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{{Short description|Island in the Bay of Bengal}}
{{Infobox islands
| name = Vhan Island / Vaan Island
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| coordinates = {{coord|08|50|18.93|N|78|12|35.65|E|display=it}}
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| location = [[Bay of Bengal]] (The island is located about 9.5 km from the [[Thoothkudi]] Harbour)
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| area_km2 = 0.0676867
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| coastline_km = 0.91
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| country = {{IND}}
| country_admin_divisions_title = [[Tamil Nadu]]
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| population = Nil
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'''Vhan Island''', also called '''Van Tivu''' or '''Vaan Island''', is a small, [[uninhabited island]] in the [[Bay of Bengal]], situated about 8.5 kilometers from [[Thoothukudi]] (Tuticorin) Harbour in [[Tamil Nadu]], India.<ref>{{cite web |title=Van Tivu / Vaan Island / Vhan Island |url=https://dwiep.ncscm.res.in/Island/IslandDetails/INTN028 |publisher=DWIEP, [[National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management]]}}</ref> It is situated approximately 5 kilometers from the Thoothukudi coast and is part of the [[Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park|Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve]], India's first marine biosphere reserve.<ref name="newindianexpress">{{cite news |last1=Chaitanya |first1=SV Krishna |title=Gulf of Mannar’s Vaan Island: Turning over a new reef |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2021/Feb/14/gulf-of-mannars-vaan-island-turning-over-a-new-reef-2263768.html |publisher=[[New Indian Express]] |date=February 14, 2021}}</ref>

== Erosion ==
Vhan Island underwent major restoration efforts to address erosion and damage to its reefs. From 1969 to 2015, Vaan Island's land area drastically shrank from 20.08 hectares to just 1.53 hectares, and its surrounding coral reefs were severely degraded, with much of the coral suffering from bleaching.<ref name="newindianexpress"/>

In 2015, the [[Tamil Nadu government]], with support from the [[Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change|Union Ministry of Environment]], launched a large coral restoration project. As part of this project, artificial reef modules were placed around the island, designed in collaboration with the [[Indian Institute of Technology Madras]]. These structures helped corals grow naturally, which increased the reef cover and helped stabilize the island's land.<ref name="newindianexpress"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Pal |first1=Sanchari |title=How to Grow Back an Island? This Team From IIT Madras May Have the Answer! |url=https://thebetterindia.com/115110/vaan-island-iit-madras-artificial-reefs-coral-rehabilitation/ |publisher=[[The Better India]] |date=September 12, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Ashok |first1=Sowmiya |title=Team from IIT is growing an island off the Tamil Nadu coast |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/team-from-iit-is-growing-an-island-off-the-tamil-nadu-coast-4781557/ |publisher=[[Indian Express]] |date=August 4, 2017}}</ref>

These initiatives successfully reversed its decline, and by October 2020, the island's area expanded to 3.60 hectares during low tide and 1.99 hectares at high tide.<ref name="newindianexpress"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kumar |first1=B. Aravind |title=Tamil Nadu pioneers a model for saving the sinking islands in the Gulf of Mannar |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/tn-pioneers-a-model-for-saving-the-sinking-islands-in-the-gulf-of-mannar/article67819176.ece |publisher=[[The Hindu]] |date=February 8, 2024}}</ref>

As reported in 2021, its land area had grown by 54% and marine biodiversity showed strong recovery.<ref name="newindianexpress"/>
== References ==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Islands of Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Islands of India]]
[[Category:Uninhabited islands of India]]
[[Category:Gulf of Mannar]]
[[Category:Bay of Bengal]]
[[Category:Geography of Tamil Nadu]]

== External links ==
* [https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200131-the-divers-trying-to-save-indias-vaan-island-from-sinking The divers rescuing a drowning island] at ''[[BBC]]''
* [https://nopr.niscpr.res.in/bitstream/123456789/34832/1/IJMS%2044%286%29%20892-895.pdf Vaan Island of Gulf of Mannar, Southeast coast of India - on the verge of submergence] at ''Indian Journal of Geo-Marine Sciences''

{{TamilNadu-geo-stub}}

Vhan Island - Revision history

MercedesPeachey: added post