This article is written by Akshaya Chintala from Symbiosis Law School, Hyderabad. The article analyses the coastal management zone plans in India and the importance of the act to be implemented in India.

Introduction

The coastal zone covers a vast area that interacts with land, oceans, and atmosphere and therefore, is very diverse. Coastal regions are of remarkable biological productivity and diversity because of which, they have become the center of human activities. They provide ample opportunities like trading and exporting fish, shellfish, seaweeds, and host ports. In addition to this, the beauty of these coastal regions, attracts people, and thus provides leisure and promotes tourism.

On the other hand, the main coastal environmental problems are the natural threats to the land such as cyclonic storms, tsunamis, and sea ingression. In addition to these, continuous population growth coupled with rapid urbanization and economic growth is leading to ecological health destruction, habitat destruction, resource depletion, and exotic organism invasion. To support the conservation of the environment, the Constitution was amended by the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976. By the amendment, Articles 48A and Article 51A(g) were inserted in the Constitution.

Article 48A, interalia, provides that the State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment. Therefore, we need to ensure strong coastal ecosystem protection through sustainable management, so that they can continue to provide diverse products and services for future generations. This article deals with the comprehensive management schemes present in the coastal zone of India to manage and balance the anthropogenic activities and the ecosystem’s health.

Status of the coastal zone management

The coastal areas comprise 20% of the earth’s surface and yet contain 50% of the entire human population. By the year 2025, the coastal population is expected to account for about 75% of the total population of the world. More than 70% of the world’s megacities are located in coastal areas. Coastal ecosystems yield 90% of the global fisheries. Hence, it becomes truly important to conserve the coastal zones. The National Coastal Zone Management Program established under the Coastal Zone Management Act, 1972, takes into account the benefits of marine habitats to the Indian economy and encourages coastal states to collaborate with the federal government under developing programs to protect and improve the areas. With the aid of the coastal zone management act, coastal regions are better prepared to deal with problems that occur constantly. The Pacific and Atlantic coastlines are often threatened by external causes, according to the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration. Drilling industry faces a high risk of oil spill into the oceans – the damage caused by spills is massive and very expensive. Yet all the coastal risks are not the product of human activity. Natural hazards like erosion, harmful algal blooms, big storms, flooding, tsunamis, and sea-level rise cause even greater harm, and half the Atlantic coast-living nation is well aware of that fact.

Coastal zone management programs pay a great deal of attention to forecasting hurricanes and tsunamis and mitigating disruption to coastal areas. Constantly rising sea level is certainly not good news for the coastal community, meaning the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) still has several initiatives to introduce. Natural resource security is particularly essential for the coastal areas. The leisure potential and the coastal habitats have been impaired to some degree because of intensive industrial and human activities. 

The coastal zone is a complex and frequently volatile environment that is affected by the inland ecosystems (e.g. land use, drainage and groundwater outflow), the atmosphere and the ocean. The systematic integration of several fields of science is therefore important in order to understand these various factors and to establish a comprehensive strategy for coping with natural and anthropogenic factors on the coastal zone.

Need for coastal zone management 

The coastal zone constitutes a region of transition between maritime and territorial regions. It is estimated that approximately 4800 billion tons of household waste and 65 million tons of solid waste is dumped annually in the sea. Due to these ongoing attacks on the mangroves, and coral reefs, fish breeding is constantly decreasing and affecting the livelihood of 200 million people living along our country’s 7517 kilometer long coastline.

In February 1991, the Union government released a notification requiring all coastal states and union territories to prepare their coastal zone management plans within one year from the date of notification. The plans were not ready in time  so in April 1996, the Supreme Court ordered the states in question to prepare the Coastal zone management plans by the end of September 1996.

In compliance with the direction of the court, all the states and territories of the Union concerned submitted their proposals in due time, and they were approved by the Central Government with certain conditions and amendments. Coastal states and union territories are now expected to control construction activities in compliance with the terms of the Coastal zone management plan approved notification. It is high time that this notification must be withdrawn in order to protect vulnerable coastal habitats because it not only is harming the creatures at the sea coast but is also affecting the lifestyles of the individuals living by the seacoast, as mentioned in the case of The Kerala State State Coastal… vs The State Of Kerala Maradu. 

Propping up of a full city with a multi-million population, although temporary, needs to have a proper environmental impact assessment and a management plan in place, particularly if it is being constructed on highly ecologically sensitive land, including a river bed and its immediate floodplains. Due to all the reasons mentioned above, the need of the hour is the promulgation and enactment of a new Coastal Zone Protection Act with the specific definition of different areas, after due consultation with the fishing communities, stakeholders, scientists and the appropriate government. Improving coastal resource efficiency and utilization is critical. 

The Indian Ocean includes large amounts of minerals including products including cobalt, copper, manganese and rare earth. These minerals are important for the manufacture of smartphones, laptops and components for the electronic industry, etc. Seawater also contains commercially useful salts including gypsum and common salt. Gypsum is useful in various industries. This would help Make in India initiative. 

Coastal management includes habitat conservation initiatives such as afforestation/shelter beds for mangroves, aquatic plant regeneration, sacred groves eco-restoration, etc. This is vital for the protection of coastal communities and helps in flood prevention. Sustainable development: Indian Ocean marine resources can act as a backbone of economic growth for India and can support India to become a $5 trillion economy by 2022. Blue economy, through sustainable use of oceans, has great potential for boosting economic growth. 

Coastal management will contribute to community building and inclusive governance for the adoption and application of comprehensive approaches to coastal management. This would assist in local people’s involvement leading to good governance which is critical for sustainable and inclusive development. Coastal management includes the creation of infrastructure for tourism, restoration and recharge of water bodies, beach cleaning and development, and other small infrastructure facilities. This is important to promote tourism in an environment-friendly way. It will provide many with jobs and better livelihoods. Inclusive development can improve. For example, improving the utilization of fishery resources will provide a livelihood for many. 

Initiatives to improve living conditions, such as climate tolerant or salinity resistant agriculture, water harvesting and recharging/storage, infrastructure and facilities to promote eco-tourism, community-based small-scale mariculture, seaweed cultivation, aquaponics etc. would do value addition to other livelihood activities. It is projected that marine fisheries resources along the Indian coastline have an annual harvestable capacity of 4.4 million metric tonnes. 

Thus coastal management will give the fisheries sector a boost through infrastructure growth.  Petroleum and gas hydrates are the principal energy resources available in the Indian Ocean. The oil extracted from offshore regions comprises mainly petroleum products. Gas hydrates are unusually compact chemical structures made of water and natural gas. Along with this tidal energy is also important that would provide electricity to locals. This will result in food security through fisheries and other marine food resources. This will also help to popularize the problem of malnutrition in India because fish are a good source of nutrition.  Coastal management includes infrastructure growth along the coast. Coasts are a major gateway to trade. Better connectivity in the area will reduce transport costs dramatically and reduce logistic inefficiencies.

Coastal zone regulation notification

Coastal zone was always on the forefront of civilisations and by far has been the most exploited geomorphic unit of earth. As we have already seen that, the coastal world is under increasing pressure, there is an urgent need to implement and conserve the zone. Coastal Areas of creeks, bays, oceans, rivers, and backwaters that are influenced by tidal activity of up to 500 meters from the High Tide Line and the land between the Low Tide Line and the High Tide Line are Coastal Control Zones (CRZ). The Government of India notified Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ) for the first time.

Coastal zones mentioned under the notification:

As per the notification, coastal areas have been classified into four categories as CRZ-1, CRZ-2, CRZ-3 and CRZ-4.

• CRZ-1

These are environmentally sensitive areas which are important for the protection of the coastal ecosystem. These include national parks/marine parks, sanctuaries, forest reserves, areas for birds, mangroves, and coral/coral reefs. Such areas are situated between the high and low tide lines. 

• CRZ-2 

This includes areas which have already grown before the coastline. Construction of unauthorised structures is prohibited in this zone.

• CRZ-3

Rural and urban settlements are included under CRZ-3 which are largely undisturbed and do not belong to the first two groups. Only limited agricultural or some public facilities-related activities are permitted in this region. This covers non-substantially built-up areas within city boundaries or in legally designated urban areas.

• CRZ-4

These areas include Lakshadweep’s coastal coasts, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and several other small islands, with the exception of CRZ-I, CRZ-II or CRZ-III. These areas exist up to the territorial limits within the aquatic zone. In this zone activities such as fishing and other related services are permitted. Releasing of solid waste on such land is forbidden. In addition to these zones, in order to conserve the resources by controlling their depletion, the government of India has also enacted the Environmental Protection Act, 1986 making it easier to conserve the water bodies. Areas requiring special protection

Management of the coastal zone is necessary in order to grow and use the coasts sustainably for sustainable growth. What’s required is the use of technology, community engagement and elimination of bottlenecks such as lack of communication at different levels. Industries are drawn to the coastal areas as they: 

1) Benefit from exposure to low-cost marine and inland transport systems;

2) Use seawater for refining or cooling purposes;

3) Deal with marine transport; and

4) Directly rely on the marine environment for raw materials. Coastal heavy industry waste waters have a significant detrimental effect on coastal habitats. 

Such impacts vary from relatively minor disruptions to major disruptions. But the introduction of current, affordable, waste management technologies will remove much of the industrial emissions. Many estuaries, lagoons, and bays that are now polluted can also be restored successfully if the wastes entering them are adequately treated. 

The economic importance of the fisheries is still overlooked by planners. With nearly 100 million tons of fish per annum, the sea produces more protein worldwide than combined beef and mutton. Fisheries also provide livelihoods for fishermen and their families and those in the fishing industry, including boat builders, trappers and net producers, packagers, distributors and retailers-all of which lead to social change, cultural, economic, and political stability in the coastal areas. A strong domestic fishery promotes self-sufficiency and reduces the outflow of foreign exchange. Also, profitable coastal fisheries reduce rural population migrations to already overcrowded cities.

For half a century, fisheries management has been a major concern of national and regional fisheries authorities, and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, offers a basis for this. This concern is overshadowed by the problems resulting from the loss or destruction of biodiversity in the estuarine, riverine, and coastal seas. For the vast majority of species that spend their youngest periods in near coastal, estuarine-brackish, or fresh waters, the survival of marine fisheries is now endangered by coastal depletion. 

In reality, sustaining the present production of seafood and further development, through improved fishing or aquaculture, would be difficult in the absence of coastal and enclosed environmental management.

Conclusion

Management of the coastal zone depends on the knowledge available on different aspects of coastal ecosystems, coastal processes, natural hazards and their impacts, quality of water and living resources. Successful management practices rely on the awareness and adequate response from the government agencies concerned. Loss of coastal marine areas is growing crucial environmental resources. Fish and shell populations could fall, and the shoreline could be destabilized. 

In general, the relationship between wetland safety and fish stocks is linear. Wetlands, i.e. the wave attenuation service which protects coasts from storms and tsunamis, provide the ecological services. The relationship between this service area and the wetlands is non-linear. These partnerships have management implications and should be taken into consideration. 

We need to model the impacts of those processes and devise adaptation and mitigation strategies for the coastal zone’s sustainable development. Geospatial information technology may make a significant contribution to the creation of these models.

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