Lagoon - Life Line of South East Coast of India

Pulicat Lagoon is the second largest water body in India covering an area of 759sq.km located on the north of Chennai metropolitan city. The lagoon is one of the three wetlands in India which attracts North-East-Monsoon clouds to this coast. The Wetland balances the water of Buckingham Canal which runs 798km parallel to the coast. More than 80000 birds visits the lagoon making it rich in prawns and crabs, indirectly providing income to the fishermen. This Lagoon is famous for its thousand years of maritime history, including the establishment of first European administration starting from 1502AD with the Portuguese arrival in India. The cultural landscape of the Pulicat region can be traced in South East Asian countries and Middle-East. Pulicat is in the central spine of COTTON ROUTE which was established itself through the Monsoon winds, making it as a unique Confluence of Environment, Culture, and History. This side-event session will be a detailed presentation, covering on urban ecology, wetlands morphology, monsoon economics, and cultural-landscape. The session will also include the pre-launch of the book titled PULICAT. (www.aarde.in)