Authorities are looking into how seaweed farming could help reduce the impact of greenhouse gas emissions, reverse ocean acidification and improve the marine environment, as well as provide a sustainable livelihood for marginalised coastal communities
Women work to cultivate fronds of seaweed on a bamboo raft in the waters off the coast of Rameswaram in India's Tamil Nadu state.
Image: Arun Sankar / AFP
Draped in a colourful saree and shirt, Lakshmi Murgesan dives into the azure waters off India's southern coast to collect seaweed, which is being hailed by scientists as a miracle crop that absorbs more carbon dioxide than trees.
India is the world's third largest carbon polluter, behind China and the US, and has yet to set a target date for its emissions to reach net zero.