Rescuing India’s shores

I thought the clear blue waters at Jolly Bouy, Andaman, would be cold and that I would shiver when taking my first dip to snorkel to the valleys of white sand, schools of multi-coloured fish, and purple-orange tipped corals. But, as the surprisingly warm silky waters washed over me, my first thought was, is this usual? Well, it indeed is. There is a difference between reading about the optimum temperature for coral survivability and feeling it. Empiricism and deductive knowledge power passion. That is perhaps why a huge delegation of climate researchers and policy persons have thronged to the COP27 at Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to engage in one-on-one dialogue, despite the bafflingly enormous carbon imprint, touted as counterproductive by many. We are painfully aware that the rising sea levels and marauding coastal erosion are now a force to reckon with. Scientists are looking for nature based solutions to protect the coast, yet none of these are inexpensive or without the need for high maintenance. Marine plastic pollution, washed out through the waterways and heightened during flooding events, is perhaps the highest in the sub-continent. Yet, we have not moved beyond the optics of beach cleaning, to ensuring long-lasting changes at source, in the polluting industries. Being in the Ocean Decade 2021-2030, ocean science needs to fully support nations to help achieve sustainable development, as highlighted by the United Nations. This issue, dedicated to the conservation and protection of the coasts of India, brings to the fore a piercing need to be heard in order to mitigate impending doom.

I am especially indebted to Dr Ramana Murthy, Director, National Centre for Coastal Research, for his support and encouragement during the process of putting this issue together.