A kayak moves into one of Pichavaram’s narrow creeks. As we go deeper, the waterway gets smaller. Mangrove roots rise from the mud on both sides, while the branches above begin to form a canopy around us.

There is no walking trail here. The only way to explore this part of the forest is from the water.

As we paddle ahead, the wider channels slowly disappear. The trees grow thicker, the creek gets narrower, and the mangroves feel close enough to reach out and touch.

This is the part of Tamil Nadu’s Pichavaram village that tourists remember.

It is also the part that made me wonder what tourism here is really doing for the forest and for the people who depend on it.

Across India’s coast, mangroves are slowly becoming destinations in their own right. Visitors take boat rides through Bhitarkanika in Odisha, watch birds around Kadalundi in Kerala, kayak through the backwaters of coastal Karnataka and enter the maze-like waterways of Pichavaram in Tamil Nadu.

The appeal is easy to understand once you are inside one.

But there is a bigger question behind the experience: if tourists are willing to pay to see a healthy mangrove, can that money help the people living around it earn from protecting the forest?

A small part of India, doing a very big job

India has 4,991.68 sq km of mangrove cover, according to the India State of Forest Report 2023. That is only 0.15% of the country’s geographical area.

West Bengal has the largest share, followed by Gujarat and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Karnataka, in comparison, has just 14.20 sq km.

Their footprint may be small, but the work mangroves do is enormous.

Their roots slow waves and hold sediment together, helping protect vulnerable coastlines from erosion. Their creeks become breeding and nursery grounds for fish and other aquatic species. Their waterlogged soils can also store large amounts of carbon.

For people living beside these forests, mangroves can support fishing, protect shorelines and shape everyday livelihoods.

Tourism introduces another possibility.

What if a mangrove could generate income simply because people wanted to experience it alive?

When keeping the forest healthy begins to pay

You can already see glimpses of this in coastal Karnataka.

Around Saligrama and the backwaters of Udupi, tourists can kayak through mangrove-lined waterways and wetlands. A few hours on the water may mean income for a boat operator or guide. The same visitor may stay in a local homestay, eat........

© The Better India