PINK TIDE AT MUMBAI’S THANE CREEK

Competition Entry | Mumbia, India
Collaborator: Rhea Shah

As Mumbai grows, so does the waste it produces. Pollution degrades the environment in many ways but there is a striking exception, the case of the Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus. Drawn by the nutrient-rich waters where sewage, runoff, and industrial effluents mix, these birds are flocking to Thane Creek in increasing numbers in recent years. But scientists caution this is a fragile advantage, with too little research to understand their migratory patterns or how urbanization and human-driven changes truly affect them.

Rooted in the belief that the flamingos’ tenuous success might illuminate new models for human–non-human cohabitation, our proposal responds with two intertwined moves to increase our understanding and bond with Phoenicopterus roseus . First, we introduce a tracking network of signal towers at key breeding and feeding grounds across the territory stretching from the Caspian Sea to the Arabian Sea. This infrastructure will work in conjunction with a crowd-sourced observation application (such as INaturalist) to map the intercontinental “wetland veins” vital to the species. This open data supports researchers, conservationists, and the public in understanding the shifting migrations of these charismatic birds.

Second, a decentralized research-and-engagement lab network is embedded across Thane Creek. Abandoned salt pans, dump yards, and waste management lands are reclaimed to create four outdoor lab landscapes. These labs will investigate how environmental changes influence flamingo foraging by collecting data on water level, salinity, plant density, and other environmental factors while providing research and administrative spaces. Paths and viewing structures connect the labs, offering spaces for monitoring, dialogue, and casual birdwatching. Together, the project resists the push for human-only development, reimaging a waste landscape as a shared urban future where species thrive together.