Protecting the Gulf of Mannar

The Gulf of Mannar is a shallow stretch of water separating India from Sri Lanka. Despite its important ecological and cultural significance as one of South Asia's largest biosphere reserves, the Indian Government is planning to build a shipping channel through the gulf - the Sethusamudram Ship Channel. FIELD lawyers attended the first International meeting of the campaign to protect the Gulf of Mannar.

The main objective of the conference was to launch a campaign that would

• prevent the construction of a the shipping channel;
• highlight the ecological, spiritual and scientific relevance of the site; and
• help to designate the Gulf of Mannar as a UNESCO world heritage site.

Ritwick Dutta, a lawyer from India, provided an update of activities already taking place at the site of the Gulf of Mannar and the decisions of the Indian courts related to the construction of the Sethusamudram Ship Channel. Christoph Schwarte of FIELD gave an overview on international environmental law and its potential relevance to the ship channel project. On the second day the FIELD intern William Francis summarised the nomination process under the World Heritage Convention.

On the first day of the conference the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC), through its Secretary General Martin Palmer, announced that it would be seeking to have the Gulf of Mannar designated as one of the world's first internationally recognised ‘Sacred Sites'. Following agreements reached at the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona ‘Sacred Site' is a now an international term of protection for sites that are spiritually, religiously, culturally and ecologically important.

Other speakers were:

• Shalina Bhaboeti, Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD).
• Dr. Peter Bunyard, A fellow of the Linnean Society.
• Somduth Dolthuman, President Mauritius Sanatan Dharma Temples Federation.
• Ranjeev Gowri, Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD).
• Professor Anantanand Rambachan, Professor and Chair of Religion, Saint Olaf College, Minnesota, USA.
• Ranil Senanayake, Environmental Scientist Ecologist.
• Dr. I Gusti Ngurah Arya Wedakarna, Lecturer Manhendradatta University, Bali.

The conference was organised by the Living Planet Foundation (USA). It
took place at the Linnean Society, London, from 25 -26 November 2008.

For further information please see http://www.livingplanetfoundation.org/campaign.htm

Updated: Dec 3, 2008