Geneticist M.S. Swaminathan on Monday said that many coral reefs in the country were in danger due to climate change.
In his inaugural video-speech from Chennai during the three-day national workshop on ‘Climate Change’, Mr. Swaminathan has stressed that the climate change would have direct impact on the coastal communities in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
Gender dimension
The Chennai-based M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) is conducting workshop for the working journalists on climate change here.
“The climate change has a gender dimension to it, leading to suffering of women than men when it is affecting the coastal areas. It’s the women who will be directly involved in the food processing and directly affected due to the change in the climate. It is the need of the hour to take action for the management of the climate change impacts,” said Dr. Swaminathan. The geneticist has said; “The changes in the climate will lead to a rise in the sea level, affecting the coastal communities and their livelihood options, apart from storms which require to be managed meticulously.”
Cost-intensive walls
Department of Geo-Engineering (Andhra University) Kakani Nageswara Rao has stated that cost-intensive walls being built in various coastal belts in India would never become a suitable way to face the challenge of the erosion.
Prof. Nageswara Rao has explained the case studies of Uppada, Visakhapatnam R.K. Beach, Bheemili Beach and other beaches in South India, explaining how the man-made activities, particularly thriving aquaculture, have led to speeding up of the natural process of erosion of the coast.
MSSRF Principal Co-ordinator (Coastal Systems Research) R. Ramasubramanian, Communication Consultant Sangeetha Rajeesh and other staff were present.
