Bhubaneswar: Environmental protection, biodiversity conservation and economic development must be treated as interconnected issues rather than separate concerns, said Satya Tripathy, Secretary-General of the Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet (GASP), today on the concluding day of the three-day Earth Again Conference 2026 organised by Sambad at Utkal University in Bhubaneswar.

Tripathy stressed the need to protect biodiversity and maintain climate balance, with particular emphasis on coral reefs and marine ecosystems.

“Coral reefs are an invaluable part of marine biodiversity. They provide shelter to a large number of marine species and are also important for human society,” he said. He added that marine and coastal fisheries are a major source of protein for millions of people across the world.

Tripathy said economic development cannot be sustainable if it comes at the cost of nature. Maintaining a balance between development and environmental protection for future generations is one of the biggest challenges facing society, he said.

“If we do not learn from history, repeating the same mistakes would amount to committing the same crime again,” Tripathy said.

Referring to environmental challenges, he said changes in the atmosphere and the rise in hydrocarbons were affecting the planet and human health. He called for collective efforts to protect the Earth from further degradation.

Tripathy also highlighted Odisha’s development challenge, pointing out that the state’s per capita carbon emissions stand at around 6.9 tonnes, while its GDP is about 20 per cent below the national average.

He said the rapid expansion of the global economy has also placed increasing pressure on the environment. Global GDP, he noted, stood at around $23 trillion in 1990 and has now risen to about $115 trillion.

“Everything we see around us, including the basic materials used in cars, ultimately comes from nature,” Tripathy said, underlining society’s dependence on natural resources.

He also praised Sambad for using journalism to raise awareness about environmental protection through the Earth Again initiative. He said only a limited number of newspapers, including The New York Times and The Guardian, have consistently taken up environmental conservation as an important area of public discourse.

Tripathy said the Earth Again initiative sends a positive message by bringing environmental concerns into wider public discussion.

He stressed that the changes witnessed over the past 35 years make it imperative for governments, businesses, communities and citizens to work together to protect nature while pursuing economic progress.