Abdul Wahab Khan
Panaji
A study of 37 Goan beaches has revealed that nearly one in ten kilometres of the state’s coastline is retreating, putting livelihoods, infrastructure and Goa’s tourism economy at serious risk.
Researchers from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Saidiksh Naik and Dr Sourav Mandal, alongside Dr Jublee Mazumdar of XIM University, Bhubaneswar, have published a comprehensive 28-year shoreline change analysis (1995-2023) in Regional Studies in Marine Science. The study is the first of its kind along the Goan coast to link satellite-derived coastal dynamics directly with tourism pressure indicators.
According to the study, of the state’s total coastline, 9.24% (14.05 km) is undergoing erosion, 8.55% (12.98 km) is accreting, 26.37% (40.08 km) is stable and 52.57% (79.92 km) is rocky coast.
Among the 37 beaches analysed, Querim recorded the steepest erosion rate at -1.72 metres per year (m/yr), followed by Sinquerim at -1.36 m/yr and Mandrem at -1.16 m/yr – all classified as fully erosion-dominated with 100% of their transects showing retreat.
Transect is a straight line or narrow, designated path laid across a habitat or study area, used by researchers to observe changes in environmental features.
Anjuna beach showed 52.38% erosion across 21 transects, while Candolim and Varca each registered over 55% erosive transects.
On the brighter side, Caranzalem is accreting at a remarkable +3.65 metres per year, Miramar at +1.94 metres per year and Baga at +1.49 metres per year.
Arambol, Vagator, Baina, Mazorda, Palolem and Cola beaches remain wholly stable, according to the researchers.
A spatial overlay analysis by the researchers superimposed erosion trends on four tourism indicators – visitor footfall, carrying capacity, available beach area and licensed shack density – to identify the pressure zones.
The figures revealed that Candolim and Sinquerim beaches face the gravest compounded risk of high erosion coinciding with intense tourist infrastructure. The paper warns that erosion “reduces beach carrying capacity, thereby impacting local economies”.
Mandrem and Anjuna exhibit moderate pressure, while Querim and Talpona, though eroding, carry minimal tourism load, states the study. Betalbatim and Varca, on the other hand, showed diverse conditions, with relatively modest or stable tourism loads coexisting with areas of severe erosion.
The study urges planners to treat shoreline data as a prerequisite for any decision on tourism infrastructure. For erosion-prone beaches, it recommends limits on seasonal structures, restrictions on backshore development and priority investment in dune restoration.
For accreting beaches such as Caranzalem, it warns against complacency, noting that unchecked expansion has already strained civic amenities and water quality.
Nature-based solutions, including mangrove rehabilitation, are highlighted as cost-effective buffers that simultaneously generate ecotourism employment, with research suggesting that every $1 million invested in coastal habitat restoration could create between 15 and 33 jobs.
