BENGALURU: For the first time, researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru have been roped in to study the ecological and economical value of water bodies and coasts in Karnataka. This will be part of a Blue Economy study, a joint initiative taken up by the Central government and the World Bank.
“It will be for the first in India that such a study is being undertaken in the east and west coasts of the country,” said Prof T V Ramachandra from the Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc. Ramchandra said the parameters for the study are being decided.
The study is being undertaken by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. Experts, ecologists and officials from the National Green Tribunal will also be a part of the project. The first meeting under the initiative was held in Chennai in November.
Experts told TNIE that the study assumes significance as the Central government is working on creating ports under the Sagarmala project. Many states like Karnataka have started the exercise of interlinking rivers and reducing the flow of water downstream to oceans and seasons.
The increasing number of dams has also led to a reduction in salinity and sand residues in water which lead to the sea. The study also comes against the backdrop of the Central government undertaking a green economy project on the Western Ghats and increasing forest cover in the country.
‘Net value of water bodies down to Rs 45K billion’
Earlier, speaking at the 3-day 13th International Biennial Lake Symposium 2022, Ramachandra said that the net value of the water bodies has now reduced to around Rs 45,000 billion from Rs 10 lakh billion in 2010. He said that the evergreen forest patch of Western Ghats has also reduced.
Apart from this, officials from the forest department and IISc researchers are awaiting orders from the Ramsar Convention Bureau and the Central government to declare Agnashini Estuary a Ramsar site after a three-year-long battle. Officials said this declaration will help secure the region and coastlines from further degradation.
Blue economy
As per the World Bank, a blue economy is the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth and the improvement of the livelihood of the locals. It is a scale of assessment of utilisation and value of natural resources in terms of jobs, the health of locals, ecology and ocean ecosystem.