Bhubaneswar, Odisha government on Thursday launched a marine spatial plan aimed at promoting coastal economic growth while ensuring environmental protection.
A memorandum of understanding for this initiative was signed between the Department of Science and Technology of the state government and the National Center for Coastal Research under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Sharan Majhi.
The MSP project will enable scientific marine spatial planning along the Odisha coast and promote the blue economy, while ensuring environmental sustainability and building climate-resilient coastal communities.
The MoU said it would seek to balance sectoral activities such as fisheries, shipping, tourism, aquaculture and marine biodiversity conservation, especially in environmentally sensitive areas.
Speaking on the occasion, Majhi said that the Mediterranean project will not only boost the blue economy, but will also ensure the protection of the marine environment.
“The project will boost local coastal economies while protecting marine biodiversity. The Mediterranean project will set a new standard for integrated coastal and marine planning,” he said.
The Sustainable Ocean Planning Initiative has been implemented in India since 2019 in collaboration with Norway. In the first phase, it has been implemented in Puducherry and Lakshadweep, while in the second phase, Odisha is the first state to take it forward.
Pointing out that the coastal and marine areas of Odisha are rich in biodiversity and provide abundant natural resources, the Prime Minister said that these resources play a vital role in livelihood, economic growth and environmental balance.
However, the Prime Minister said that due to increasing development activities, environmental impacts and growing sectoral demands, there is a need for scientific management of the marine ecosystem.
“The Mediterranean project will help meet the needs of fisheries, tourism, ports, ocean energy and other sectors while ensuring the protection of marine ecosystems,” he added.
Majhi also referred to the Odisha Marine Biotechnology Research and Innovation Corridor launched in August last year, saying it will strengthen the MSP initiative by promoting marine biotechnology for environmental protection and economic development.
Science and Technology Minister Krushna Chandra Batra said that the National Center for Coastal Research is a leading institution in marine research and has developed important economic models for resource conservation and utilization.
Arvin Gadgil, Deputy Ambassador of the Royal Norwegian Embassy, said Odisha has a rich maritime trading heritage and a long coastline. “Norway will provide full support for this initiative, with a focus on technology-based resource management to achieve long-term development goals,” he added.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg said the MSP is an important initiative to achieve the 2036 and 2047 goals, which aim to make maximum use of marine resources besides protecting the environment.
For India’s Vision 2047, growth must be achieved in all sectors while addressing climate challenge issues, said M Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences.
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