Experts at an OES workshop urged strict coastal security and CRZ enforcement to protect Odisha’s fragile coastline from climate change and rapid development
OdishaPlus Bureau
Experts at a workshop organized by the Orissa Environmental Society (OES) on Saturday emphasized the importance of prioritizing coastal security and implementing Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) regulations to safeguard Odisha’s ecologically sensitive coastline in light of increasing pressures from climate change and rapid development.
During the workshop titled “Odisha Coast: Problems and Mitigation Measures,” experts cautioned that rising sea levels, frequent cyclones, storm surges, and unregulated development activities are posing significant threats to coastal ecosystems and the livelihoods that rely on them.
Odisha boasts a coastline of 574.71 kilometers along the Bay of Bengal, covering six districts: Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, and Ganjam, and is recognized as a biodiversity hotspot. This coastal area includes two Ramsar wetland sites, namely the Bhitarkanika mangrove ecosystem and the Chilika lagoon, and is home to a variety of species such as olive ridley sea turtles, Irrawaddy dolphins, migratory birds, and commercially valuable fish and shellfish.