Panaji, Jun 25: Concerned about the future of Goa, president of the Lisbon-based association, Casa de Goa, Edgar Valles will be presenting the report of the recently held conference on 'Sustainable development in Goa in the 21st century' to chief minister Manohar Parrikar.

Papers were presented on various issues plaguing the state, including the people's struggle to save Goa's environment from destruction, uprooting of trees, destruction of mangroves, flattening of sand dunes, filling up of khazan lands and preservation of Goan identity. The recovery from illegal mining, the threat of coal pollution and the displacement of locals in Tiracol also found mention at the conference. The daylong-conference was held in Lisbon in May as part of the 30th anniversary celebrations of the association that comprises Goans and people from the former Portuguese colonies of Daman and Diu. "Being Goan, we are interested in the problems Goans face and want to contribute in some way to the solution. As members of Casa de Goa, it is also our duty to do something for the state," Valles told STOI.

The conference was one of the first initiatives of the association to reach out to the state and was inaugurated by Portugal Prime Minister Antonio Costa. The first secretary, Embassy of India, Amararam Gujar said India and Goa were on the cusp of a massive transformation, matched by a resurgent and confident Portuguese economy. "I hope that the report of the discussions in this conference will contain specific suggestions that can be presented to both governments for further study and consideration. I hope that this will become the first step for a concrete roadmap for collaboration," Gujar said.