Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh and his Bangladesh counterpart Hasun Mahmud said steps had already been initiated in the two countries in this regard.

Speaking at an international workshop Climate Threat to Sunderbans Across India and Bangladesh,where both the ministers were present,Ramesh said he was optimistic about the forum being set up by next September.

The two told the workshop that the Sunderbans,which has the biggest mangrove forest in the world spread over West Bengal and Bangladesh,was one of the most climatically vulnerable areas of the world.

We need to protect and preserve this biosphere reserve jointly.Setting up the forum is a distinctive possibility and we deserve it as the forest having 60% of its territory in Bangladesh and the rest in India is 50 times the size of the Maldives, Ramesh said.He said the forum would enable both governments to take up joint projects to preserve the mangrove forest and the tiger population.The forum will be the first practical demonstration of efforts to protect the Sunderbans, he said.TNN AND AGENCIES

Rs 450 crore grant for forest

Kolkata: Union minister of environment and forests Jairam Ramesh on Sunday announced that the Cabinet has sanctioned a special grant of Rs 450 crore for strengthening and rebuilding Sunderbans embankments washed away in the Aila aftermath.The amount will be spent over the next five years.Cabinet has also approved the World Bank-funded Coastal Zone Management Programme of Rs 1,156 crore.West Bengals shares is Rs 300 crore,which will be spent on projects in the Sunderbans,Digha and Sankarpur, he said.Ramesh announced this at a workshop on the threat posed by climate change to the Sunderbans,in both India and Bangladesh.The event was organised by EnGIO,Tagore Society for Rural Development,WWF and the pollution control board.AGENCIES