Odisha

• Key Take Aways from the Shoreline Change Assessment for Odisha Coast 2011


  Attempting to halt natural processes with hard engineering only shifts the problem.

  Without the sediment transport, some of the barrier beaches, beaches, dunes, salt marshes and estuaries are threatened and would disappear as the sand sources that feed and sustain them are eliminated.
• What is Odisha?


  A state on the eastern coast of India bordering the bay of Bengal. It is India's 9th largest state by area and 11th largest state by population.
• How long is the Odisha Coastline?

  480km long
• How is the population concentrated?

  The narrow, level coastal strip known as the Odisha Coastal Plains supports the bulk of the state's population.
• What does the coastal plain mainly comprise of?


  Depositional landforms of recent origin, geologically belonging to the post-Tertiary period. There are six major deltas on the Odisha Coast, which explains why the coastal plain is known locally as the Hexadeltic Region.
• How much of the Odisha Coast is mangrove forest?


  1435km2
• How many coastal ecological environments are there?

  Three
• What is Chilika Lake and what is its link to the water cycle


  A brackish salty lagoon that is well known for its birdlife.

  The high rainfall during the monsoon season make it a temporary larger water store.
• What does Odisha's coastal zone have a wide variety of?


  Marine and Coastal flora and fauna including mangroves, sea grasses, salt marshes, sand dunes, estuaries and lagoons.
• Which types of renewable energy does Odisha have potential for?

  Wind, tidal and wave power
• What are the main jobs in Odisha?


  Coastal fishing and increasingly in agriculture such as shrimps
• What brings the tourists to the area?

  Coastal beaches and wildlife sanctuaries
• What has happened to erosion in Odisha in recent decades and why?


  Rates of erosion have increased in recent decades, partly through natural processes but also as a consequence of human intervention methods.
• Why has the Indian Government become more concerned about the vulnerability of coastal communities?


  The risk of storm surges and tsunamis as well as long-term threats of sea level rise and climate change
• How does seasonal variation affect the area?


  Accretion occurs in the summer during relatively low energy wave conditions and erosion in the winter when high energy destructive waves remove and deposit sediment offshore
• Describe the shoreline change in the area (percentages)?

  46.8% of Odisha is accreting, 36.8% is eroding and 14.4% is stable
• Where does most of the erosion and accretion take place?


  Accretion in the north and erosion in the south. Coastal management strategies have been put in place in the north to protect infrastructure
• How do mangroves affect accretion?


  The coastal districts of Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Baleshaw show that levels of accretion of 50% higher than anywhere else on the coast