Practising advocate, Director, Goa-IDC, former Expert Member, Goa CZMA, currently pursuing a PhD in Environmental Law at IIULER Goa
Goa's coastline is more than a postcard-perfect destination—it's a living ecosystem that has sustained generations of fishing families, toddy-tappers, and coastal communities whose knowledge of the sea spans centuries. This narrow strip of sand and sea defines much of Goa's identity, yet today, that identity faces an existential crisis.
Coastal erosion, pollution, and unplanned development are steadily destroying the natural resilience of our shorelines. Traditional communities, once the backbone of coastal stewardship, are abandoning their ancestral livelihoods as fish catches decline and economic insecurity rises.
Having served as an expert member of the Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA), I've witnessed both the promise and pitfalls of coastal governance firsthand. The question we must ask is urgent: What should Goa's coast look like in 2030?
Beauty under siege
The numbers paint a stark picture. 27% of Goa's coastline is actively eroding—a shocking 20% increase over just five years. Of 90 eroding beaches, 88 have significant tourism presence, revealing the direct link between over-development and environmental destruction. (NCSCM, 2024).
The State Government's draft "Goa State Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan 2025-2030," released recently, offers a sobering assessment. Coastal ecosystems that were once resilient are now overwhelmed by rising sea levels, storm surges, and relentless human interference. Seaside cliffs are crumbling, losing their ecological functions and impacting species that depend on them for survival. (The report is available at https://gsbb.goa.gov.in)
Despite Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) laws designed to protect these areas, enforcement remains woefully inadequate (Mascarenhas, 1999). Goa accounts for nearly 50% of all CRZ violations across India (Nandi, 2023)—a shameful distinction that reflects institutional failure at multiple levels. The GCZMA spends almost 90% of its meeting time addressing violations, leaving virtually no capacity for regulation, conservation planning or proactive management.
Meanwhile, traditional fishing communities face a perfect storm of challenges. As coastal development accelerates and recreational activities multiply, fish catches have plummeted. Beach shacks and hotels crowd out traditional fishing operations, while pollution and habitat destruction disrupt marine ecosystems. Many fisherfolk, utilising opportunities afforded by Portuguese citizenship, are migrating abroad in search of stable incomes, creating a demographic shift that threatens the continuity of centuries-old maritime traditions.
This isn't merely an economic crisis—it's cultural, environmental, and profoundly human. Communities with deep ecological knowledge and generational ties to the sea find themselves excluded from planning processes that will determine their future.
Learning from success, failure
Goa's coastal management journey offers both inspiration and cautionary tales. Community-driven conservation efforts have shown remarkable success, particularly in protecting turtle nesting sites at Mandrem, Morjim, Galgibaga, and Agonda. These initiatives demonstrate how ecological preservation and local stewardship can work in harmony. Similarly, mangrove restoration projects have helped stabilise estuarine zones, showcasing the potential of nature-based solutions.
However, institutional failures persist. The GCZMA remains trapped in reactive mode, overwhelmed by violation cases rather than focusing on strategic conservation and planning. Coordination between tourism, environment, town planning, and fisheries departments remains weak, hampering integrated action. Scientific assessments are often poorly conducted or sidelined under political pressure.
Most critically, traditional coastal communities continue to be excluded from meaningful participation in planning processes. This exclusion violates principles of participatory governance and undermines coastal resilience by ignoring time-tested knowledge systems.
#Vision for 2030
What should Goa's coastline look like by 2030? The answer lies in creating a coast that is both ecologically stable and socially inclusive—where natural systems regenerate and traditional communities thrive with dignity and security.
In this vision, beaches, dunes, estuaries, and the unique khazan agricultural systems are protected and restored rather than buried under concrete. Mangrove belts, coral patches, and intertidal ecosystems flourish, creating natural buffers against climate change impacts like rising sea levels and intensifying storms.
Traditional fisherfolk move from the margins to the centre of coastal governance. Their expertise guides fisheries management and coastal planning decisions. Customary fishing rights receive formal recognition, and infrastructure development serves rather than displaces community needs. Economic diversification through small-scale eco-tourism, sustainable aquaculture, and value-added fishery products keeps livelihoods viable while strengthening local economies.
Scientific monitoring systems, supported by transparent data and citizen participation, guide decisions on erosion control, biodiversity protection, and pollution management. All development within coastal zones follows stringent, transparent processes with genuine public consultation. Governance becomes proactive rather than reactive, staying ahead of threats rather than merely responding to crises.
Community-led solutions
The path forward requires integrating ecosystem restoration with community-led conservation initiatives. This approach preserves not just biodiversity but also the cultural heritage and identity of traditional coastal communities. When local communities lead conservation efforts, they develop ownership and responsibility that ensures long-term sustainability.
International examples, such as coral reef restoration in Hawaii's Moanalua Bay, demonstrate how community involvement creates jobs, enhances cultural practices, and fosters environmental stewardship (Kittinger et al., 2016). Similar approaches could transform Goa's coastal restoration efforts.
Critical reforms are needed immediately. The GCZMA must shift from reactive enforcement to proactive planning. Inter-departmental coordination requires formalization through joint working groups. Every coastal development proposal should undergo rigorous, transparent appraisal with full public disclosure and consultation.
A critical gap exists in beach carrying capacity assessments. The sole existing study (NCSCM, 2017) focused entirely on tourism accommodation capacity while completely ignoring environmental impact thresholds. This tourism-centric approach failed to measure how visitor footfalls affect coastal ecosystems, leaving regulators without essential data for sustainable management. The ongoing CSIR NIO Goa study offers hope for comprehensive environmental impact assessment.
Protecting coastal sand dunes becomes even more urgent as these natural barriers absorb storm energy and reduce flooding risks (Burvingt & Castelle, 2023). The 46.06 lakh square metres of sand dunes along our coast omitted from previous NCSCM CZMP surveys (The Goan Everyday, 2021) must be identified, mapped and conserved to protect our coastal villages from sea-level rise and climate impacts.
Beyond crisis management
The GSBB report supra recommends strict measures including halting beach construction of shacks and hotels while identifying regions under excessive tourism pressure. These recommendations underscore the need to regulate development so native vegetation and critical habitats remain intact, controlling erosion while ensuring sustainable harvesting practices.
However, we must move beyond piecemeal solutions toward fundamental paradigm shifts. Tourism needs redirection from oversaturated coastlines to the hinterland, where it can support rural economies and showcase Goa's rich cultural heritage while relieving pressure on fragile shorelines.
We must stop treating the coast as a frontier for construction and start seeing it as a commons requiring nurturing—a living space where natural rhythms, human livelihoods, and cultural memory exist in delicate balance.
Call for courage
This moment demands courage from policymakers, planners, stakeholders, and everyone who loves this land. Coastal resilience cannot be built through concrete but through cooperation, restoration, and justice. The voices of fisherfolk and traditional coastal communities must not merely be heard—they must lead.
Our beaches reached their environmental carrying capacity at least two decades ago. Once resilient ecosystems are now saturated with tourism infrastructure and unregulated activities that fragile coastal systems can no longer sustain.
The future of Goa's coast hinges on choices we make today. We must embrace long-term commitment to ecological restoration, livelihood security, and cultural continuity. This isn't only about protecting biodiversity—it's about protecting Goa's soul.
If we act with intention, integrity, and imagination, Goa's coast in 2030 can become a model not of nostalgia but of renewal. The time has come for Goans to reclaim their future and show India—and the world—how coastal communities and ecosystems can thrive together.
The tide is turning. The question is whether we'll turn with it toward sustainability and justice, or be swept away by the waves of unsustainable development. The choice, and the responsibility, is ours.
