Coastal Development and Vulnerability in Perspective of Regulatory Framework

Abstract

A resource for the beginning of a civilization, that helped sapiens survive and develop, stand vulnerable today. India has a shoreline of 7500 km approx. that has protected us and eased our needs and routines. Its vulnerability has been proved to be alarming the Indian government from the past few decades. Many of the coastal disasters in India are caused by natural disasters than the damage
caused by development. Flash flood, cyclones and landslides are few which stand particularly common for Western Ghats. According to the ADB (Asian Development Bank, 1966) and ICMAM (The Integrated Coastal and Marine Area Management Project directorate, 1998) reports, about 1,500 km or 26% of the mainland coastline faces serious erosion and much of the coastline is actively
retreating thus posing a grave danger to the integrity and safety of the mainland making it significantly more vulnerable to natural disasters. In the past few years, degradation of the Indian coastline has reached alarming proportions, closely reflecting the urban population explosion, rapid and unplanned urbanization of coastal cities and towns, over exploitation of marine and coastal
resources, dumping of industrial and toxic wastes and coastal erosion due to man-made structures such as ports and harbors. In terms of coastal economy, 30% of Indian population is dependent on the
coast, apart from playing vital by virtue of its resources, productive habits and rich biodiversity. The
main aim of the research is to explore factors that makes coast vulnerable and analyze the coastal
norms with respect to the coastal development projects in India. This paper elucidates the disaster
western ghats are prone to with reference to history the ghats have, with the preventive mitigation
measures government have been working on for
the security of life and property of the dwellers.
This paper would further discuss a wide variety of
significant relationships between social,
demographic, political and project level issues and
factors at the same time compiling and reasoning
regulatory frame work which has been shaping our
Western Ghats for over a decade now.