Background

C-SCAPES and IUCN partnered to strengthen socio-ecological resilience to the impacts of climate change and other threats, in coastal India, through the support of networks and partnerships for research and on-ground, evidence-based conservation interventions. Challenges related to climate change and biodiversity loss are rapidly rising on the national agenda. With a recognition of our responsibilities to, and dependence upon, the ocean, we need to urgently and collectively act on the learnings from decades of coastal conservation across India to meet the challenges facing our coasts.

Conservation Actions

A joint workshop was organised on 31st January 2020, with participation from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), national experts, and organizations working in coastal and marine conservation. The objectives of the workshop were to:

• Develop a multi-disciplinary learning & advisory network, to guide strategic actions for coastal conservation action & impact in India, particularly addressing climate change
• A roadmap is designed for strengthened, integrated socio-ecological action & impact that builds on existing work, and meets current & future needs in coastal conservation and resilience-building

Further to this, IUCN and C-SCAPES, under the aegis of MoEFCC, organized an online discussion towards “Accelerating Conservation Action for Sustainable Oceans”, on the occasion of World Ocean Day (8th June, 2020) The online meeting brought together over 40 participants including Forest Department officials from many coastal States in India.

The objective of the discussion was to explore the Forest Departments potentially changing role in the future of marine and coastal conservation in India, in a COVID-19 world. It also touched on current opportunities for institutional partnerships, learning and innovation for sustainable coastal conservation action in India.

Shri Prakash Javadekar, Hon’ble Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Information & Broadcasting & Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Govt. of India, addressed the online gathering through a video message, highlighting the importance of healthy oceans and coasts for India. He reiterated Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s words, that “together we seek a future for our oceans that lives up to its name –SAGAR- Security and Growth for All in the Region”. He also emphasized that “land divides us, while oceans unite us”.

Outcomes

The discussions resulted in advising a potential roadmap for the future of coastal and marine conservation in India, with an emphasis on:

• Tackling increased plastic usage during disaster events, and its specific management in coastal areas.
• Community-level governance and coastal resource management, which has yielded conservation wins across the Indian coastline.
• Pathways and mechanisms for co-creation of conservation solutions between communities, governments and experts to meet complex coastal challenges.
• Increased capacity support, policy and financial support for coastal conservation.
• Post COVID stimulus and recovery plans to ensure that years of marine and coastal conservation success are not reversed due to the adverse impacts of the pandemic.