Vishakhapatnam, also known as Vizag in east India, is a naturally biophilic city nestled between the Bay of Bengal and the lush Eastern Ghats.   A prolific city and a tourist destination of its state Andhra Pradesh, its population is roughly 2 million people in an urban area of 240 square miles.  It is a rich, biodiverse region with plentiful forest cover, an 83-mile-long coastline with many beaches visited by over 300,000 locals and tourists each month.  It’s a rural sphere of influence over 4000 square miles, is mostly green.  Visakhapatnam’s international port is India’s 5^th busiest port. The fishing sector is made up of 63 coastal villages. Vizag has been resilient; however, this decade made global warming evident by season in the onslaught of typhoons and ensuing persistent drought.  Vizag is exposed to greater pandemic potential based on its strategic location and culture.

Protecting the city’s biodiversity – its plant and animal species and their habitats can extend its coastal resiliency.

Significant work in species and habitat protection is on for over four decades in Vizag.   The organization that has taken upon itself to be answerable for the region’s biophilic beauty and resilience via its animal and plant species is “Visakha Society for the Protection and Care of Animals,” or VSPCA-India.   Several programs (e.g., animal birth control and annual rabies vaccinations, asepsis training for government vets, etc.) are in place for Vizag’s domestic animals – dogs, cats, and cattle, keeping human health and wellbeing in mind, while ensuring animals are embraced as members of urban society. Plans for “dog parks” across Vizag are in discussion with government authorities, while legislation to address the closure of pedigreed puppy “mills” is in the review.

January through June, VSPCA works on protecting 35 miles of the coastline by building ex-situ sea turtle hatcheries, employing fishermen in the work of the Olive Ridley sea turtle conservation.  Despite Amphan typhoon’s onslaught, this year saw over 64,000 Lepidochelys olivacea vulnerable sea turtle babies return safely to sea.  This program drew world attention to the endangerment of the Olive Ridley and shone a light on the sea turtle’s habitat and needs.

Pending further research, the health and environmental impacts from steadily increasing turtle populations over two decades on the ocean itself, and on the resident human and nonhuman populations can be better understood.  The Lepidochelys olivacea is a symbolic “spokesperson” of this region.  Bridging land and sea, it travels far across the oceans and comes back to nest here in large numbers – affecting marine life deep in the oceans, as well as coastal bird and animal species of the Bay of Bengal.  This year saw juvenile mothers nest in Vizag’s beaches – a recently observed phenomenon.

Positive impacts from sea turtle conservation are resounding: corporates mitigating pollution practices; residents involved in a beach cleanup and being proud of Vizag’s sea turtle conservation (note the dogs from the sea turtle conservation team in the group), universities getting involved bringing science to residents and youth, and more.

Vizag’s Smart Mission documents aim for:

• A Vibrant City: Building upon the ongoing initiatives of beach beautification, shore protection projects, a vibrant Vizag will tap into its tourism potential capitalizing on open spaces along the beach, beachfront, prominent parks, landforms, and natural resources.
• A Connected and Green City: Vizag will ensure that development pressures on land will not lead to the reduction of green spaces, but rather the growth of the city in terms of development or increase in population will result in a proportional increase of green spaces. The city will continue to focus on ongoing initiatives of tree plantation, will focus on the transformation of underutilized open spaces into active parks and playgrounds.

The Smart City Vision speaks to a:

• A Healthy and Livable City: Vizag to emerge as a healthy and livable city, ensuring its citizens have healthy lifestyle choices; have walkable access to parks/playgrounds; have safe mobility choices of walking and cycling, and more.
• A Resilient City: Vizag to emerge stronger to withstand the 21st Century challenges of Climate Change.  The recent flooding and cyclones like Hud-Hud are strong indicators where threats from un-monitored urbanization and climate change are real.

VSPCA’s Strategic and Tactical work is focused on addressing Vizag’s weaknesses and threats while leveraging opportunities and aims pointed out in its Smart City plan.

When people refer to Visakhapatnam in 5 years, they speak to Vizag’s efforts in its biophilic journey.  Their references reflect nature, species, animal-human co-existence, natural habitats, and animal assimilation into city life:

Examples:

“The city that has dogs in sea turtle conservation?!”

“The city of dog parks?”

• Establish natural Rain Water Harvesting at Kindness Farm to address flooding and extended periods of drought and in the process, support local food production, native planting, and native wildlife (including migratory species.)
• Strive to expand the areas of Kindness Farm and Narsipatnam, promoting plant-based and earth-based
• Provide drinking water facilities across Vizag to street animals and put out more bowls with more frequent freshwater fills, during summer months.
• Extend Sea Turtle Lepidochelys olivacea Conservation Campaign and Habitat Protection to cover 133 Km of Vizag’s Coastline.
  • Extend employment to 25 more fishermen in the next two years – to build and safeguard the sea turtle hatcheries and sea turtle eggs.
  • Address pollution caused by shrimp farms and industries bordering the Vizag coast, such as pharmaceuticals and metal-production. Work with the community gaining support to lobby against hazardous industries.
  • Empower the fishing community and work toward Marine Protected Areas in the ocean. Begin with organized temporary (e.g., octopus) fishery closures as a pathway to longer-term management. Closures by season allow for specified fish the time to increase in size and reproduce.
  • Continue to research and to plan to address the exploitation of shark species (including the magnificent whale shark that travels these waters).
• Provide seasonal protection for migratory bird species along coastal marshes. This implies lobbying Steel Plants to protect their extensive and dense wildlands in marshes and forests on the outskirts of Vizag.
• Continue Cattle Respect Program and cattle protection comprehensively and innovatively. This animal is such an important part of society and human faith.
• Continue Street Dog Protection Program and campaign conducting spays/neuter, vaccinations, and obtaining lands across urban Vizag for “Dog Parks” – as a measure of decent homes for the justified living of dogs in human society, creating greater awareness and engagement with the resident communities. Educate residents of the potential of now-living street dogs, integrating strays into society as guard dogs for businesses, dogs as part of sea turtle team, and dogs as service and therapeutic companions.  Work with government legislators to shut down pedigreed-animal breeding mills.  Encourage Indian Stray Dog Adoption Fairs.
• Continue Feral Cat Protection and No Cat Meat campaigns.  Continue conducting spays/neuter and necessary feral-cat veterinary care and providing “Cat Houses” as a measure of decent homes for the justified living of cats in society, creating awareness.   Encourage Cat Adoption Fairs.
• Design ‘Humane Gardens’ providing once-lost habitats, bringing back and sustaining native butterflies and other pollinators.
• Provide bird habitats in Vizag (from planting native trees to constructing aviaries for rescued birds).

Reduce factory-produced animal meat for human consumption.  Work towards making Vizag the Vegan Capital of Andhra Pradesh.  Expand Vegan-Oriented Programs:

• Expand the Homeless Vegan Meals Program.
• Pursue Vegan Awareness Campaigns across Vizag.
• Expand Simhachalan Calves Program as part of the Cattle Respect Program.
• Pursue Vegan Franchises. Offer the residents of Vizag alternative animal-meat foods and milk.
• Demonstrate and encourage growing native rice, wheat, and millets.  Replenish soil via native crop rotation, encourage nitrogen-fixing, and use only organic vermicomposting and fertilizer made from rescued cattle.
• Plan for Vegan-Farm-to-Table restaurant at Narsipatnam in collaboration with the government and locals.

Educate with the aim that residents across Vizag comprehend that the city’s biodiversity is their heirloom to nurture and pass on as a legacy to the next generation:

• Expand Student Cadet Law Enforcement Environment Program.
• Host Meetups: Stray Animal Adoption Fairs, Humane Gardens Exhibit, Community Health, and Nature Visits at Kindness Farm – speaking to the importance of the roles of all Animals and Plants in society, etc.
• Work with University and Partners to host the first global conference in Vizag on Biodiversity Sustenance in Action.

• Collaborate with GITAM University on increasing native plant habitats across their campus. Demonstrate before and after scenarios demonstrating that not merely green, but “native greenery attracts the presence of animal, insect and bird species.”
• Aim high, at becoming a “Tree City.”: Strive to fundraise and plant more native plants per city block than any other city in Andhra Tree cover is a critical element of the urban fabric, providing multiple benefits at relatively little cost. Trees provide ecosystem services that align with Smart City goals.