Revisiting Ecology of the Gujarat Coast by Gujarat Ecology Society

The developments across Gujarat coast bring challenges of environmental impacts, developmental pressure, social and livelihood uncertainty, economic sustainability, and climate change, thus triggering the need for revising the existing conservation and sustainable policies.

Keeping this in mind the Gujarat Ecology Society (GES) in 1998 has carried out a baseline study along the Gujarat coast which documented the environmental, demographical, and sociological changes along the coastal talukas. The book revisiting the ecology of the Gujarat coast -trends of last two decades and is a progression over the comprehensive benchmark study carried out by the Gujarat Ecology Society (GES), in 1998.

The book highlights the dynamism in the environment, development, demography, and socio-economical aspects spread over seven chapters for each coastal section of Gulf of Kachchh, Gulf of Khambhat, Saurashtra coast and South Gujarat Coast.

"The study is the first of its kind along the Indian coast showing the degree of change in the last twenty years. The findings of the book highlight the trends in environmental factors, geological shifts, the stretch of industrialization, shift in social architecture, migration pattern, pollution, heavy metal contamination, and dilution of dialect and culture. The book also highlights the timely interventions by the center and state governments to protect the environment, elevate the standard of living, and various facilities provided under public partner relationships to bring growth and economic prosperity, " Said Dr. Deepa Gavali, director GES.

The book compiles relevant information, digitization of past and present changes along the 47 coastal talukas of Gujarat, with the depiction in a user-friendly manner. The interesting feature of the book includes CD ROM containing 30 years of socio-economic data for the selected coastal villages.

Deepa Gavali said, costal areas development is fast and we are asking is the government gear up for disaster management. Costal pollution, water salinity has also increased. Sustainable development is necessary and we proposed some management strategies in the book. Government shall consider their book in policy making studies.

The book is jointly authored by Dr. Deepa Gavli, Jayendra Lakhmapurkar and Sonia Kumari.