Why in News?
On April 18, 2026, Odisha became the first Indian state to officially launch its own Marine Spatial Plan.
Purpose and Goals
- Conflict Resolution: It reduces friction between competing sectors such as fisheries, tourism, shipping, and renewable energy by demarcating specific zones.
- Ecosystem-Based Management: Unlike traditional sector-by-sector regulation, it treats the ocean as a multi-dimensional space, ensuring that industrial growth doesn't destroy biodiversity.
- Blue Economy Growth: It is a core pillar of India's Blue Economy Policy, targeting sustainable GDP growth from marine resources.
- Climate Resilience: Identifies natural buffers like mangroves and coral reefs to protect coastal communities from sea-level rise and cyclones.
Implementation in India
- Implementing Agencies: The National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is the lead technical body.
- Pilot Sites (Phase I): Originally tested in Puducherry and Lakshadweep to create a replicable model.
- Scaling Up (Phase II): Following the Odisha launch, the framework is expected to be expanded to other coastal states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu.
Strategic Significance
- Global Commitments: Directly supports SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (protecting 30% of oceans by 2030).
- Security: Helps in identifying and protecting critical underwater infrastructure like communication cables and port approaches.
- Soft Power: India's collaboration with Norway positions it as a leader in sustainable ocean governance in the Indian Ocean Region.
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