A Critical Review of Coastal Zone Management Regime in Context of Kerala

Abstract

India's 7500 kilometers of coastline and islands include numerous fragile and environmentally vulnerable areas. The coastal environment and coastal people are intricately intertwined because coastal zones are home to the clear majority of the country's inhabitants and play a substantial role in the nation‘s economic activities. So, coastal areas are of the utmost importance. A wide range of human activities, such as companies, tourism, fishing, aquaculture, and more, are carried out in the coastal regions. However, problems commonly occur when these activities happen on the narrow coastal strip at the same time. The right to development and the right to a healthy environment can occasionally be in conflict and out of balance. Therefore, India's coastal law traverses the three tiers of usage, control, and conservation. Consequently, coastal rules incorporate a variety of environmental laws. Coastal conservation develops its fundamental ideas from the constitution, statutes, and cogent judicial decisions as a consequence of the combined efforts of legislative and judicial knowledge. The laws governing the protection and exploitation of natural resources in India encompass a broad range of subjects, including land use, industry, mining, irrigation, town planning, energy, agriculture, waste, health, and coastal property rights. The issues surrounding coastal residents' right to life and means of subsistence are equally significant. It also includes protecting wetlands and wastelands, sensitive coastal areas, monitoring the water and air quality, and, most critically, conserving the indigenous people‘s rights. Against the backdrop of this extensive legal system, India has also developed coastal conservation regulations, but it is rarely noticed because of the accumulation of various Acts, Rules, and Notifications. However, it has a significant impact on the way of life of those who depend on these coastal resources. The finest illustration of this is in Coastal Regulation Zone Notifications. In this context, it is important to keep in mind that India is experiencing several fatalities as a result of natural catastrophes. The country has seen climate change over time, along with geo-climatic factors, significant socioeconomic susceptibility, and other factors. Additionally, as commercial activity grows, complicated environmental issues of all kinds are also becoming more prevalent, which increases the likelihood of catastrophic events in the coastal zones. Because a large number of people reside in coastal India, these ii challenges have a significant influence there. India's coastal zones, especially in the State of Kerala, have suffered erosion and damage as a result of the country's fast economic growth such as industrialisation, mining, and urbanisation. India continues to make great efforts to address coastal concerns despite having a coastal law for the last thirty years. Long-debated issues arise in the state of Kerala. Climate change and its effects are now apparent circumstances in Kerala's coastal region. The effects of climate change have changed in the past, are changing now, and will change in the future. Understanding the effects of climate change on coastal areas is crucial since fisheries play a crucial role in the nation's food security, way of life, and the creation of jobs and foreign exchange for a state like Kerala. In this context, the current topic is chosen this subject to explore the coastal issues and coastal degradation in the coastal zones of India.