Odisha Coast Under Stress, Experts Urge Urgent Safeguards
Workshop calls for coastal security amid climate change pressures
Bhubaneswar: Experts at a workshop organised by the Orissa Environmental Society (OES) on Saturday stressed the need to prioritise coastal security and enforce Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms to protect Odisha’s ecologically fragile coastline amid mounting pressures from climate change and rapid development.
Speaking at the workshop on “Odisha Coast: Problems and Mitigation Measures”, experts warned that rising sea levels, frequent cyclones, storm surges and unregulated developmental activities were posing serious threats to coastal ecosystems as well as livelihoods dependent on them.
Odisha has a 574.71-km-long coastline along the Bay of Bengal spanning six districts — Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri and Ganjam — and is regarded as a biodiversity hotspot. The coast includes two Ramsar wetland sites, the Bhitarkanika mangrove ecosystem and the Chilika lagoon, and supports diverse species including olive ridley sea turtles, Irrawaddy dolphins, migratory birds and commercially important fish and shellfish.
The region is also a major economic zone, with operational ports at Paradip, Dhamra and Gopalpur, and additional port projects in the pipeline. However, experts cautioned that unchecked industrialisation and coastal infrastructure development could exacerbate erosion and ecological degradation.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Sarat Kumar Palita, former Vice-Chancellor (in-charge) of the Central University of Odisha, emphasised strict implementation of CRZ regulations to safeguard ecologically sensitive areas while protecting the lives and livelihoods of coastal communities. He underlined the urgency of climate adaptation and mitigation strategies to counter human-induced degradation.
Presiding over the workshop, OES working president Dr. Jayakrushna Panigrahi said conserving the natural character of coastal ecosystems was essential to sustain the flow of ecosystem services. OES president Dr. Sundar Narayana Patro highlighted the importance of maintaining a balance between development and conservation.
OES secretary Manoranjan Mishra said the deliberations and expert inputs from the workshop would be compiled into a book volume to support future policy and research initiatives. The event saw participation from scientists, academicians, environmental experts and civil society members.
