Climate change adaptation guidelines for coastal protection and management in India

Abstract

A general overview publication how to prepare the Indian coastline for climate change. The key document is Volume 1: “Climate Change Adaptation Guidelines for Coastal Protection and Management in India”. The Guidelines document (Volume I) is self-contained, with adequate information to understand the Guidelines and put them into practice. It is supported by appendices provided in Volume II for users wanting to take a more in-depth approach. The appendices are designed for specialized training, selection of coastal protection measures, and as a tool to help practitioners use the information from this study. Teachers may find that the appendices could form the basis for academic lessons. Some users may be unable to comprehend the equations and physics of coasts and waves, while others may show strong interest in economics or beach dynamics, and thus the various topics are dealt with in separate appendices. These Guidelines are part of the Climate Resilient Coastal Protection and Management Project, which also contains other components, such as case studies, pilot subprojects, and capacity building. The case studies are selected to help formulate the Guidelines. The pilot subprojects provide real examples of a recommended solution for the future management of the shoreline. Capacity building program is designed from the Guidelines with compatible information. The outputs have been passed on to the Central Water and Power Research Station and other relevant departments for ownership. The Guidelines are vetted by a panel of experts from all coastal states, coastal zone management authorities, specialists from Indian research institutes, implementing agencies of the project, and the National Technical Committee (created for this purpose) represented by the concerned ministries.