pdf - Ministry of Environment and Forests

The need for community involvement in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) cannot be
stressed strongly enough, Members of the community can be involved in roles as varied as
identifying sites, putting forward proposals, being involved in consultations and being
responsible for the management of MPAs. In addition to the existing marine sanctuaries and
protected areas, the government may identify similar areas, where there is occurrence of high
marine biodiversity including migratory sites of fauna, nursery grounds of fishes and reptiles
and declare such sites as protected areas.
2.5.0 Coastal Geomorphic Systems
2.5.1 Coastal Dynamics
Coastal environments are among the most changeable on the earth’s surface, although
this statement must be qualified as there are se veral facets to “change.” At the outset, it must
be emphasized that many coastal changes are circulatory in space or periodic in time. The
idea of change is not a new one in coastal studies. Descriptions of coastal changes date from
the Middle Ages, especially in the context of harbour silting and seafood harvests. What is
new is a realization that these changes may be linked, perhaps via tortuous pathways.
Testing-out these links from a data mass is a considerable challenge. For coastal scientists,
many of the best clues come from geologists, meteorologists and biologists. In recent years,
all these disciplines have undergone a revolution in approach, with greater emphasis being
placed on dynamic processes rather than static description. Allied to this has been a general
stiffening of methodology and increasing sophistication in techniques. The widespread
introduction of information technology and attendant data acquisition and handling methods
is beginning to have a profound effect on the field sciences, coastal studies included.
While careful assessment of coastal changes must form the cornerstone of effective
coastal management, it is often insufficient to monitor sequential variations without paying
due regard to the causes of change. There are several good reasons for this:
(i) By exploring the root cause it is possible to provide a better basis for
understanding, thus allowing more confident prediction.
(ii) The results of such an examination are likely to be more universally applicable.
(iii) Reliance only upon indicators of response may understate the overall problem.
(iv) Environmental reaction may be tempered or buffered by external influences.
(v) Reaction may be incremental, or related to thresholds. An obvious case arises
with cliff erosion. Simply measuring the retreat of the cliff top says very little
about the causative factors, which may in time accelerate or declerate the
process.
Knowledge of these causes would obviously assist attempts at stabilization. The
human influence on coastlines looms large. Man is a major factor in coastal change, at
various scales. The impact may take many forms: it can be gradual or sudden, premediated
or inadvertent. The ability of coastal environments to buffer such impacts is crucial. Hence
it is important to understand the interaction between the solid and fluid media, which
characterises the coastal environment.
Coastal geomorphological features like beach, sand dune, mudflat, estuaries, cliffs,
etc. are characterised by unique ecosystems like mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds, etc.
46