1. The Western Ghats have great water resources owing to high rainfall. Their rugged topography, deep valleys and high relief provide ideal sites for constructing dams for multipurpose projects.
2. They have large reserves of minerals. They have biodiversity. Hence they have tremendous ecological value.
3. The region with such a wealth of natural resources has many environmental problems. It has to protect its forest cover to maintain its biodiversity.
4. The forest area cannot be used simultaneously for agriculture, mining or other development projects.
5. In the coastal regions of high population density, the level of human intervention in the fragile coastal ecosystems goes on increasing. It is likely to lead to environmental problems.
