Tanguar haor
Encyclopedia
Tanguar haor (also called Tangua haor), located in the Dharmapasha
and Tahirpur
upazilas of Sunamganj District
in Bangladesh
, is a unique wetland
ecosystem
of national importance and has come into international focus. The area of Tanguar haor including 46 villages within the haor
is about 100km2 of which 2,802.36 ha2 is wetland. It is the source of livelihood for more than 40,000 people. The Government of Bangladesh declared Tanguar haor as an Ecologically Critical Area in 1999 considering its critical condition as a result of overexploitation
of its natural resources. In 2000, the hoar basin was declared a Ramsar
site - wetland of international importance. With this declaration, the Government is committed to preserve its natural resources and has taken several steps for protection of this wetland.
Tanguar haor plays an important role in fish production as it functions as a 'mother fishery' for the country
Every winter the haor
is home to about 200 types of migratory birds. The haor is an important source of fish. In 1999-2000, the government earned 7,073,184 takas as revenue only from fisheries of the haor. There are more than 140 species of fresh water fish in the haor. The more predominant among them are: ayir, gang magur, baim, tara, gutum, gulsha, tengra, titna, garia, beti, kakia etc. Hijal
, karach
, gulli, balua, ban tulsi
, nalkhagra
and some other important threatened species of freshwater wetland trees are there in this haor.
Plant species like Hizol (Barringtonia acutangula
), Clematis cadmia, Crataeva nurvala, Euryale ferox, Nelumbo nucifera, Ottelia alismoides, Oxystelma secamone var. secamone, Pongamia pinnata, Rosa clinophylla, and Typha species are threatened, rapidly disappearing and becoming rare
Dharampasha Upazila
Dharampasha is an Upazila of Sunamganj District in the Division of Sylhet, Bangladesh.-Geography:Dharampasha is located at . It has 28368 units of house hold and total area 496.03 km²...
and Tahirpur
Tahirpur Upazila
Tahirpur is an Upazila of Sunamganj District in the Division of Sylhet, Bangladesh.-Geography:Tahirpur is located at . It has 21987 units of house hold and total area 313.7 km².-Demographics:...
upazilas of Sunamganj District
Sunamganj District
The district of Sunamganj consists 3562 mosques, 560 temples and 61 churches.-History:The name Sunamganj is derived from its founder, Sipahi Sunamuddin, who established a bazaar on the bank of the river Surma. In the ancient period, Sunamganj was part of the Rarh Kingdom that included Sylhet,...
in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, is a unique wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
of national importance and has come into international focus. The area of Tanguar haor including 46 villages within the haor
Haor
A haor is a wetland ecosystem in the north eastern part of Bangladesh which physically is a bowl or saucer shaped shallow depression, also known as a backswamp...
is about 100km2 of which 2,802.36 ha2 is wetland. It is the source of livelihood for more than 40,000 people. The Government of Bangladesh declared Tanguar haor as an Ecologically Critical Area in 1999 considering its critical condition as a result of overexploitation
Overexploitation
Overexploitation, also called overharvesting, refers to harvesting a renewable resource to the point of diminishing returns. Sustained overexploitation can lead to the destruction of the resource...
of its natural resources. In 2000, the hoar basin was declared a Ramsar
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
site - wetland of international importance. With this declaration, the Government is committed to preserve its natural resources and has taken several steps for protection of this wetland.
Tanguar haor plays an important role in fish production as it functions as a 'mother fishery' for the country
Every winter the haor
Haor
A haor is a wetland ecosystem in the north eastern part of Bangladesh which physically is a bowl or saucer shaped shallow depression, also known as a backswamp...
is home to about 200 types of migratory birds. The haor is an important source of fish. In 1999-2000, the government earned 7,073,184 takas as revenue only from fisheries of the haor. There are more than 140 species of fresh water fish in the haor. The more predominant among them are: ayir, gang magur, baim, tara, gutum, gulsha, tengra, titna, garia, beti, kakia etc. Hijal
Barringtonia acutangula
Barringtonia acutangula is a species of Barringtonia native to coastal wetlands in southern Asia and northern Australasia, from Afghanistan east to the Philippines and Queensland.-Medicinal Uses:Antitumor Antibiotic...
, karach
Pongamia pinnata
Milletia pinnata is a species of tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, native in tropical and temperate Asia including parts of India, China, Japan, Malesia, Australia and Pacific islands. It is often known by the synonym Pongamia pinnata as it was moved to the genus Millettia only recently...
, gulli, balua, ban tulsi
Ocimum
Ocimum is a genus of about 35 species of aromatic annual and perennial herbs and shrubs in the family Lamiaceae, mostly native to the tropical and warm temperate regions of the Old World.Some species include:...
, nalkhagra
Phragmites
Phragmites, the Common reed, is a large perennial grass found in wetlands throughout temperate and tropical regions of the world. Phragmites australis is sometimes regarded as the sole species of the genus Phragmites, though some botanists divide Phragmites australis into three or four species...
and some other important threatened species of freshwater wetland trees are there in this haor.
Plant species like Hizol (Barringtonia acutangula
Barringtonia acutangula
Barringtonia acutangula is a species of Barringtonia native to coastal wetlands in southern Asia and northern Australasia, from Afghanistan east to the Philippines and Queensland.-Medicinal Uses:Antitumor Antibiotic...
), Clematis cadmia, Crataeva nurvala, Euryale ferox, Nelumbo nucifera, Ottelia alismoides, Oxystelma secamone var. secamone, Pongamia pinnata, Rosa clinophylla, and Typha species are threatened, rapidly disappearing and becoming rare