INDIA: Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project

INDIA Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (P007985)
place; and in areas of high and medium erosion, projects will be permitted only after cumulative impact
analysis, and not based on project by project environmental impact assessments. The shoreline change
maps for Gujarat, Odisha, Kerala and Pondicherry (about 2210km, or about 44% of mainland coast) had
been prepared, jointly verified with the respective state governments, and publicly disseminated. The
remaining shoreline change maps are under preparation, or verification by the state governments, and are
expected to be completed before December 2011. MOEF, through SICOM, has set up (i) an Expert
Committee to recommend measures to protect highly critical assets on the shore from possible tsunami
events; and the committee is likely to submit their recommendations by July/August 2011; (ii) an Expert
Committee to recommend priority national program for conservation of marine biodiversity. MOEF has
also announced the setting up of the National Centre for Marine Biodiversity in Jamnagar, Guajarat in
partnership with private sector; a Wetland Research Centre at an initial cost of US$ 12 million; and a
Turtle Research Centre – both in Odisha. Initial work on each of these has started. Gujarat has published
detailed mangrove and coral maps; a report on valuation of the corals in Gulf of Kachchh – first such
work in India. All these knowledge products are available in public domain, such as at websites.
12. State level activities to adopt integrated management approaches: In all there Project states of
Gujarat, Odisha and West Bengal, there had been very significant communication and consultation with
stakeholders. At village and community level consultation, Gujarat has done very well. In the 173 villages
that the project has started initial activities, each group of stakeholders had been consulted; community
groups formed and provided capacity building support. For organizing this community level consultation,
participation and capacity building activities, the Gujarat SPMU has recruited about 40 specialist staff and
positioned them in the villages. Looking at the success in Gujarat, Odisha SPMU has started replicating
this model; and West Bengal SPMU is discussing appropriate modifications to this model for use.
Together with this local and community level participation and consultation activities, there had been
state level discussions on integrated management approach in all states. The most visible results are at
Odisha, where there had been very high level of involvement of senior policy-makers and officers across
the entire State Government. Both Gujarat and Odisha SPMUs has established a regular system of project
and program review at the highest levels of the State; regular inter-departmental meetings; and joint site
visits. In West Bengal, such activities are yet to be established, even if there are non-regular interactions
among department of the State Government, primarily due to the lack of adequate capacity for project
management. It is important to note that the current activities in Gujarat and Odisha need to be sustained
(and in the case of West Bengal the activities comparable to Gujarat or Odisha need to be implemented
and sustained) to be able to achieve the objective of integrated management.
Likelihood of achieving Project Development Objective
13. Implementation of the Project has started recently; and very limited data is available for an objective
assessment for the likelihood of achieving the PDOs. The initial progress made, and the current and the
continuing public and stakeholder engagement suggest that the PDOs are likely to be achieved.
14. Replication: As agreed between the World Bank and the GOI at appraisal of the Project, replicability
more than sustainability will be the true test of the Project. The GOI cabinet Committee on Economic
Affairs has recommended that MOEF should start preparing plans and proposals for replicating the
Project in all of the 9 coastal states and 4 coastal union territories. MOEF has started a discussion on this
with all coastal states and union territories. Each State Government and Union Territory Administration
has started internal discussions on this. A national meeting to formally launch preparation of plans and
proposals for replication is expected in CY 2011.
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