National Coastal Mission (NCM 2.0)
Why in News?
On 30 September 2026, Union Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav launched the Implementation Guidelines for National Coastal Mission 2.0 (NCM 2.0) in New Delhi.
Overview & Financial Outlay
- Nature of the Scheme: It is a Central Sector Scheme fully funded by the Central Government.
- Financial Outlay: The government has approved a dedicated budget of ₹767 crore.
- Implementation Timeline: The mission spans a 6-year period from 2025-26 to 2030-31.
- Subsumption of NCM 1.0: It will completely subsume the first phase (NCM 1.0), which ran from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
- The scheme will be executed across nine coastal States and four Union Territories (UTs) in India.
- It demands active coordination and collaborative efforts between the Central Government and coastal States/UT administrations.
- Coastal Resilience: Bolstering the capacity of India’s coastal ecosystems to withstand climate hazards and environmental changes.
- Blue Economy: Unlocking the commercial potential of India's maritime sectors in a sustainable manner, aligned with the PM's vision of the "Blue Chakra".
- Viksit Bharat @2047: Driving sustainable development to contribute toward India’s long-term goal of becoming a fully developed nation by 2047.
The implementation guidelines outline several priority action items to protect marine environments:
- Vulnerability Assessment: Determining high-risk coastal zones exposed to climate change effects like sea-level rise.
- Ecosystem Restoration: Restoring degraded environments like mangroves, coral reefs, and sand dunes.
- Pollution Management: Curbing waste and plastic dumpage along coastal ecosystems and water bodies.
- Biodiversity Conservation: Safeguarding endangered marine life and habitats.
- Sustainable Tourism: Promoting environmentally friendly hospitality practices, such as upgrading beaches via the Beach Environment & Aesthetic Management Service framework.
- Spatial Planning & Capacity Building: Enhancing data-driven spatial coastal mapping and training local stakeholders for sound ecological management.
