Odisha coastline

Question 1

What are the distinctive aspects of the Odisha coastline?

Answer 1

• 480km long
• 6 major deltas (hexadeltic)
• 7 rivers eg. Mahandi river
• 1500km2 mangrove forest
• Chilika lake - brackish and salty lagoon home to a wide range of birdlife
• significant sediment store

Question 2

What are the opportunities for development and human occupation at the Odisha coastline?

Answer 2

• tourism - coastal beaches and wildlife sanctuaries
• large stocks of fish, reptiles and marine mammals - locals employed in fishing and aquaculture
• potential for tidal, wind and wave energy sources
• offshore oil, natural gas, seabed mining
• cultural and archeological sites

Question 3

What are the risks for development and human occupation at the Odisha coastline?

Answer 3

• rapid rates of erosion - 36% coastline is eroding, only 14% is stable
• most erosion is in the south - sea walls and rock armour in place to protect infrastructure and ports
• dense mangrove vegetation in Bhadrak and Beleshwar - levels of accretion are more than 50% higher than anywhere else
• increased threat from storm surges/tsunamis/sea level rise

Question 4

How are tropical cyclones mitigated against at the Odisha coastline?

Answer 4

• frequency and intensity of cyclones will increase due to climate change

eg. October 2013 - cyclone Philian, 1 million evacuated, 44 dead, 500,000 hectares of agricultural crops destroyed, $700,000 economic losses

• mitigation strategies include ICZM, relief supplies, broadcast warnings, conducted stages evacuations

Question 5

What management is being used at the Odisha coastline?

Answer 5

• ICZM
• cultivate and plant mangroves along the coastline and banks of tidal rivers - recent decades - considerable loss of mangroves due to development of fisheries and economic demands - decrease from 5.1km to 1.2km
• small-scale community-based tourism being developed - will benefit 400,000 people

Question 6

What objectives does the ICZM at the Odisha coastline have?

Answer 6

• management of coastal erosion
• vulnerability to disaster
• biodiversity conservation
• livelihood security
• environmental quality management
• conservation of cultural assets

Question 7

Why is the ICZM needed?

Answer 7

• huge increase in demand for infrastructure and overexploitation of natural resources due to tourism, rapid urban industrialisation, mining, and oil and gas production
• such rapid depletion, unless arrested, will impact the livelihood, health and wellbeing of the population
• accelerated coastal erosion due to climate change and rising sea levels, and increasing frequency and intensity of storm surges

Question 8

What is the aim of the ICZM?

Answer 8

• involves various stakeholders
• integrated approach - sustainable use of natural resources along the coastline
• maintain natural environment