ABSTRACT
Located on the northern margin of the Bay of Bengal, the Sundarbans is the largest continuous block of coastal mangrove forest in the world. It is highly productive, supporting not only diverse ecosystems and high levels of biodiversity, but also providing ecosystem services such as protection from coastal sea surges and cyclones and supporting complex social systems and economic livelihoods. Marine Spatial Data Infrastructure (MSDI) can be a complete and reliable spatial data hub for managing this complexity, allowing maritime authorities access to common reference data in interoperable formats, reducing duplication in data acquisition, and enabling efficient operations. This research explores the opportunities and challenges associated with integrating MSDI into management of sustainable mangroves in Bangladesh. The study highlights the fact that many different organizations and institutions have been working within the Sundarbans jurisdiction, preparing maps and other materials in different formats (geospatially referenced; non-spatial) without any active collaboration. MSDI platforms offer numerous ways of incorporating prospective data experts, vendors of spatial data and management specialists into the management system. However, in order to realize the benefits, there are numerous challenges to overcome, including working with multiple stakeholders who may be inexperienced in marine area management, developing effective joint policy, investing in improved business processes and ensuring appropriate knowledge, skills and training.
