Welcome to Slow English FM. This is World Discovery, a programme about places and ideas that help us understand the world. In this episode, we explore the Sundarbans in Bangladesh and why this forest matters to wildlife and nearby communities. The Bangladesh Sundarbans lie in the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers, beside the Bay of Bengal. UNESCO describes this landscape as a network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small mangrove islands. The islands and forest are part of a changing natural process. River sediment forms new islands, and mangroves grow on them. Monsoon rain, floods and tides help shape this process, according to UNESCO. The forest contains land, aquatic and marine habitats. UNESCO says it supports endangered animals, including Bengal tigers, Ganges and Irrawaddy dolphins, estuarine crocodiles and the river terrapin. The Sundarbans also matter to people who live nearby. UNESCO says the forest supports seasonal work, including fishing and honey gathering. It also acts as shelter from storms, cyclones and rising tidal waters. The Bangladesh World Heritage property includes three wildlife sanctuaries. UNESCO says they were established in 1977. The forest had been set aside as a reserve in 1878. The Sundarbans are both a living habitat and a source of support for nearby communities. Thanks for listening to World Discovery on Slow English FM.