Trade-off in Lakshadweep
Hindustan TimesThe country’s smallest territory, Lakshadweep, stands at a crossroads: Should it prioritise development or preserve its unique ecology. A push by the Union Territory administration to boost tourism infrastructure has started to further strain the limited resources in an already climate crisis-ridden environment. The junior minister for environment recently told the Lok Sabha that the bleaching was “a sporadic event” and does not have a major impact on tourism and fishing “as of now.” The tourism push will necessitate several steps. One question that looms is: With the local population’s contribution to the climate crisis being minimal, should they be the ones bearing the brunt of this delayed development push? This question, perhaps, resonates with the one that has left most global negotiations fraught with disagreements with the Global South seeking larger contributions to mitigate the crisis from the Global North.
History of this topic
Centre to focus on promoting Lakshadweep, domestic islands but keen on not ‘overcrowding’
The Hindu
Small islands caught between tourism economy, climate change
The Independent
Why Lakshadweep is an archipelago in climate crisis
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