The environment ministry has unveiled a draft plan to determine prospective infrastructure projects situated along coastal areas that ought to be assessed before they can apply for clearance. The document was prepared by the Society for Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM), a ministry-affiliated body.

Highlights

Enhancing Coastal and Ocean Resource Efficiency (ENCORE) aims to strengthen integrated coastal zone management in coastal states and Union Territories.

The project seeks to assist the government in enhancing coastal resource efficiency and resilience, by building collective capacity (including communities and decentralised governance) for adopting and implementing integrated coastal management approaches.

Recognising Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) as a continuous process rather than a one-off investment action, ENCORE will build upon and draw from the experience of the ongoing World Bank-supported ICZM project, including the linkages between coastal conservation, climate resilience and poverty reduction.

Depending on the nature and location, project initiatives such as coastal protection measures, waste management, tourism infrastructure, livelihood support interventions and development of smart villages are likely to result in positive and negative impacts on the project area during their construction, operations and maintenance phases.

These impacts would assume importance when the project locations are in the proximity of sensitive areas. Hence, there is a need for systematic safeguards management with pre-defined framework for risk mitigation.

As the locations for all sub-projects and activities are not finalised, in order to identify and manage associated environmental risks, it is required to prepare an ESMF for the project.

Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) is an instrument that examines the issues and impacts associated when a project consists of a programme and / or series of sub-projects, and the impacts cannot be determined until the programme or sub-project details have been identified.

The ESMF would also draw from the past experience of environmental safeguards management as part of implementation of the earlier ICZM project in Odisha, West Bengal and Gujarat, and thus mandates well-informed mitigation measures and procedures for effective environmental management and safeguards.

It is envisaged that the project would lead to positive impacts, including marine and coastal conservation, pollution prevention and effective utilisation of coastal resources, and promotion of sustainable coastal livelihoods.

Objectives of ICZM

The main objective of the ICZM project funded by the World Bank is to assist the government in building national capacity for implementation of comprehensive coastal management approach, and piloting the integrated coastal zone management approach in Gujarat, Odisha and West Bengal.

There are four components to the project, the first component being national ICZM capacity building. The national component will include mapping, delineation and demarcation of the hazard lines, and delineation of coastal sediment cells all along the mainland coast.

The second component is the piloting ICZM approaches in Gujarat. This component will support capacity building of -tate level agencies and institutions, including preparation of an ICZM plan for the coastal sediment cell that includes the Gulf of Kutch, and pilot investments.

The third component is the piloting ICZM approaches in Odisha. This component will include capacity building of state-level agencies and institutions, including preparation of an ICZM plan for the coastal sediment cells that include the stretches of Paradip-Dhamra and Gopalpur-Chilika, including a regional coastal process study, and pilot investments.

Finally, the fourth component is the piloting ICZM approaches in West Bengal.

Tooltip: The Society of Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM) has been established under the aegis of the ministry of environment, forests and climate change with a vision for vibrant, healthy and resilient coastal and marine environment for continuous and enhanced outflow of benefits to the country and the coastal community.