After a eighteen-month long process, the CRZ Notification, 2011 is being formally notified and published. This replaces the CRZ Notification, 1991. This notification reconcile three objectives: protection of livelihoods of traditional fisherfolk communities; preservation of coastal ecology; and promotion of economic activity that have necessarily to be located in coastal regions.

For the very first time an Island Protection Zone Notification, 2011 is being notified and published covering Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. This notification reconcile three objectives: protection of livelihoods of traditional fisherfolk communities; preservation of coastal ecology; and promotion of economic activity that have necessarily to be located in coastal regions.

Ministry of Environment and Forests had constituted a committee in December, 2009 under the Chairmanship of Shri J M Mauskar, the additional secretary to examine the monitoring compliance of the stipulated conditions and environmental safeguards while granting environmental clearance under EIA and CRZ notifications and to suggest effective minotiring mechanism.  The committee had submited

While deciding on a project, do regulators know everything about its impacts on the environment or on human health? What actions or decisions can be taken in the event of simply not knowing enough about the impacts of proposed actions? The decision to act or not act, and further how to act in the face of unknowns or uncertainties is the subject matter of the precautionary principle.