Mangroves as Barrier To Cyclone Storms
Source : Down To Earth
GS II : Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
Approach “Mangroves as Barrier To Cyclone Storms” : Mains and Prelims
- About Mangrove Barrier
- Why it is needed ?
- Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project
Why in News ?
The Odisha government has proposed to raise mangrove and casuarinas plantation in around 109 and 4,000 hectares of land, respectively, in the coastal belt.
Key Facts
- The mangrove forests will be raised under the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP) Phase-II.
- The casuarinas will be planted by the state resources.
Representational Image by Tanja Cibulski from Pixabay - The coastal belt plantation aims to erect a strong, natural barrier against the strong winds during cyclones.
- According to the plan, mangroves would be planted in Balasore (50 hectares), Bhadrak (30 ha), Kendrapara (25 ha) and Puri (4 ha).
- Casuarinas block and gap plantations have been proposed in Balasore district (99 ha), Puri (300 ha), Bhadrak (5 ha), Ganjam (28 ha), Kendrapara (55 ha), Khurda (30 ha).
- Also another 3,500 ha of casuarinas (gap plantation with 400 seedlings per hectare) will be made in Chilika and Puri wildlife divisions.
- Need for these measures
- Odisha is one the most cyclone-prone states in the country.
- The state has around 480-kilometres-long coastal belt.
- As many as 96 cyclones have hit Odisha coast in the last 130 years.
- The mangroves served as a natural barrier to cyclonic winds in Bhitarkanika National Park during Cyclone Yaas.
- Its impact was not felt in Kalibhanjadiha island inside the national park due to the presence of mangroves.
- Besides Odisha is vulnerable to various natural disasters like cyclone, flood, hailstorm, drought due to its unique geo-climatic condition.
Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project
- To assist Government of India (GoI) in building national capacity for implementation of comprehensive coastal management approach in the country, and piloting the integrated coastal zone management approach in states of Gujarat, Orissa and West Bengal.
- Based on the success of the Phase-I of the ICZM project the project is being extended to all the 13 Coastal States/UTs (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Puducherry, Kerala, Karnataka, Daman and Diu, Andaman and Nicobar Island, Lakshadweep).
- Project activities in the identified coastal stretches are
- Conservation of Coastal & Marine ecological resources.
- Coastal Pollution management and related infrastructure upgrade.
- Livelihood security and sustainable development of coastal communities.
- Capacity Building & implementation of ICZM Plans.
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