Better maps could protect India's coastline and communities

DW (English)

Coastal habitats, such as mangroves, are at risk from tourism and development. By improving maps, researchers, fishers and conservationists aim to protect them.

Transcript

00:00We are in the Coromandel Coast, in South Eastern India, with its long, sweeping beaches and rich cultural heritage.

00:07The region around the cities of Puducherry and Karaikal is popular with visitors and many people here earn their living from tourism.

00:19But not everyone is happy. Local residents like Ekarnan, for example. He has fished here in Puducherry for many years.

00:27We used to get the boats up by 4 a.m. and by 9 a.m. we used to have close to 1,500 rupees worth of fish.

00:41That's the equivalent of 15 euros. These days he spends much longer out on the water, for less return.

00:48His catch and his earnings have almost halved in recent years.

00:52Everything started with 2004 tsunami, which hit the coast of the state of Tamil Nadu hard.

00:58Many fishing communities were destroyed.

01:03The local government then had mangrove forests planted.

01:06These forests provide coastal protection and a new habitat for many animals.

01:11But word about these long, green swathes of coastline spread.

01:17The area attracts visitors from across India.

01:20It is the local fishing communities, who have lived here for centuries, who are losing out.

01:28For example, here at Pondi Marina Beach.

01:31Ten years ago, it looked completely different.

01:34They used to cast nets from the beach to catch fish during a particular season.

01:41On the other hand, there were places where turtles lay eggs.

01:45Now both things are not possible here.

01:47It is now a place that promotes tourism.

01:51So what is happening here is that this beach is becoming a place that only a particular set of people can use.

01:57One of the reasons for this exclusion was that the land use of these fishing communities was not recorded in the coastal zone management plans.

02:08Nor were the ecologically sensitive areas mapped properly.

02:13Prabhakar Jai Prakash and a few others are working together with the local fishers to change that.

02:19They are carefully mapping the coastal strip section by section.

02:23Prabhakar is part of CPRM, the Coastal People's Right to Life Movement.

02:28If these places aren't included in the government's plans, they won't be protected.

02:33That's the reality.

02:35The knowledge of the fisher women is invaluable, as is their mapping work.

02:40The women who have joined together to form Karaikal Fisher Women's Federation are acquainted with every single tree or bush in the area.

02:53Often, the women go out to measure, record and chart together.

02:58For instance, in Akampet in the Karaikal district, there is a huge sand dune.

03:08When the tsunami hit, the water only flowed into the flat areas and people behind the sand dune were protected.

03:15Even today, 20 years after the tsunami, we can only drink the water from the tap near the sand dune.

03:20Dunes are vital for survival in this region. The porous sand stores rainwater, keeping it away from the tainted, salty groundwater.

03:31Yet, almost 140 hectares of dunes in the region are not found on plants.

03:38As dunes are an important source of drinking water, all local communities are interested in preserving them.

03:43About eight hectares of mudflats are also missing from all official plants.

03:50What looks like a mere damp swamp is actually a mudflat.

03:54Some people could think, this looks so greasy, how useful can it be?

04:00But this is the basis of the coastal food system.

04:04It provides food for several bird species and other life forms.

04:09It is also an amazing nesting ground for crabs, prawns and fish.

04:15Mangrove forests protect the nearby coastline from erosion.

04:19They are also highly effective carbon sinks, storing more greenhouse gases than other types of trees.

04:26Mangrove plantations serve as a buffer zone in the centre.

04:32On the eastern side, they harbour a variety of fish, crabs and shrimps and provide a nesting place for fish,

04:41which ensures the livelihood of fishermen.

04:50On the western side, they also prevent salt water from entering the farmland,

04:55which benefits farmers.

04:58In August 2024, this team, through official representative, petitioned the local government and filed a case with the National Green Tribunal.

05:11They hope that the coastal zone plans will soon be revised to include their data and that of the fishing communities.

05:18The process could take up to two years.

05:20It is the only way to preserve the coastal ecology these communities depend on.

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