The correct answer is C. have been destroying.
The sentence is in the present perfect progressive tense, which is used to describe an action that started in the past and is still happening now. In this case, the action is “destroying the natural beauty of the area.” The sentence also tells us that the action has been happening for a long time, as evidenced by the phrase “in recent years.”
The other options are not correct because they do not agree with the tense of the sentence. Option A, were building, is in the past simple tense. Option B, will built, is in the future simple tense. Option D, are building, is in the present simple tense. Option E, have destroyed, is in the past perfect tense.
To further explain the tenses, the past simple tense is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. The future simple tense is used to describe an action that will happen in the future. The present simple tense is used to describe an action that happens regularly or repeatedly. The past perfect tense is used to describe an action that happened before another action in the past.
In this case, the action of “destroying the natural beauty of the area” is happening now and has been happening for a long time. Therefore, the present perfect progressive tense is the most accurate tense to use.