Coastal zones of India

Coastal zones represent diverse ecosystems and support highly productive habitats such as mangroves, mudflats and other marine species. India has a coast line of 7,500 km which is intersected by rocky outcrops and shores with stretches of sandy beaches. It supports over 25% of anthropogenic and socio-economic factors the coastal zones of India are subjected to enormous pressures. Moreover, industrial development and unsustainable growth have resulted in degradation of coastal zones and surrounding ecosystems. Dynamic nature of the coastal zones necessitates regular monitoring in order to realize integrated management plans for sustainable conservation of coastal areas. Towards this, Space Applications Centre, ISRO, in collaboration with a large number of organizations, has carried out a detailed inventory of the entire coast of India using recent satellite data. This includes studies on coastal land use mapping, inventory of vital coastal habitats, impact of sea level rise and development of coastal zone information system.

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