Lok Sabha Question No. 1406 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-09
Subject: Environmental Stress and Coastal Vulnerability in Kasaragod
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Rajmohan Unnithan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1406

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.02.2026

## Environmental Stress and Coastal Vulnerability in Kasaragod

## 1406.  SHRI RAJMOHAN UNNITHAN:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  coastal  and  border  districts  of  Kerala, including  Kasaragod  are  increasingly  vulnerable  to  environmental  stress  due  to climate change, coastal erosion and loss of green cover;
- (b) whether it is a fact that unregulated development and infrastructure expansion have aggravated ecological risks in these regions;
- (c) whether the Government has conducted any district-specific environmental impact or climate vulnerability assessments in Kasaragod;
- (d) whether  targeted  mitigation  and  adaptation  projects  have  been  sanctioned  for ecologically sensitive coastal districts; and
- (e) the steps taken or proposed to be taken by the Government  to  strengthen environmental protection, climate resilience and sustainable development in vulnerable regions of Kerala?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) to (c)  The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), an autonomous institute  under  the  Ministry  of  Earth  Sciences  (MoES),  has  prepared  the  report  'Projected Changes in Extreme Sea Levels and Coastal Vulnerability along the Indian Coasts' under the Deep  Ocean  Mission.  The  study  provides  a  comprehensive  assessment  of  projected  sea-level rise, its implications for coastal India, and associated coastal vulnerability maps.

To prevent unregulated development in the coastal regions of the country, including Kerala, the Government has been implementing the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification since 1991, with the objective of conserving and protecting coastal stretches and marine areas, and ensuring livelihood security for fishers and other local communities. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and  Climate  Change  (MoEFCC)  approved  the  Coastal  Zone  Management  Plan  (CZMP)  of Kerala  under  the  CRZ  Notification,  2019,  vide  letter  dated  16.10.2024.  Accordingly,  all development  and  infrastructure  expansion  activities  areregulated  under  the  CRZ  Notification, 2019 to ensure environmental sustainability.

The  National  Centre  for  Coastal  Research  (NCCR)  an  attached  office  of  Ministry  of  Earth Sciences, has carried out an updated assessment of shoreline changes along the coastal districts of Kerala  including Kasaragod, using remote-sensing datasets for the period 1990-2022.

Based on information received from the Department of Environment, Government of Kerala, and the  Kerala  Coastal  Zone  Management  Authority,  sector-wise  vulnerability  assessments  were conducted under the State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC 2.0), with the district as the unit of analysis, including Kasaragod.

(d)  to  (e):    Several  steps  have  been  taken  to  strengthen  environmental  protection,  climate resilience  and  sustainable  development  to  address  the  vulnerability  of  coastal  areas  in  Kerala which, inter-alia include the following:

- i. As reported the National Disaster Management Authority, in order to mitigate the risk of erosion in the country, the 15 th  Finance Commission had recommended an allocation of Rs.1,500 crore from National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) for the period 2021-26 and  Rs.1000  crore  from  National  Disaster  Response  Fund  (NDRF)  for  resettlement  of displaced people affected by erosion.
- ii. The  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  &  Climate  Change  (MoEF&CC),  in  association with the Survey of India (SOI) has delineated the hazard line for the entire coast of the country  which  is  indicative  of  the  shoreline  changes,  including  sea  level  rise  due  to climate  change.  The  hazard  line  features  in  the  new  Coastal  Zone  Management  Plans (CZMP) of the coastal States/Union territories approved by the MoEF&CC. Further, the Ministry has issued directions to Coastal States/UTs  for incorporation of the Shoreline Management Plan in CZMP as per the provisions CRZ Notification, 2019.
- iii. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has developed a Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) for the entire Indian coastline as part of the Tsunami Early Warning System.INCOIS has also carried out Coastal Multi-Hazard Vulnerability Mapping (MHVM) for the entire Indian coastline
- iv. The NCCR also undertakes R&D on coastal processes and shoreline management, assists States/UTs  in  identifying  vulnerable  stretches,  recommends  site-specific  mitigation measures, and supports the preparation of Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs). Based on  the  findings  and  recommendations  of  these  reports,  the  Government  of  Kerala  has undertaken  various  coastal  protection  measures,  including  the  restoration  of  damaged seawalls in vulnerable reaches, maintenance of existing coastal seawalls, implementation of coastal protection works, and protection of houses using geobags.
- v. Further, the State Government is implementing the Kerala State Action Plan on Climate Change  (2023-2030)  to  strengthen  environmental  protection,  climate  resilience,  and sustainable development.

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