Aims of the report:
The coastal developments looked at in this report include coastal structures (seawalls, groynes, piers, jetties, breakwaters, docks, bridges, elevated roads, etc), ports & harbours, power plants, human settlements (fishing villages and hamlets, towns, cities), commercial activities (salt extraction, aquaculture, tourism activities - resorts and hotels, sand mining, institutional, industrial), and water bodies (estuaries, rivers, storage/irrigation tanks).
This study conclusively shows that India’s coastal areas, along with the biodiversities, are gravely challenged, due to aggressive development and the extensive and unplanned construction of coastal structures. Settlements, commercial areas, ports and water bodies currently occupy over 43% of the coast.
Apart from biodiversity, the livelihoods of millions are compromised as they depend on primary resources from coastal areas, especially the coastal wetlands. These people suffer displacement due to land acquisition and alienation from their traditional livelihoods. Unfortunately, in spite of all the laws and guidelines, coastal degradation has reached an alarming magnitude.
There is an urgent need to critically rethink development if there is a serious plan to conserve the coastal ecosystems and biodiversity and ensure the well-being of coastal communities.