Coast Council
COAST COUNCIL: An Initiative Towards A Safe And Sustainable Future
ODISHA COAST which is the home to 26.37 per cent of State’s population and 18.25 per cent of State’s geographical area coupled with its 482 km long coastline spread over six coastal districts is endowed with rich natural resources along with fisheries, mines, minerals and forest. The untapped and unexplored coastal resources are constantly failing prey to climatic vagaries, natural disasters and ill-conceived development projects.
For millions of rural artisans and coastal communities, who now face the dual threats of growing degradation of natural resources and increasing control over resources and ecological services by vested interests, it is a double whammy. As a result, they have been living with constant fear of nature’s fury and fast loss of their livelihood. That’s why the known developed and dominant coastal region has the poverty ratio of 32 per cent against the State’s average 47 percent.
Since 1998, Odisha has been a victim of severity in climate extremes like heat waves, cyclones, floods and droughts.
Over 30,000 people have lost their lives, millions rendered homeless, trees uprooted, crops damaged, and people lost wealth, resources and livelihoods. Despite all the tall talks about disaster risk reduction, early warning system and disaster preparedness, people still are sitting duck for extreme climatic events.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) recently released Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX) is a great reminder for States like Odisha on how to cope with future. climate extremes and challenges in view of rapid changes in climatic conditions.
Sustainable development involves finding pathways that achieves a variety of socio-economic and, environmental goals, without sacrificing any one for the sake of the others. The effectiveness of actions to reduce, transfer and respond to current levels of disaster risk could be vastly increased. Exploiting potential synergies between disaster risk management and adaptation to climate change will improve management of both current and future risks and strengthen adaptation processes.
MANDATE:
Coast Council aims at protecting the fragile ecosystem, ecological services and flora & fauna of Coastal areas besides restoration of livelihood of coastal communities. Coast Council beliefs in both conservation/preservation of resources and protection of livelihoods’ of communities should go hand in hand. The organization will work with all stakeholders for sustainable and equitable use of resources for our better future. COAST COUNCIL shall devote itself to prepare the communities and stakeholders on CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION & ADAPTATION. It has pledged together to work with communities, Government, NGOs, INGOS, Institutions on DISASTER RISK REDUCTION for a PEOPLE CENTRIC DISASTER MANGEMENT PLAN.
ACTIVITIES & OBJECTIVES:
To engage with individuals, Institutions, Government,Non Government Organizations and communities-through Field interventions, awareness campaigns, organizing events / meetings/workshops/ seminars / skill development Training, capacity building of youth and communities.