Lok Sabha Question No. 4308 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-27
Subject: Comprehensive Climate Vulnerability
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Aparajita Sarangi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4308 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.03.2023

## Comprehensive Climate Vulnerability

## 4308.   SHRIMATI APARAJITA SARANGI:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether the Government had done any comprehensive climate vulnerability assessment of coastal communities, town and ecosystem which would be affected by coastal erosion;
- (b) the  details  of  area  under  coastal  erosion  in  the  State  of  Odisha  the  steps  taken  by  the Government to mitigate coastal erosion problem;
- (c) the  details  of  habitat  loss  and  coastal  degradation  and  coastal  erosion  due  to  climate change during the last five years;
- (d) whether Government has created any fund to compensate the victims of habitat loss due to coastal erosion; and
- (e) the details of steps taken by the Government to mitigate the coastal erosion?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) to (c) Some stretches of India's shoreline are subject to varying degree of erosion due to natural causes or anthropogenic activities. The coastal erosion does impact coastal communities residing in the erosion prone areas including fishermen communities. National Centre for Coastal Research, (NCCR), an attached office of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India has  monitored  the  shoreline  changes  for  entire  Indian  coastline  using  multi-spectral  satellite images along with field-surveyed data for the period 1990-2018. It is observed that 33.6% of the Indian coastline was vulnerable to erosion, 26.9% was under accretion (growing) and 39.6% was in stable state. This long-term shoreline analysis indicates that out of 550 km of coast in Odisha, 28% of the coast is eroding, 21% is stable and 51% is accreting. Erosion-stable-accretion status of Odisha coastal districts are as under:

| Sl. No.   | District      | Coast Length (in km)   | Coast Length (in km)   | Coast Length (in km)   | Coast Length (in km)   | Coast Length (in km)   | Coast Length (in km)   | Coast Length (in km)   | Coast Length (in km)   |
|-----------|---------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
| Sl. No.   | District      | Coast Length (in km)   | High Erosion           | Moderate Erosion       | Low Erosion            | Stable                 | Low accretion          | Moderate Accretion     | High Accretion         |
| 1.        | Ganjam        | 62.90                  | 3.84                   | 1.92                   | 8.30                   | 18.46                  | 22.10                  | 1.84                   | 6.44                   |
| 2.        | Puri          | 140.04                 | 6.68                   | 4.34                   | 10.38                  | 9.18                   | 73.72                  | 23.66                  | 12.08                  |
| 3.        | Jagatsinghpur | 58.72                  | 14.58                  | 7.76                   | 11.88                  | 9.24                   | 5.18                   | 0.88                   | 9.20                   |

| 4.    | Kendrapara   |   135.82 |   31.02 |   8.72 |   9.22 |   54.26 |   11.26 |   5.02 |   16.32 |
|-------|--------------|----------|---------|--------|--------|---------|---------|--------|---------|
| 5.    | Bhadrak      |    59.88 |    6.64 |   3.44 |   3.48 |    4.14 |    4.58 |   6.66 |   30.94 |
| 6.    | Baleshwar    |    92.14 |    5.5  |   4.32 |  11.78 |   18.24 |   22.1  |   7.54 |   22.66 |
| Total | Total        |   549.5  |   68.26 |  30.5  |  55.04 |  113.52 |  138.94 |  45.6  |   97.64 |

A report of NCCR on "National Assessment of Shoreline Changes along Indian Coast" revealed that the shoreline changes are combined effect of natural and human activities and the receding coastline will cause loss of land/habitat and the livelihood of fishermen in terms of losing the space for parking boats, mending nets and fishing operations. The report has been shared with various  Central  and  State  Government  agencies  and  stakeholders  for  implementing  shoreline protection measures.

To  protect  the  coastal  areas  from  erosion,  initiatives  such  as  mangrove  plantation,  shelterbelt plantation and installation of Geo-Tubes in 500 m (Pentha Village Odisha) have been carried out. Central Water Commission has also published guidelines for 'Protection and Control of Coastal Erosion  in  India'  in  2020  to  provide  the  preliminary  design  parameters  for  suitable  coastal protection works for different stretches of coastline including Odisha.

Indian  National  Centre  for  Ocean  Information  Services  (INCOIS)  has  estimated  Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) for the Indian coastline, which is a cumulative impact of seven coastal parameters  i.e.,  shoreline  change  rate,  sea-level  change  rate,  coastal  elevation,  coastal  slope, coastal geomorphology, significant wave height and tidal range.

(d) Under  15 th Finance  Commission,  recovery  and  reconstruction  window  of  National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for Rs. 1000 crore is earmarked for resettlement of displaced people affected by erosion. In addition, Rs. 1500 crore is earmarked for mitigation measures to prevent river and coastal erosion.

- (e) The  Government  of  India  is  committed  for  taking  proactive  steps  in  combating  sea erosion  and  protection  of  India's  coastal  areas  and  the  coastal  communities.  Some  of  the important measures taken are as follows:
- i. Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  &  Climate  Change  (MoEFCC)  has  delineated  the hazard  line  for  the  entire  coast  of  the  country.  The  hazard  line  is  indicative  of  the shoreline changes, including sea level rise due to climate change. This line is to be used by agencies in Coastal States as a tool for Disaster Management including planning of adaptive  and  mitigation  measures.  The  hazard  line  features  in  the  new  Coastal  Zone Management Plans of the coastal States/Union territories approved by the MoEFCC.
- ii. MoEFCC  has  notified  Coastal  Regulation  Zone  Notification,  2019  with  a  view  to conserve and protect coastal stretches, marine areas and to ensure livelihood security to the fisher and other local communities. The coastal regulations, however, permit setting up  of  erosion  control  measures  in  the  coast.  The  notification  also  provides  for  No Development Zones (NDZ) along various categories of coastal areas to protect India's coastline from encroachment and erosion.
- iii. MoEFCC has framed a national strategy for coastal protection along with guidelines for all Coastal States and Union Territories.
- iv. The Flood  Management Scheme of Ministry of Jal Shakti, including anti-sea erosion schemes, are planned and executed by the State Governments with their own resources as  per  priorities  of  States.  Union  Government  renders  assistance  to  states  which  is technical, advisory, catalytic and promotional in nature.
- v. Considering the importance of collection of data on coastal processes towards coastal protection  measures,  a  new  component  "Coastal  Management  Information  System (CMIS)" was initiated under the Central Sector Plan Scheme "Development of  Water Resources Information System". CMIS is a data collection activity carried out to collect near  shore  coastal  data  which  can  be  used  in  planning,  design,  construction  and maintenance of site specific coastal protection structures at vulnerable Coastal stretches. Establishment  of  three  sites  each  in  the  State  of  Kerala,  Tamil  Nadu  and  UT  of Puducherry has been completed.
- vi. NCCR  has  successfully demonstrated the innovative coastal erosion mitigation measures  at  Puducherry  and  Chellanam  in  Kerala,  which  helped  in  restoration  and protection  of  coastal  areas  lost  at  Puducherry  and  flooding  at  Chellanam  Fishing Village.  Technical  support  has  been  extended  to  the  coastal  States  in  the  design  of coastal protection measures  at  vulnerable  stretches  and  preparation  of  Shoreline Management Plans.
- vii. Union Government is implementing several schemes for increasing forest and tree cover in the country, including mangroves in coastal areas, to prevent erosion. The scheme for 'Conservation and Management of Mangroves and Coral Reefs' is being implemented on  a  60:40  fund  sharing  basis  between  the  Center  and  the  States.  There  are  other schemes/programmes  such  as  Compensatory  Afforestation  Fund  Management  and Planning Authority (CAMPA), National Afforestation Programme etc., which support afforestation  activities  across  the  country,  including  districts  in  Odisha.  Besides, States/UTs  have  their  own  conservation  and  afforestation  programmes,  including  for mangroves.

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