Climate, Tourism Threaten To Bleed Out Lakshadweep’s Corals

Lakshadweep’s ecology has been imperilled by heating seas and a string of tourism projects. HT, in a series supported by the Pulitzer Center, looks at the changes that have hit the vibrant archipelago off India’s southwest coast.

Saheer Ali, a diving instructor at Kavaratti, first noticed mass bleaching of corals in the shallow lagoon on the western coast of Kavaratti island in April. The whitened reefs made him feel a deep grief—the kind when you see a loved one in pain, he recollects.

“The ocean is our home. It gives us peace. It is also our bread and butter. It is our life," says Ali, 40, sitting outside his diving centre on a recent rainy day in September.

Scientists hope some corals will survive the mass bleaching that occurred this year, but the larger question is whether the climate crisis will spare the coral atolls that are Ali's home?

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The heat stress in Lakshadweep (Laccadive Sea) and in southeastern India was record-setting in 2024, according to Derek P Manzello, Coordinator of NOAA Coral Reef Watch, Center for Satellite Applications and Research Satellite Oceanography & Climatology Division.

The metric used to gauge heat stress on corals is called Degree Heating Weeks (DHW). DHW shows how much heat stress has accumulated in an area over the preceding three months by adding up any temperature exceeding the bleaching threshold during that time period. It is a measure of both the magnitude and duration of the thermal stress.

In 2024, Lakshadweep reached 9.2 DHWs, and southeastern India, 9 DHWs. The prior record for Lakshadweep was 6.7 DHW in 2010; it was 6.9 DHW for SE India in 2016, says Manzello.

This extreme heat was felt by divers and fishermen who were desperate to save the lagoon and coral reefs from damage. "The temperature of the deeper outer lagoon was 32 degrees C, but the surface water in the shallow lagoon was even warmer, around 36 degrees C, during the peak heating period in April and May. How can corals survive that heat?" asks Anwar Hussain, a Kavaratti based fisherman.

The simple answer is that they can’t. 

"Corals, in general, survive in temperature thresholds of 20 to 29 degrees C. An increase of 2 degrees beyond that can negatively impact most of the coral species, and that is what caused mass bleaching here in Lakshadweep," explains Alvin Anto, a Kochi based researcher who focuses on corals, and the (underwater) photographer for this series.

Anto, who dived to capture how corals were doing after the mass bleaching this summer, found that a few are recovering but that many are not. "Bleaching is over now as the monsoon has set in and temperatures have reduced marginally. However, not all corals were able to survive," he says.

"This is the fever phase. Some corals can revive if cool temperatures bounce back. As we go towards frequent marine heat waves, frequent extreme temperatures and a permanent marine heat wave state, the fever will give way to deaths, coral mortality, and that is what we are truly scared of. We have paid less attention to coral species which actually supports the marine biodiversity," says Roxy Mathew Koll, climate scientist at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.

Coral reefs are considered the rainforests of the sea and represent the most biodiverse ecosystem in the oceans. It is estimated that roughly 25% of all marine species associate with coral reefs at some point in their lives. Thus, the large-scale death of corals and degradation of coral reefs threaten the survival of 1 in 4 of every living organism in the ocean, Manzello explains.

"It is estimated that the ecosystem services of coral reefs contribute more than $3 billion to the US economy every year and this number is in the trillions of dollars for the entire globe. These ecosystem services include things such as coastal protection from storms and sea-level rise...many new pharmaceuticals, including experimental cancer drugs, are being developed from novel organic compounds discovered on coral reefs.” 

In response to a question in Lok Sabha on mass coral bleaching events during the last five years, details of the steps taken by the Government to address the recent coral mass bleaching event in the Lakshadweep Islands, and impact on fishermen and local economy, Kirti Vardhan Singh, the junior minister for environment said: "Coral mass bleaching is a natural phenomenon across global waters due to change in the global climate change followed by an increase in sea surface temperature. However, corals have the resilience to recover depending on the restoration of the normal sea conditions. Coral bleaching events have been reported during March 2024 in Lakshadweep. During 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020, the events of coral bleaching were not significant....Coral bleaching is a sporadic event in India, and such incidents do not have a major impact on local economy such as tourism and fishermen as of now.” He listed various government schemes to conserve corals.

 "Corals try to adjust to the increase in sea surface temperature, changing their color to reflect the sunlight, but when heat stress is too much, the algae living inside corals start releasing toxic compounds which can harm the corals. In a desperate effort to save itself, the corals release their algae. Without the algae they turn white, but they do not survive long and perish in a couple of weeks," he added

Time is running out

But the devastation of coral reefs in Lakshadweep is only a manifestation of how climate change is threatening the very existence of India's only coral atolls—the ring-shaped reef formations which create islands surrounded by lagoons. These islands are made of coral and coral dust as opposed to soil. Will Lakshadweep thrive, with water so clear and pristine, colourful corals and marine life?

It's difficult to say.

The Arabian Sea's character has undergone a major shift—from a relatively calm water body compared to the Bay of Bengal to a one of rather rough and unpredictable disposition in recent years. The rate of increase in sea surface temperatures over Arabian Sea is higher than that of Bay of Bengal based on data from 1982 to 2023 as per scientists at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. 

Meanwhile, The Centre plans to promote Lakshadweep as a major tourism destination with lagoon villas and tent cities planned in different inhabited and uninhabited islands. Lakshadweep has a land area of only 32 sq km, with 10 inhabited and 26 uninhabited islands.

HT filed an RTI seeking information on the various tourism projects planned in Lakshadweep to increase tourist footfalls. The response from the Tourism Ministry states that Swadesh Darshan 2.0, in consultation with states and UTs and in line with scheme guidelines, has identified Lakshadweep as a destination for development. The Ministry of Tourism launched its flagship scheme of 'Swadesh Darshan' in 2014-15 and provided financial assistance to the State Governments/UTs Administration/Central Agencies for development of tourism infrastructure at various destinations. HT also filed an RTI with Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) seeking details of the sea level rise around Lakshadweep islands in the past 50 years. What is the rate of sea level rise over Lakshadweep islands annually? How susceptible is Lakshadweep to cyclones? What is the rate of warming over Arabian Sea compared to Bay of Bengal? INCOIS responded saying that the "information sought doesn’t qualify and/or doesn’t lead to any category of information as specified under the definition of ‘information’ defined under 2(f) of RTI ACT 2005. As per the RTI act, only such information is required to be supplied under the Act which already exists and is held by the public authority or held under the control of the public authority. It is not required under the Act to create information; or to interpret information; or to solve the problems raised by the applicants; or to furnish replies to hypothetical questions."

This information was however available with climate scientists.

According to Roxy Mathew Koll, climate scientist at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, the rate of sea level rise in the Indian Ocean is about 3 cm/decade during the past few decades, which is projected to increase to about 5 cm/decade. More than half of the sea level rise in the Indian Ocean is in fact due to thermal expansion of water in response to rising temperatures.

"If the marine heat waves are short-term, coral reefs could recover from the bleaching event. However, if these heat waves repeat and stay longer, coral bleaching will give way to mass coral mortality, where most of the corals perish. Future climate projections from our research indicate that the Indian Ocean will be in a near-permanent marine heatwave state by 2060, when global warming crosses 2 degrees C. This can be a death knell for many coral species.” 

"Past observations suggest sea level rise over Lakshadweep islands is around 3-5 mm per year. This is a large number. This could be impacting the atolls in the islands. With warming to continue, the sea level rise is expected to continue," says M Rajeevan, former secretary, ministry of earth sciences and climate scientists.

According to documents seen by HT on the Environment Ministry's Parivesh website, M/S Praveg Limited, a Gujarat based tourism company, has sought island clearance regulation zone (ICRZ) clearance for building "Establishment of a resort facility, encompassing accommodation, dining, recreational amenities, and associated infrastructure," in Agatti with a built up area of 2001.5 m2.

"Discover the breathtaking Agatti, Thinnakara, and Bangaram Islands and delve into the serene ambiance, elegant coastal décor, and picturesque views of the sea. Experience serenity and opulence with our cocoon-shaped, well-appointed tents, taking tented accommodation to the next level. Make your special day even more memorable with our exceptional destination weddings, corporate events, and private gathering spaces," says Praveg's website. These resorts are among many other tourism infrastructure planned on the island.

HT reached out to Praveg Ltd on September 5 and on August 25 seeking response on how many tourists the tent cities can accommodate and how these facilities comply with Island Coastal Regulation Zone regulation 2019 but did not hear from them.

Further, Niti Ayog has planned the holistic development of eco-tourism projects on the Lakshadweep islands with water villas and beach villas planned in several islands. "I do not think lagoon villas are possible here. Reefs will completely collapse if you build these villas. Moreover, our islands do not have the capacity to support tourism. Islanders are barely managing with basics, some basic food and desalinated water. If tourists come in large numbers, the sensitive balance in the tiny islands will fail," says Ali. There is also a worry among islanders that tourism projects are being prioritised for outsiders and locals are not beneficiaries.

The warming Arabian Sea is also eating at the islands. "Arabian Sea is warming. The winds change suddenly now, they pick up speed and surface and underwater currents also change. It has become like Bay of Bengal," says Hussain, the fisherman from Kavaratti.

The warming has made the sea water more acidic now, which cause damage to the reef framework created by the limestone structures built by corals and threaten the survival of marine life. "The cause is nothing but carbon. Can people of Lakshadweep solve this problem? No. The global community has to do this to save us from disappearing," says Ali.

Lakshadweep's appeal to the world

"The projection still stands that 1.5°C global warming will see a 70 to 90% loss of coral reefs over time, a 2°C warming will lead to up to 99% loss, with regional differences. Coral species will survive in somewhat cooler pockets in deeper waters," says Hans-O. Poertner, marine biologist and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Working Group II co-chair, lead author of IPCC WGII AR5, chapter 6 on Ocean Systems.

"Best protection for corals is by stopping net emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere. This is the shared responsibility of all nations according to the sum of their historical and present contributions to greenhouse gas emissions. It may be possible to buy some time for coral reefs regionally by reducing other stressors like pollution or eutrophication or human disturbance and destruction but stopping or even reducing climate change is the ultimate requirement for their large scale survival," Poertner adds.

The question is how Lakshadweep can develop in a way that doesn't harm its biggest resource—its coral reefs, unique geomorphology and culture. According to the 2011 Census, Lakshadweep has a population of 64429 persons. More than 93% of the population are indigenous and Muslims. "We have heard from our elders that when there was no supply of vegetables or grains from the mainland, they survived by eating coconut and fish," says Abdul Khader, former president, gram panchayat, Kavaratti (2017-2022).

Nearly everything, except coconut, some local fruits and fish, has to be shipped to Lakshadweep's islands. If cargo doesn't arrive on time, locals have to make do with what they have. The history of Lakshadweep is largely anecdotal. It is believed that during the Arrakal rule (16th century to 19th century), people sailing to West Asia to trade spotted the Lakshadweep islands and thereafter some populations settled here. Minicoy, however, the southernmost island, is closest to the Republic of the Maldives and follows the Male culture and language.

Ubaidulla AS, an advocate originally from Idukki, is married to an islander and is now a "native" of Kavaratti by way of marriage. Not that he has much work; he describes the islanders to be innocent and honest people. "We deal in crime and family matters. There is no serious crime as such."

Lakshadweep is among the most developed parts of India, with an equitable, highly literate society with high levels of well being, according to those tracking the islands for years.

It has a literacy rate of 93.71%; human development index of 0.75 compared to 0.6 for India as a whole; gender ratio of 945 females out of 1000 males; income inequality index of 21.05 compared to 35.7 for India, according to research by Lakshadweep Research Collective, a diverse group of ecological, social and legal researchers. It’s common to see men and women out at the beach at night, or women playing volley ball in their traditional clothes.

Rohan Arthur, scientist, oceans and coasts with Nature Conservation Foundation says that tourism is likely to be a critical element in any developmental plan for Lakshadweep. But it is important to deliberate on what kind of tourism, he insists. 

"As we move towards a climate resilient future, we need to be considering non-extractive ways of supporting the economy of Lakshadweep in ways that directly benefit local communities. What I additionally believe is that whatever forms of development take place on these islands, they need to take into account the climate vulnerabilities of the place. Climate resilience creates a set of safe operating spaces within which development can take place, and whatever we do, we need to ensure we do not breach these safe operating spaces.” 

HT reached out to Lakshadweep Administrator, Praful Patel Khoda for an interview on the concerns facing Lakshadweep. "All your queries and interview request has been sent to the honourable administrator's office, but he is not available for an interview because of his extremely busy schedule in view of VIPs visiting the UTs," said his office.

"Lakshadweep has an extremely sensitive ecology. No project can be approved here without considering this fragility. Very robust environment impact assessment is needed for any project that is taken up here. We are facing sea erosion also. Its also important to understand that we have not contributed to this crisis so we should not be bearing the brunt," said Muhammed Hamdullah Sayeed, Congress leader and MP from Lakshadweep.