from the Indian Sundarbans. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management 16(5): 773-787.

Sarkar, S., Das, S.K. and Bhakta, D. (2017). Length weight relationship and relative condition factor of Indian shad, Tenualosa ilisha from Hooghly estuary system, West Bengal. Journal of Inland Fisheries Society of India 49(1): 22-26.

Sen, S. (2020). Sunderban mangroves, post Amphan: An overview. International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts 8(6): 2751-2255.

Sharma, A., Srivastava, J., Kar, S.K. and Kumar, A. (2012). Wind energy status in India: A short review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 16(2): 1157-1164.

Sheehy, J.M., Taylor, N.L., Zwerschke, N., Collar, M., Morgan, V. and Merayo, E. (2022). Review of evaluation and valuation methods for cetacean regulation and maintenance ecosystem services with the joint cetacean protocol data. Frontiers in Marine Science 9: 872679. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.872679

Singh, A., Bhattacharya, P., Vyas, P. and Roy, S. (2010). Contribution of NTFPs in the livelihood of mangrove forest dwellers of Sundarban. Journal of Human Ecology 29(3): 191-200.

Sinha, M. (2004). Farakka barrage and its impact on the hydrology and fishery of Hooghly estuary. In: The Ganges Water Diversion: Environmental Effects and Implications, M.M.Q. Mirza (ed.), Springer, Dordrecht. pp 103-124.

Soren, D.D.L., Barman, J., Roy, K.C., Naskar, S. and Biswas, B. (2023). Evaluation of groundwater quality of South Bengal, India. Journal of Earth System Science 132(3): 130. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-023-02152-8

Sousa, L., Sousa, A., Alves, F. and Lillebø, A. (2016). Ecosystem services provided by a complex coastal region: challenges of classification and mapping. Scientific Reports, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep22782

Subramanian, A., Nagarajan, A.M., Vinod, S., Chakraborty, S., Sivagami, K., Theodore, T., Sathyanarayanan, S.S., Tamizhdurai, P. and Mangesh, V.L. (2023). Long-term impacts of climate change on coastal and transitional eco-systems in India: An overview of its current status, future projections, solutions, and policies. Royal Society of Chemistry Advances 13(18): 12204-12228.

Subrato, G. (2019). Fattening of mud crab Scylla serrata in estuarine region of south-eastern West Bengal, India. Aquaculture Asia Magazine 23(1): 11-19.

T.E.E.B. (2010). The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity: Ecological and Economic Foundations, First edition, Earthscan, London and Washington.

Tiemann, A. and Ring, I. (2022). Towards ecosystem service assessment: Developing biophysical indicators for forest ecosystem services. Ecological Indicators 137: 108704. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.108704

Titumir, R.A.M. (2022). Introduction: The Sundarbans as our mind. In: Sundarbans and its Ecosystem Services, R.A.M. Titumir (ed.), Sustainable Development Goals Series. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. pp 1-20.

Traveltriangle. (2024). Places to visit in Gangasagar. TravelTriangle. Available from https://traveltriangle.com/blog/places-to-visit-in-gangasagar (Accessed 19/07/2024)

VanderWilde, C.P. and Newell, J.P. (2021). Ecosystem services and life cycle assessment: A bibliometric review. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 169: 105461. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105461

VonThenen, M., Frederiksen, P., Hansen, H.S. and Schiele, K.S. (2020). A structured indicator pool to operationalize expert-based ecosystem service assessments for marine spatial planning. Ocean & Coastal Management 187: 105071. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2019.105071

Vyas, P., Sengupta, K., Pande, A. and Kuppusamy S. (2013). Status report of coastal and marine protected areas in West Bengal. In: ENVIS Bulletin on Coastal and Marine Protected Areas in India: Challenges and Way Forward, K. Sivakumar (ed.), ENVIS Bulletin: Wildlife & Protected Areas, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, India.

Zieritz, A., Sousa, R., Aldridge, D.C., Douda, K., Esteves, E., Ferreira-Rodríguez, N., Mageroy, J.H., Nizzoli, D., Osterling, M., Reis, J. and Riccardi, N. (2022). A global synthesis of ecosystem services provided and disrupted by freshwater bivalve molluscs. Biological Reviews 97(5): 1967-1998.