In the Cochin, India region of the Malabar Coast, the rivers and coastal areas have been considerably destroyed by unregulated development. Complex marine ecosystems have been dramatically disrupted without attention to the loss of biodiversity and destruction of the regions waterways. The Vembanad Lake region in particular is an elaborate lagoon of barrier islands, swamps, wetlands, mudflats, and a long intercoastal network of waterways that have historically been one of the most elaborate coastal networks in the world. Now, with impunity, developers and real estate interests are voraciously destroying the delicate balance between river systems, human impact and the larger well being of the regions water ways.