India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands territory, which comprises 836 mostly uninhabited islands between the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, is a global biodiversity hotspot. Forest covers about 82% of the islands’ total geographic area (1). In March 2022, India sanctioned a development plan for the southern tip of the Great Nicobar Islands, which, if implemented, would cause habitat loss and fragmentation, possibly leading to species extinctions and behavioral changes, as well as the spread of invasive species (2). India must safeguard the islands’ biodiversity and culture from exploitation by infrastructure development.
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