According to a study by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), India has lost more than 3,680 hectares of land to coastal erosion over 10 years, with West Bengal and Gujarat bearing the brunt. Research conducted by ISRO’s Space Applications Center in Ahmedabad on comprehensive data available between 2004-06 and 2014-16 shows that 15 percent of India’s coastline — nearly 1,144 km long — is subject to erosion. Meanwhile, 14 percent – or 1,084 km – of India’s coastline is increasing.
The world’s shorelines are constantly changing due to natural processes such as coastal erosion and accretion, as well as human activities that affect sediment transport.
However, expected sea-level rise, increased wave activity, and a projected increase in the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones due to climate change are expected to cause faster and more severe coastal changes in the near future, the researchers say in the report. will soon be published in the peer-reviewed journal Current Science.
Coastal erosion means acres of land disappearing. This can lead to reduced habitats for local fauna and flora and make people living in coastal areas vulnerable – their land is disappearing and they are closer to the sea.
Accretion is the process of coastal sediments returning to the visible part of a beach or shoreline after submergence. A sustainable beach or shoreline often goes through a cycle of submergence during rough weather and accretion during calmer periods.
Accretion can be beneficial in some cases because it increases the land area. But it can harm marine life—for example, sea creatures suddenly finding their waters shallower, or turtle habitat moving away from shore. According to the research team’s estimates, India gained 4,042 hectares of coastal area between 2004-06 and 2014-16. Although there is a net gain in total shoreline area (due to sediment/sand deposition), the section under erosion is greater than the accreting shoreline.
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