Coastal Mangroves:
The landfall of Cyclone Dana near Bhitarkanika on Odisha’s coast has highlighted the powerful protective role of coastal mangroves over expensive, engineered infrastructure.
- Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) is a nature-centric climate strategy that uses biodiversity and ecosystem services to help communities adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change.
- Unlike traditional engineered “grey” infrastructure, EbA harnesses natural habitats like mangroves, seagrass meadows, and coral reefs to act as dynamic, self-sustaining buffers.
Key Data and Statistics on India’s Coastal Adaptation:
- Vulnerable Demographics: India manages an ecologically fragile 11,000-kilometre coastline that is home to approximately 250 million people whose lives and homes are directly threatened by climate hazards.
- Skewed Adaptation Spending: Over the last decade, Indian coastal states spent a massive ₹2,641 crore on hard engineered protection measures like seawalls and groynes.
- DecliningGreen Budgets: Reflecting a stark preference for visible infrastructure, the National Coastal Mission’s public budget fell sharply from ₹195 crore in 2022–23 to just ₹50 crore in 2024–25.
- Proven Grassroots Success: Demonstrating scale, over 18,000 women in the Sundarbans successfully restored 4,600 hectares of mangroves, effectively blunting the destruction of cyclones Amphan and Yaas.
