Analysing the vulnerability of mangrove forest by vegetation health assessment: a study of Indian sundarbans deltaic region

Sundarbans region is an assemblage several delta formed in Bay of Bengal with largest concentration of mangrove which plays a crucial role in mitigating the impact of climate change with large ecosystem. The mangrove ecosystem demands further investigations to assess the vulnerability of vegetation. In context of present environmental change, the existing vegetation of Sundarbans is threatened by natural and human induced factors. This study incorporated these issues by analysing the vulnerability of mangrove forest in Indian Sundarbans deltaic region. To assess the vegetation condition, various vegetation indices are used including Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Transformed Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (TNDVI), Green Chlorophyll Index (GCI), Chlorophyll Vegetation Index (CVI), Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), and Atmospherically Resistant Vegetation Index (ARVI) etc. These indices are calculated using remote sensing satellite data of 2010 and 2020. Vulnerability has been assessed through vegetation health assessment by spatial modelling with the data from aforesaid vegetation indices. The result shows that specific regions have experienced an increase in stressed vegetation condition accompanied by the problems such as waterlogging and expanding areas under aquaculture. Furthermore the area under healthy vegetation has significantly decreased between 2010 and 2020.