Coastal Ecosystems and Changing Economic Activities: Challenges for Sustainability Transition

Abstract

The wide variety of economic activities, which prevail along the coasts, has either direct or indirect connectivity with the coastal ecosystems through its provisioning of a diverse range of goods and services. However, these systems are permanently under pressure due to natural and anthropogenic threats. This field based study documents the changing pattern of economic activities along selected coastal stretches in South Asia at Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. Economic activities vary with coastal ecosystem types and service flows there from. Field study sites were identified based on multiple meetings and discussions with the policy makers in each of the countries and they continued to be the part of scientific discussions within ecology-economy framework through the project lifetime. In depth enquiry and analysis were carried out to understand perception of various economic stakeholder groups to natural and anthropogenic threats in the coastal regions and resultant vulnerability and risks. Often threats get intensified by rapid urbanization triggered by changing pattern of coastal economy due to tourism expansion and modernization of traditional activities.