
M V RAMANA MURTHY
Technological developments are yet to reach most of Lakshadweep’s islands and implementation of solutions are hampered by the remoteness and lack of logistic support. Advanced solutions are thus, imperative to achieve a degree of self sufficiency.
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The Indian coastline sustains unique habitats that are subjected to increasing anthropogenic stressors. The National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), engaged in addressing coastal concerns over three decades, intends to undertake interdisciplinary research, integrating coastal zone management, bioinformatics and eco-engineering. Efforts are underway to translate research into policy for nature-based solutions for sustainable coastal ecosystems.
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The Indian coasts hold diverse geomorphological features—mudflats, rocky shores, cliffs, sandy beaches and deltaic reaches that shelter unique ecosystems. However, significant sections of the coastline are vulnerable to erosion, inundation, and shoreline changes, both natural and anthropogenic. The National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) Shoreline Change Atlas indicates that 33.6 per cent of India’s coast is undergoing erosion, 39.6 per cent is stable and 26.9 per cent is accreting.
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Reef health monitoring and assessments are integral and imperative components of ecosystem management in order to save the critical coral habitat. A comprehensive reef health status of scleractinian corals in Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay with a documentation of 79 reef building coral species, belonging to 13 families and 22 genera have been undertaken by the National Centre for Coastal Research. The average live coral cover showed significant increase despite natural and anthropogenic disturbances in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay. Corals have been restored by local transplantation technique in degraded reefs of this region with 56.0 per cent survival rate and a growth rate of 1.12-1.20 cm per month.
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The mismatch between increasing demand and decline in water availability due to overexploitation and climate change is a critical issue for policy makers. Desalination, which is the conversion of seawater to potable water through various physical and chemical methods, has emerged as a potential solution to India’s looming water crisis. The most important concern however is cost effectivity of the methodology, type of energy used for desalination and sustainability of the plant.
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