Odisha

Question 1

How many died in the 1999 cyclone?

Answer 1

10,000

Question 2

How many people died in the 2013 cyclone?

Answer 2

44

Question 3

How large is the mangrove forest in Odisha?

Answer 3

1435km squared

Question 4

Where is Odisha?

Answer 4

South-east coast, bordering Bengal

Question 5

What are the opportunities here?

Answer 5

• Flat land for settlement
• Variety of marine and coastal flora and fauna including mangroves, sea grasses, salt marshes, sand dunes, estuaries and lagoons. Large stock of fish, mammals and turtles.
• Potential for offshore wind, tidal and wave energy.
• 35% of coastline has significant minerals and heavy metal deposits e.g. clay and limestone to north.
• Opportunities for offshore oil and natural gas and mining.
• Many people employed in fishing and aquaculture such as shrimps.
• Cultural and archaeological sites along the coast attract tourisms as well as beaches and wildlife sanctuaries. Chilika Lake Bird Sanctuary has over 150 species.

Question 6

What are the risks opposed to Odisha?

Answer 6

• Rates of erosion increased in recent decades through natural processes and human intervention.
• Increasing concern about vulnerability to storm surges and tsunamis as well as longer term threats from rising sea levels.
• Rates of storm surges from tropical cyclones.
• Attempt to halt erosion with hard engineering removes important input of sediment that is needed to form beaches, dunes and barrier beaches.
• Findings from 2011 assessment of shoreline change: 46.8% accretion, 36.8% eroding, 14.4% stable.

Question 7

What is the management at Odisha?

Answer 7

200 hectares of mangroves planted by 2012. Estimated that just one hectare of mangroves can provide annual economic value of $12,000.
Mangroves provide significant levels of resilience.
With climate change mangroves can grow fast enough to keep up with the rise of 25mm a year.

Question 8

What are the goods available from a mangrove forest?

Answer 8

• Fuel - firewood and charcoal
• Construction materials - timber and thatch
• Fishing materials - floats, poles and herbal poison
• Household items - furniture, glue and wax
• Food and drink - fish, leaves, fruit, honey, cooking oil, alcohol and vinegar
• Textiles - furs and synthetic fibres
• Medicines, fodder for cattle and paper

Question 9

What are the services available from mangrove forests?

Answer 9

• Protection - flooding, erosion, tropical storms and waves
• Provision - coastal livelihoods, local and global climate controls breedings, nursery and fishing grounds
• Maintenance - regulation of ecosystems, soil formation and fertility, supports other coastal systems, water catchment and groundwater recharge
• Value - cultural and religious, educational and scientific information, recreation and tourism and heritage

Question 10

What are Odisha’s mitigation strategies?

Answer 10

• Broadcasting warnings
• Shelters and conducting stages evacuations away from the most vulnerable areas.