The coastal region houses several mangrove ecosystems. Mangroves are available in the form of natural forests (Sundarban) and planted (in Barisal, Noakhali, Chittagong and Cox's Bazar Coastal area) forests together covering about 50% of the forest area of Bangladesh. These mangroves forests are transitional zones between fresh and marine waters, and are rich in marine and terrestrial flora and fauna.

A part of the Sundarbans has been declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Sundarbans is known as the single largest stretch of productive mangrove forest in the world and is inhabited by one of the most elegant creatures of nature, the Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigries). The dimensions and richness of bio-diversity in the Sundarbans is also proven by the availability of 3,033 ton of fish, 375 ton of mud crab, 3.600 to of oyster shells and 35 ton of gastropod shells, which are obtained from the forest every year (Chantarasri, 1994). In addition, about 1.500 million tiger prawn fries are collected per year from the forest and its adjacent areas. The forest contains a total of 10.6 Mm3 standing tree volume, 64 percent of which is occupied by the most commercially important species sundry (H. Fornes). The most important non-wood forest product is Nypa fruiticans. The Sundarbans provides livelihood and employment to wood cutters, fishermen, honey and wax collectors, shell collectors, timber traders and workers, workers of fish drying industries, etc. Overall, it estimated that the forest ecosystem provides employment for a total of 0.5 to 0.6 million people in Bangladesh.

Source: Initial National Communication in Response to the UN framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)