Why are ecosystems in west India vanishing?

What looks like prime real estate is, in reality, a complex, interconnected ecosystem that supports biodiversity, protects against storm surges, and mitigates the impacts of climate change.

The immediate financial gains from construction pale in comparison to the potential environmental and economic losses. Comparative global examples underscore the urgency of this.

The Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest spanning India and Bangladesh, is already experiencing severe stress. Air pollution from the Indo-Gangetic Plain is compromising its health, demonstrating how interconnected these ecosystems are amid broader environmental challenges.

Local governments and policymakers must recognise that protecting mangroves isn’t just an environmental imperative but an economic necessity. These ecosystems provide natural services worth billions that no amount of man-made infrastructure can offer.

For Goa, the path forward requires a fundamental shift in development philosophy. Instead of viewing natural landscapes as blank canvases for construction, they must be seen as living, breathing systems essential to ecological health.

Sustainable development isn’t about restricting growth but about merging human needs with environmental preservation.

Citizens, too, have a crucial role to play. Public awareness, community activism, and supporting environmentally conscious policies can create meaningful change. Every voice raised in defense of these ecosystems contributes to a larger movement of ecological preservation.

The battle for Goa’s future is being fought not on political stages or in tourism boardrooms, but in its mangrove forests, hills, and beaches.

The choice is clear: continue down the path of destructive development or embrace a model of coexistence that respects and protects our most valuable natural assets.