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		<title>Mongabay India</title>
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		<link>https://india.mongabay.com/list/lakshadweep/</link>
		<description>India&#039;s environmental science and conservation news</description>
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					<title>A Lakshadweep island’s strategic value worries conservationists and fishers</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-lakshadweep-islands-strategic-value-worries-conservationists-and-fishers/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-lakshadweep-islands-strategic-value-worries-conservationists-and-fishers/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Jan 2026 21:19:46 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Max Martin]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Priyanka Shankar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[construction]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Infrastructure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[livelihood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine wildlife]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2026/01/27120512/A_catch_of_groupers-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=36636</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, Coral Reefs, Ecology, Fish, Fishing, Islands, Land Rights, Oceans, Overfishing, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[“A thousand leopards in a forest patch the size of a football field!” This is how marine conservation researchers Rucha Karkarey and Vardhan Patankar described unusually large shoals of squaretail groupers (Plectropomus areolatus) gliding along the coral reefs, off the shores of Bitra, an island in northern Lakshadweep. In 2010, Karkarey’s team recorded densities of [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[“A thousand leopards in a forest patch the size of a football field!” This is how marine conservation researchers Rucha Karkarey and Vardhan Patankar described unusually large shoals of squaretail groupers (Plectropomus areolatus) gliding along the coral reefs, off the shores of Bitra, an island in northern Lakshadweep. In 2010, Karkarey’s team recorded densities of over 3,600 fish in over four hectares — an area roughly the size of five football fields. “This was between two and six times higher than any density previously recorded across south-east Asia,” recalled Karkarey, who is now a senior research associate at Lancaster University, U.K. Geographically, the Union Territory of Lakshadweep comprises 12 atolls, three reefs, and five submerged banks. Out of a total of 36 islands in the Lakshadweep archipelago, with a total area of 32 sq km, only ten are inhabited. Among them Bitra is a tiny shark-fin-shaped strip of sand that is home to just about 271 people. The island is 570 metres in length and 280 m at its widest point, with an area of 0.105 sq km. The smallest inhabited island of the archipelago with its ecologically-sensitive marine landscape, Bitra is now under spotlight. The Lakshadweep administration is planning to take over the island, because of its strategic location, its national security relevance, and the inherent logistical and administrative challenges associated with civilian habitation. The islanders however, say this is “land-grabbing” for tourism, trade and development, especially in the post-COVID-19 tourism boom. “The islanders have been fishing here for&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-lakshadweep-islands-strategic-value-worries-conservationists-and-fishers/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2026/01/a-lakshadweep-islands-strategic-value-worries-conservationists-and-fishers/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>A mounting waste crisis as tourism surges</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/a-mounting-waste-crisis-as-tourism-surges/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/a-mounting-waste-crisis-as-tourism-surges/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Dec 2025 15:06:15 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Salahuddeen Peechiyath]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Kundan Pandey]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[biomedical waste]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dry waste]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liquid Waste Management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Toxic Waste Materials]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waste management]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/12/02105700/waste-dumped-in-the-beachside-of-northern-side-of-Kadamath-Island.--768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=35847</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Environment And Health]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Waste management]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A short film, that won a 2023 competition by the Lakshadweep Administration on ways to build back the island&#8217;s biodiversity, encouraged residents to use public trash cans instead of littering. Two years later, another video now shows that these public bins have been removed. Social activist Sabith P.K., who posted the video, said, “This irony [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A short film, that won a 2023 competition by the Lakshadweep Administration on ways to build back the island&#8217;s biodiversity, encouraged residents to use public trash cans instead of littering. Two years later, another video now shows that these public bins have been removed. Social activist Sabith P.K., who posted the video, said, “This irony defines the waste management crisis in Lakshadweep.” Ten of the 36 islands that make up the Lakshadweep archipelago, India&#8217;s smallest union territory, are inhabited by humans, according to the official website. In the last few years, several islands which make up the archipelago that is part of the Chagos Ridge in the Arabian Sea, have been leased to private players. For example, Suheli has been leased to a private hotel chain for lagoon villas, while Bangaram and Thinnakara, both uninhabited islands, have been leased for resort tourism. Waste has become one of the most urgent and poorly managed issues in Lakshadweep, where land is limited, and almost all goods arrive from the mainland wrapped in layers of plastic and other non-biodegradable material, said Sabith, who uses short videos and vlogs to raise awareness about political and environmental issues. Waste management, a systemic failure Before Praful Patel took charge as Administrator of the union territory in December 2020, Lakshadweep had a crude waste collection system. Sanitation workers, or safai karamcharis, under the Environment and Forest Department managed waste collection in all 10 inhabited islands. The collected waste was taken to a Central Garbage Depository (CGD) on&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/12/a-mounting-waste-crisis-as-tourism-surges/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Pole-and-line fishing face new challenges with push for tuna fish exports</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/pole-and-line-fishing-face-new-challenges-as-push-for-tuna-fish-exports-rise/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/pole-and-line-fishing-face-new-challenges-as-push-for-tuna-fish-exports-rise/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Jun 2025 11:08:39 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[K.A. Shaji]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[artisanal fishing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine ecosystem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine Fisheries]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2025/06/17075712/poleandline-fishing-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=33179</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Coast, Coral Reefs, Fish, Fishing, Islands, Oceans, and Sustainability]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In 1961, former Air Force pilot-turned-civil servant Moorkoth Ramunni came to Lakshadweep, a remote archipelago of 36 islands in the Arabian Sea, as its new administrator. India’s former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had tasked him with improving the living conditions of people across the inhabited islands. While in Lakshadweep, Ramunni joined Hussain Ali, a resident [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In 1961, former Air Force pilot-turned-civil servant Moorkoth Ramunni came to Lakshadweep, a remote archipelago of 36 islands in the Arabian Sea, as its new administrator. India’s former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had tasked him with improving the living conditions of people across the inhabited islands. While in Lakshadweep, Ramunni joined Hussain Ali, a resident of southern Minicoy Island, on a tuna fishing expedition. Here, Ramunni was captivated by the small-scale traditional pole-and-line fishing practice. The chance encounter with Hussain Ali, a well-known local advocate of pole-and-line tuna fishing, gave Ramunni a first-hand experience of this targeted fishing method that enables selective capture – it prevents capturing juvenile fish and species on the conservation list. The traditional fishing method, which originated over 1,000 years ago in the Maldives and spread then to Minicoy in Lakshadweep and a couple of Nicobar Islands, is now recognised as a significant sustainable fishing practice globally. Pole-and-line fishermen display their tuna catch of the day. The indigenous fishing method has grown to be recognised as an important sustainable fishing practice, leading to rise in its demand in Western markets. Image by K.A. Shaji. In Minicoy, recognising this low-profile fishing method as an example of an eco-friendly and sustainable fishing practice, Ramunni began advocating for this model to be adopted throughout the archipelago. This initiative has been important to protect the marine biodiversity of the seas surrounding Lakshadweep for the past 64 years. The main product of pole-and-line fishing is dried skipjack tuna, locally known as&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2025/06/pole-and-line-fishing-face-new-challenges-as-push-for-tuna-fish-exports-rise/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>[Commentary] Complexities of freshwater availability and tourism growth in Lakshadweep</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/commentary-complexities-of-freshwater-availability-and-tourism-growth-in-lakshadweep/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/commentary-complexities-of-freshwater-availability-and-tourism-growth-in-lakshadweep/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>06 May 2024 16:39:10 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Salahudheen]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Aditi Tandon]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Island]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lakshadweep]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tourism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2024/05/10191936/ISS038-E-45155-color-corrected-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=27686</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[India's Iconic Landscapes]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Groundwater, Islands, Tourism, Water, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In mid-April, 2016, in Kadamat, Lakshadweep, there was a minor clash between people of two wards regarding pumping of groundwater from one ward to fill the water tanks of the other. The people from ward seven, from where groundwater was being pumped, allege that the continuous pumping from the wells of their ward depleted the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In mid-April, 2016, in Kadamat, Lakshadweep, there was a minor clash between people of two wards regarding pumping of groundwater from one ward to fill the water tanks of the other. The people from ward seven, from where groundwater was being pumped, allege that the continuous pumping from the wells of their ward depleted the freshwater in the wells and it has started tasting more saline. Eight years after this incident, in 2024, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Lakshadweep, inviting Indian tourists to visit the archipelago. Amidst the hype following the Prime Minister’s visit, Lakshadweep’s administrator, Praful Patel, was asked in a media interview, whether Lakshadweep has enough rooms to accommodate increasing tourists, to which Patel replied, “We will build 300 rooms”. But the real question that remains to be asked and answered, is “Do you have enough water in the islands to afford a tourist influx or at least to support the local population?” Agatti island. Freshwater depletion and increased salinity has been a growing problem in Lakshadweep. Photo by Rajeshwari. Evolution of Lakshadweep There are 36 islands in Lakshadweep, the only coral atoll system in India, of which 10 islands are inhabited. Even though this is one of the smallest archipelagos in the world it hosts 64,473 (as per 2011 census) people within ten islands. The islands were formed from inactive volcanic mountains and corals created walls around the land area, known as coral reefs. The unique system of the coral atoll can be divided into three&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/commentary-complexities-of-freshwater-availability-and-tourism-growth-in-lakshadweep/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2024/05/commentary-complexities-of-freshwater-availability-and-tourism-growth-in-lakshadweep/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Dumped plastic containers lead to mosquito abundance on the Lakshadweep islands</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/08/dumped-plastic-containers-lead-to-mosquito-abundance-on-lakshadweep-islands/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2022/08/dumped-plastic-containers-lead-to-mosquito-abundance-on-lakshadweep-islands/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Aug 2022 09:37:26 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sahana Ghosh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sahana]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oceans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pollution]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2022/08/09173214/IMG_20191123_125537-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=19488</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Environment And Health]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Oceans, Plastic, and Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Between October 2019 and January 2020, a group of mosquito hunters was carefully nurturing mosquito larvae in makeshift labs on the Lakshadweep archipelago in the Arabian Sea, patiently waiting until they emerged. These larvae lurked in a variety of natural and artificial habitats that store water, such as coconut shells, tree holes, discarded plastic containers, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Between October 2019 and January 2020, a group of mosquito hunters was carefully nurturing mosquito larvae in makeshift labs on the Lakshadweep archipelago in the Arabian Sea, patiently waiting until they emerged. These larvae lurked in a variety of natural and artificial habitats that store water, such as coconut shells, tree holes, discarded plastic containers, discarded utensils, tyres, boats and even grinding stones.  Once the larvae emerged, and following sampling of adult mosquitoes, these mosquito hunters – researchers at Tata Institute for Genetics and Society – were able to offer a clearer picture of what transpires on these remote oceanic islands as plastic trash creates more breeding grounds for mosquitoes. The Aedes species of mosquitoes, responsible for dengue, chikungunya, Zika fever, and other vector-borne diseases, were thriving very well in the dumped plastic containers where rainwater accumulated. “These (containers) were mainly trash generated within the local communities and were abundant. The water conditions are also optimum. The Aedes species do not need deep water surfaces to breed, they usually breed in shallow holdings or drums, etc.,” says evolutionary ecologist Farah Ishtiaq, the corresponding author of the study documenting the findings. The Aedes species of mosquitoes, responsible for dengue, chikungunya, Zika fever and other vector-borne diseases, were found to be thriving in dumped plastic containers where rainwater accumulated according to the study from Lakshadweep. Photo from P.D. Rohini and G. Sutharsan. These human-made habitats are mainly contributing to the high abundance of Aedes species, says Ishtiaq cautioning that while Aedes albopictus&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2022/08/dumped-plastic-containers-lead-to-mosquito-abundance-on-lakshadweep-islands/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Blue whale songs recorded off Lakshadweep coast</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/08/blue-whale-songs-recorded-off-lakshadweep-coast/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/08/blue-whale-songs-recorded-off-lakshadweep-coast/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>20 Aug 2021 11:40:41 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sahana Ghosh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sahana]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kerala]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oceans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[protected areas]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/08/20112223/Blue-whale-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=15243</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Beyond Protected Areas]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kerala and Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Conservation, Oceans, and Protected Areas]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[One hot 2019 afternoon in Lakshadweep, as marine mammal scientist Divya Panicker sat engrossed in listening to recordings retrieved from underwater sound recorders, she came across low blue whale moans, amid a cacophony of a rooster crow. Panicker described the acoustic experience with the giants as “one of the most thrilling parts” of her study [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[One hot 2019 afternoon in Lakshadweep, as marine mammal scientist Divya Panicker sat engrossed in listening to recordings retrieved from underwater sound recorders, she came across low blue whale moans, amid a cacophony of a rooster crow. Panicker described the acoustic experience with the giants as “one of the most thrilling parts” of her study — the first to document blue whale songs in Indian waters in the Lakshadweep archipelago in the Arabian Sea. She speculates that there were at least two blue whales singing at a time. “The song is made up of three notes and ranges between 30 and 100Hz. I sped up the songs several times to bring them within my hearing. It was quite wacky listening to low blue whale moans with a rooster crowing in the background,” Panicker reminisced. Analysis of recordings from late 2018 to early 2020 revealed that blue whales were present in Lakshadweep waters during April and May, just before the southwest monsoon season. “Although we know blue whales occur and are singing in these waters, we do not know if they are travelling through or feeding in these waters. One of the next steps is to carry out dedicated visual surveys in April and May over the next few years to understand their behaviour and some prey sampling during this period,” Panicker, a doctoral student in oceanography at the University of Washington, told Mongabay-India. Over a span of 13 months, acoustic recorders were deployed, retrieved for data and changing batteries and redeployed&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/08/blue-whale-songs-recorded-off-lakshadweep-coast/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Coral transplantation helps, but not the only solution</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/08/coral-transplantation-helps-but-not-the-only-solution/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/08/coral-transplantation-helps-but-not-the-only-solution/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Aug 2021 15:27:15 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Supriya Vohra]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sahana]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate change impact]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate resilience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oceans]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/08/18132806/coral-reef-transplantation-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=14960</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Gujarat, Lakshadweep, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Nature-based Climate Solutions]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Gliding through the water, a diver searches for small fragments of Turbinaria mesenterina or table coral, found in abundance near the islands of Goa in the Arabian Sea. Another diver brings a mesh bag. They then forage and find broken coral fragments and put them carefully in the bag. The bag is carried underwater to the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Gliding through the water, a diver searches for small fragments of Turbinaria mesenterina or table coral, found in abundance near the islands of Goa in the Arabian Sea. Another diver brings a mesh bag. They then forage and find broken coral fragments and put them carefully in the bag. The bag is carried underwater to the transplantation location which is about half a kilometre away. A metal frame table approximately six feet long and two feet wide, on which twelve tiles of 1&#215;1 foot each are tied in two rows with a cable, is placed on the seabed and tied to the rocks close by for additional support. Using garden shears, they first cut the pieces of coral into smaller pieces of two to three cm each. Using Carboguard, a coral safe adhesive, they stick one fragment of coral at each of the four corners of every tile, making a total of 48 fragments of corals on each bed. It takes about 15-20 minutes for the adhesive to harden and stick. “The micro fragments of coral grow much faster than bigger pieces of coral,” said Venkatesh Charloo, scuba diving instructor and founder trustee of Coastal Impact, a marine conservation non-profit based in Goa, that has just completed a project of coral transplantation in the state. “Table coral is a very hardy and resilient species of coral. It can withstand high temperatures and bleaching events, which have become almost an annual occurrence,&#8221; observed Charloo. According to Charloo, there are patchy reefs present&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/08/coral-transplantation-helps-but-not-the-only-solution/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/08/coral-transplantation-helps-but-not-the-only-solution/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>The development plan that could end up sinking Lakshadweep islands</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/06/the-development-plan-that-could-end-up-sinking-lakshadweep-islands/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/06/the-development-plan-that-could-end-up-sinking-lakshadweep-islands/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Jun 2021 14:08:55 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[K.A. Shaji]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mayank Aggarwal]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/06/11135831/Banner-L-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=14497</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[India's Iconic Landscapes]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Climate Change, Global Warming, Oceans, Sea Level Rise, and Tourism]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A resident of Androth island in Lakshadweep, Muhammed Hambdulla Syed, says that the islands are facing an environmental disaster. “Our forefathers landed here centuries ago but the local community has caused very little damage to the fragile ecosystem of the archipelago as its sustenance is vital to all of us. Recurring climate change events and [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A resident of Androth island in Lakshadweep, Muhammed Hambdulla Syed, says that the islands are facing an environmental disaster. “Our forefathers landed here centuries ago but the local community has caused very little damage to the fragile ecosystem of the archipelago as its sustenance is vital to all of us. Recurring climate change events and interference by outsiders like mindless deep-sea fishing are causing irreparable damage to our islands&#8217; highly fragile marine ecosystem,” he said. Surrounded by the Arabian Sea and located about 200 kilometres off the west coast of Kerala, Lakshadweep is India&#8217;s smallest union territory and is hardly two metres above sea level. Coconut groves and regulated tourism are the two main income-generating avenues for the local population of about 64,000. Rearing cows is another livelihood option for the island population. Though the union territory comprises 16 atolls and 32 islands, human presence is limited only to 11 islands. The islands recently made headlines when reports revealed that the administration is planning to open it up for large-scale beachside tourism and infrastructure development. “The proposed large-scale human interventions would aggravate climate change-related disasters in the coming days apart from eclipsing our livelihood possibilities considerably,&#8221; Muhammed Hambdulla Syed told Mongabay-India. According to Muneer Manikfan, a diabetologist and the vice-chairman of the council of Minicoy, an island in the southern part of Lakshadweep, the alarming loss of coral reefs has already turned fatal for all the atolls in the island cluster. He said the corals formed the backdrop for all&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/06/the-development-plan-that-could-end-up-sinking-lakshadweep-islands/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Safeguard Lakshadweep islands from future sea-level rise: study</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/06/safeguard-lakshadweep-islands-from-future-sea-level-rise-study/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/06/safeguard-lakshadweep-islands-from-future-sea-level-rise-study/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Jun 2021 12:11:22 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sahana Ghosh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sahana]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[extreme weather events]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oceans]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/06/10104020/1-scaled-e1623302666983-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=14465</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Connected Environments]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Indian Ocean, Lakshadweep, and South Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Climate Change, Environment, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Lakshadweep resident and researcher R.M. Hidayathulla, who drew attention to the disappearance of a small, uninhabited atoll island in the archipelago in the Arabian Sea in 2017, has closely witnessed the land contract from erosion from a combination of factors; rising sea levels will likely worsen it. “My house is near the sea and coastal erosion [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Lakshadweep resident and researcher R.M. Hidayathulla, who drew attention to the disappearance of a small, uninhabited atoll island in the archipelago in the Arabian Sea in 2017, has closely witnessed the land contract from erosion from a combination of factors; rising sea levels will likely worsen it. “My house is near the sea and coastal erosion is increasing day by day; we do want development but it should be scientific and sustainable,” Hidayathulla lets Mongabay-India know amid the simmering controversy surrounding the coral-fortressed archipelago, an environmentally fragile melting pot of cultures, roughly 200 kilometers off the west coast of southern India. Hidayathulla works in the agriculture sector in Kavaratti, the capital of Lakshadweep, India’s smallest Union Territory, with islands barely a few metres above sea level. Although the smallest of the major oceans on Earth, the Indian Ocean, including the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, is the fastest-warming tropical ocean. The Lakshadweep islands consist of coral formations built upon the Laccadive-Chagos submarine ridge &#8220;rising steeply from a depth of about 1500 m to 4000 m&#8221; off the west coast of India. This ecoregion consists of the Maldives, the world’s most low-lying terrain and the Chagos archipelago, a British Indian Ocean territory. “We have concrete structures surrounding our islands for protection but what we need are natural protections (nature-based solutions) like mangroves,” Hidayathulla points out, referring to the Lakshadweep archipelago of 36 islands with an area of 32 sq km comprising of 12 atolls, three reefs, five submerged banks and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/06/safeguard-lakshadweep-islands-from-future-sea-level-rise-study/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/06/safeguard-lakshadweep-islands-from-future-sea-level-rise-study/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>[Commentary] The unspoken crises of Lakshadweep</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/06/commentary-the-unspoken-crises-of-lakshadweep/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/06/commentary-the-unspoken-crises-of-lakshadweep/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Jun 2021 15:07:47 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rohan Arthur]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mayank Aggarwal]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[islands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[threatened]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/06/03145750/IMG_0134-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=14398</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[India and Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Coral Reefs, Ecology, Fish, Fishing, Islands, Oceans, and Overfishing]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Beneath the current crisis that is brewing in the Lakshadweep, there is another unspoken crisis unfolding that threatens the very habitability of the islands, and calls into question the fevered dreams of development in whose name the current policies are being promulgated. The latest proposed regulations and orders will only make more efficient a process [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Beneath the current crisis that is brewing in the Lakshadweep, there is another unspoken crisis unfolding that threatens the very habitability of the islands, and calls into question the fevered dreams of development in whose name the current policies are being promulgated. The latest proposed regulations and orders will only make more efficient a process of unravelling that began several decades ago. The crisis I refer to, is climate change. Lakshadweep is living on borrowed time, and what we do with that time will decide the fate of the islands and its people. To be clear, I am not among the climate change Cassandras. I have spent the last two decades trying to wrap my head around the impacts of climate change on the coral reefs of Lakshadweep. In that time, I have seen the extraordinary resilience the ecosystem has shown to climate disturbances. When I first witnessed the reef succumb to a catastrophic bleaching event in mid-1998, I was convinced that I was witnessing the death of the reef, and that I would spend the remaining years writing its epitaph. I could not have been more wrong. It took a few years, but when the recovery began, it proceeded at a galloping pace, and in less than a decade the reef was well on its way to health again. If you spend enough time in nature, it cures you of any hubris of intellectual certainty. And the most dangerous thing you can do is to believe you have seen&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/06/commentary-the-unspoken-crises-of-lakshadweep/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/06/commentary-the-unspoken-crises-of-lakshadweep/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>New marine flatworm from rare group discovered from the coral atolls of Lakshadweep</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/04/new-marine-flatworm-from-rare-group-discovered-from-the-coral-atolls-of-lakshadweep/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/04/new-marine-flatworm-from-rare-group-discovered-from-the-coral-atolls-of-lakshadweep/?noamp=mobile#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Apr 2021 11:10:45 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Neha Jain]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sahana]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2021/04/09195338/Bulaceros-newcannorum-Dixit-2021-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=13873</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Coast, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A new species of marine flatworm has been discovered from the coral atolls of the Lakshadweep archipelago located in the Arabian Sea off the west coast of southern India in a biodiversity survey by researchers. The live flatworm is oval-shaped and features a translucent body with numerous visible branches of the brown gut, a dark [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A new species of marine flatworm has been discovered from the coral atolls of the Lakshadweep archipelago located in the Arabian Sea off the west coast of southern India in a biodiversity survey by researchers. The live flatworm is oval-shaped and features a translucent body with numerous visible branches of the brown gut, a dark black band in the middle, irregular white spots on the top and a margin of white spots. It is the second species described under the genus Bulaceros and the first report of this genus outside of the Pacific Ocean.  With the help of a paintbrush, Sudhanshu Dixit gently lifted two flatworm specimens ranging from two to four centimetres in length, during low tide in the intertidal areas (above the water at low tide and submerged at high tide) of Agatti Island in 2019 and Kavaratti Island in 2020. “Many of the species of these worms are very soft and delicate and can break even with the slightest touch of our hands, a spatula or forceps,” he told Mongabay-India. Dixit, is a project scientist at the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology in Kochi and lead author of the study. He adds that he always goes equipped with paintbrushes and small containers while going to the field, be it an intertidal area or subtidal area when he is diving. The first specimen from Agatti Island, which was used to describe the new species, was spotted when he overturned a medium-sized rock covered with algae, while&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/04/new-marine-flatworm-from-rare-group-discovered-from-the-coral-atolls-of-lakshadweep/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2021/04/new-marine-flatworm-from-rare-group-discovered-from-the-coral-atolls-of-lakshadweep/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Lakshadweep unveils world&#8217;s first sea cucumber conservation reserve</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/05/lakshadweep-unveils-worlds-first-sea-cucumber-conservation-reserve/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2020/05/lakshadweep-unveils-worlds-first-sea-cucumber-conservation-reserve/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>05 May 2020 12:38:48 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[K.A. Shaji]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sandhya Sekar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2020/05/05103914/sea-cucumber-banner-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=9677</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Almost Famous Species and India's Iconic Landscapes]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Coral Reefs, Oceans, Protected Areas, Wildlife Protection Act, and Wildlife Trade]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Hardly three months have gone by since a special protection force assigned by the administration of Union Territory of Lakshadweep seized 1716 sea cucumbers from an uninhabited island named Suhali. Weighing 882 kgs and priced at Rs. 4.26 crore in the international market, the shipment was kept ready for smuggling to Sri Lanka. According to marine biologists, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Hardly three months have gone by since a special protection force assigned by the administration of Union Territory of Lakshadweep seized 1716 sea cucumbers from an uninhabited island named Suhali. Weighing 882 kgs and priced at Rs. 4.26 crore in the international market, the shipment was kept ready for smuggling to Sri Lanka. According to marine biologists, the seizure was the largest ever of its kind in the entire world. It was a tip-off from the local fish workers that helped the task force to reach Suhali in time on February 12, to seize the shipment hidden in an unseen corner of the coral reefs. The solitary island is located about 60 km away in the sea from Kavaratti, the capital of the cluster of islands. Though no one has been arrested so far, the New Delhi headquarters of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken over the investigation since the third week of March, keeping in view the gravity of the issue and based on recommendations of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau of India (WCCB). According to Jafer Hisham, marine researcher and a member of the Lakshadweep Biodiversity Council, sea cucumbers are named so because of their resemblance to the vegetable. Generally found on the seafloor, they possess leathery skin and an elongated body containing a single-branched gonad. An endangered species often vulnerable to poaching, sea cucumbers have been the target of seafood mafia operating in the Indian Ocean region. The illegal transnational trade has been occurring in the Lakshadweep region, despite&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2020/05/lakshadweep-unveils-worlds-first-sea-cucumber-conservation-reserve/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Towards better prediction of coral bleaching</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2019/11/towards-better-prediction-of-coral-bleaching/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2019/11/towards-better-prediction-of-coral-bleaching/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>25 Nov 2019 14:46:25 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Aathira Perinchery]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sandhya Sekar]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2019/11/22170133/2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=7682</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[India's Iconic Landscapes]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Coral Reefs, Impacts of Climate Change, Oceans, and Research]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Off the coast of Red Skin Island in the Andamans, it was a colourful world that marine biologist Vardhan Patankar dived into in the summer of 2016. Here, corals wore colours ranging from fluorescent greens to earthy browns. Fish life – including damselfish, snappers, sturgeons, angelfish, squirrelfish and butterflyfish – matched the corals in colour [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Off the coast of Red Skin Island in the Andamans, it was a colourful world that marine biologist Vardhan Patankar dived into in the summer of 2016. Here, corals wore colours ranging from fluorescent greens to earthy browns. Fish life – including damselfish, snappers, sturgeons, angelfish, squirrelfish and butterflyfish – matched the corals in colour and diversity. But when Patankar re-visited the same site a week later, he was shocked. Coral colours had paled visibly, and most of the reef fish had disappeared. In another week, only ghostly white coral skeletons remained. Coral bleaching – the phenomenon where global warming-caused warmer water temperatures stresses corals by expelling polyps (tiny animals whose secretions create the coral structures) that live in it – was happening right before his eyes. &#8220;It was extremely depressing to watch,&#8221; recalls Patankar, scientist at the Wildlife Conservation Society-India. But it was not unexpected: a global alert – based on changes in sea surface water temperatures obtained from satellites – had warned most marine biologists including Patankar about potential coral bleaching worldwide. But while the Andaman islands faced widespread and severe bleaching, the nearby Nicobar islands did not despite the prediction that it would. While Patankar collected data on this in the Andaman-Nicobar island complexes that year, 19 other scientists across 11 tropical countries were doing the same. Their results, published recently in the journal Nature Climate Change, reveal that contemporary predictions of coral bleaching based on a simple threshold of sea surface temperatures alone may not be accurate&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2019/11/towards-better-prediction-of-coral-bleaching/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://india.mongabay.com/2019/11/towards-better-prediction-of-coral-bleaching/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Fish in Lakshadweep tweak feeding habits to deal with coral bleaching</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2018/06/fish-in-lakshadweep-tweak-feeding-habits-to-deal-with-coral-bleaching/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2018/06/fish-in-lakshadweep-tweak-feeding-habits-to-deal-with-coral-bleaching/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>19 Jun 2018 13:19:02 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sahana Ghosh]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sahana]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate resilience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oceans]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2018/06/19085708/Bleached-coral-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=1486</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[India's Iconic Landscapes]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animal Behaviour, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Coast, Coral Reefs, Fish, Global Warming, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Bright blue-and-yellow melon butterflyfish (Chaetodon trifasciatus) that exclusively feed on corals, tweak the way they eat, to survive on bleached reefs of the Lakshadweep archipelago, in the Arabian Sea waters, reports a study published in Ethology &#8211; the International Journal on Behavioural Biology. The reefs have been assailed by severe bleaching events caused by an [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Bright blue-and-yellow melon butterflyfish (Chaetodon trifasciatus) that exclusively feed on corals, tweak the way they eat, to survive on bleached reefs of the Lakshadweep archipelago, in the Arabian Sea waters, reports a study published in Ethology &#8211; the International Journal on Behavioural Biology. The reefs have been assailed by severe bleaching events caused by an abnormal rise in ocean temperatures. The researchers said identifying and documenting species such as the melon butterflyfish that are able to buffer the negative effects of bleaching (at least temporarily) and shedding light on how they manage to do that, is “relevant” in the wake of future bleaching events related to climate change, that are likely to affect all species intimately associated with corals, like the butterflyfish. Melon butterflyfish, Pemba island, Tanzania, Africa. Photo by Bernard E. Picton/Wikimedia Commons. Although coral reefs cover only a tiny fraction (less than one percent) of the earth’s surface and less than two percent of the ocean bottom, they host about 25 percent of all ocean species that depend on reefs for food and shelter. Often referred to as “rainforests of the sea”, coral reefs are shallow water ecosystems composed of the skeletons of coral, which are marine animals. They are made up of hundreds to thousands of tiny soft-bodied creatures called polyps that secrete a hard outer skeleton of limestone (calcium carbonate) that attaches either to rock or the dead skeletons of other polyps. Residing within the coral tissues are algae called zooxanthellae which live in a unique&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2018/06/fish-in-lakshadweep-tweak-feeding-habits-to-deal-with-coral-bleaching/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>[Commentary] The coasts need science-based policy action</title>
					<link>https://india.mongabay.com/2018/05/commentary-the-coasts-need-science-based-policy-action/</link>
					<comments>https://india.mongabay.com/2018/05/commentary-the-coasts-need-science-based-policy-action/?noamp=mobile#comments</comments>
					<pubDate>11 May 2018 14:05:39 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[S. Gopikrishna Warrier]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[S. Gopikrishna Warrier]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biodiversity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conservation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ecotourism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[estuary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fishery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kerala]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Oceans]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2018/05/11102222/Pic-1-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://india.mongabay.com/?p=1083</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Hewing The Regulatory Tree]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Goa, Gujarat, Indian Ocean, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Maharashtra, Odisha, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Climate Change, Coast, Conservation, Environment, and Oceans]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The coasts are in turmoil again. It is neither storms nor monsoonal winds that are affecting the coast at present. The turbulence is because the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is planning to rewrite the coastal rules once again, and the Draft Coastal Regulation Zone Notification 2018 (DCRZ-2018) has been put out [&#8230;]]]>
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							<![CDATA[The coasts are in turmoil again. It is neither storms nor monsoonal winds that are affecting the coast at present. The turbulence is because the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is planning to rewrite the coastal rules once again, and the Draft Coastal Regulation Zone Notification 2018 (DCRZ-2018) has been put out for public comments. As in the past, this is raising controversies across the country. This story of coastal turmoil began in 1991. Two significant developments happened in this year, the consequences of which continue even today. The first was a notification issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) under the Environment Protection Act of 1986 (EPA-1986) to conserve the environment of India’s 7,500-km-long coastline. It was called the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification of 1991 (CRZ-1991) and divided the coasts of the country into four zones – CRZ 1 to 4. The second was the launch of the economic reforms process, which focussed on liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation of the Indian economy. Tidal creeks, mangroves and high-rise buildings are located cheek by jowl in Mumbai. Photo by S. Gopikrishna Warrier / Mongabay. The CRZ Notification draws its origin from a letter that the then prime minister of the country, Indira Gandhi, wrote in 1981 to the chief ministers of the various states, reminding them to conserve the coastal environment and biodiversity. It was only after the Bhopal Gas Disaster in 1984 did the country get its omnibus EPA-1986, which gave powers to&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2018/05/commentary-the-coasts-need-science-based-policy-action/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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