SHASHWAT GUPTA RAY
shashwat@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Canadian national and environment communicator, Sean Southey, who first came to Goa as a tourist in 1984, fell in love with Goa’s scenic beauty and has been coming here at regular intervals.
He last came here in 2009. His concern for the growing pressure on the State’s fragile ecology has brought him here again after 14 years to propagate the cause of environment conservation.
Southey is here as the Chair of International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Commission on Education and Communication (IUCN-CEC), which is organising Asia’s biggest environmental film festival ‘CMS Vatavaran’ in Goa starting today and also to conduct the Commission’s Steering Committee meeting here.
“My first visit to Goa was in 1984 as a tourist. Almost every five to 10 years I tend to come back here. I instantly fell in love with Goa’s beautiful landscape, its people and the food. It’s a very special place on Earth. But as I became more involved with the environment in my career, I also realised that this beautiful place faces a huge risk,” Southey said.
“The very fact that this place is beautiful makes it super-sensitive ecologically as the high number of tourists creates its own pressure. Now I can see a change in the tourists’ makeup. Back when I used to come, there were hippies on the beach enjoying mid-night parties. Now there are big casinos. It’s a very different Goa with more footprints,” the IUCN-CEC chair said.
He said that the size of hotels have changed from small boutiques to large establishments.
When asked about the adverse impact of such large commercial establishments set up in eco-sensitive zones like Goa, the environment educator said, “Businesses can be of two types. One that is ecologically sound, with a very limited footprint and the other having a negative impact on the environment. The impact is not dependent on the size of the establishment but its design.”
“So, my hope for a place like Goa is that the local government ensures that the design of these commercial establishments do not have a negative impact on the ecology. I understand that the environment related litigations filed here is one of the highest in India. This means, Goans do care and are fighting for a clean environment,” he said.
However, he said that conflict is not a solution to any problem. “Without discussion there is no change. I hope the people and the government come together on the discussion table to create a better society,” Southey said.
