India, Oct. 24 -- The Sundarbans is the world's largest mangrove forest, spreading across 10,000 square kilometres in India and Bangladesh. This dynamic deltaic landscape is characterised by a sprawling cluster of rivers, creeks, and hundreds of islands. It is shaped by sediment deposited by the rivers Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Meghna (in Bangladesh). Of the 102 islands, 54 are inhabited by people and the rest remain cloaked in forest. This largest protected wetland of India is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Sundarbans was designated a Ramsar site in 2019 to promote its conservation and sustainable use.

In the summer of 2021, I visited the Sundarbans in West Bengal. The second wave of COVID-19 was intensifying. I was racin...