Elephanta Island: World Heritage, Cultural Conservation and Options for Nature Conservation
Elephanta Island lies within a large natural harbour 7 km east of Mumbai, India, and is the site of several cave temples devoted to the Hindu deity Siva dated 4th to 9th century AD. The number, scale and quality of the bas-reliefs and sculptures within the temples, together with their uniqueness and setting, secured inscription as a World Heritage (Cultural) Site in 1987. Otherwise, the silvan nature of the island contrasts vividly with the densely populated city nearby that is largely bereft of urban greenspace. Could conservation measures for the cave temples have incidental benefit for the natural environments of the island, providing an economical means of securing a natural conservation area for Mumbai inhabitants? Exploring this apparently simple question revealed a complex situation necessitating consideration of issues well beyond the techniques of either cultural or nature conservation.
World Heritage Site selection in sensitive areas: Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The legacy of UNESCO World Heritage (WH) designation is renowned and for that reason is subject to increased visitor arrivals. This research-based article examines the issues associated with the selection of WH sites in one among the most remote and sensitive environments of the world, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India (ANI). It explores the benefits of sustainable tourism development and conservation measures that the designation could bring to the ANI. The appropriate research methods adopted to consult a wide range of stakeholders are discussed while addressing the challenges facing the potential properties. This article was written from outside of the official WH designation process.
The galeta oil spill: I. Long-term effects on the physical structure of the Mangrove Fringe
Abstract In April 1986, more than 75 000 barrels (1·5 × 10 7 l) of medium-weight crude oil spilled into Bahia las Minas on the central Caribbean coast of Panama. Fringing mangroves were oiled on the adjoining open coast and in channels, lagoons, creeks and small man-made waterways within the bay. Changes in the physical structure of the mangrove fringe after oiling were documented over time. These included defoliation, limb loss and eventual collapse of dead trees. By 5 years after the spill, the length of shore fringed by mangroves was reduced at oiled sites relative to unoiled sites. Surviving trees at oiled sites had fewer and shorter submerged prop roots and a higher proportion of dead roots than trees at unoiled sites. These changes reduced the surface area of submerged prop roots by 33% on oiled open coast, 38% in channels and 74% in streams. Submerged prop roots serve as settlement surfaces for a diverse group of attached epibiota in an otherwise soft-bottom environment. Oil-induced reductions to this biogenic substratum thus negatively affected epibiotic communities of the mangrove fringe 5 years after the spill independently of any effects of hydrocarbons on the organisms themselves.