The impact of rise in sea level due to climate change on coastal infrastructure like ports could turn out to be a huge economic loss to the country?s exchequer, said Sujatha Byravan, co-research author, Centre for Development Finance (CDF), IFMR, while releasing a report on Sea Level Rise: Impact on Major Infrastructure, Ecosystems and Land. The report was co-authored by Sudhir Chella Rajan, Humanities and Social Sciences, IIT Madras, Rajesh Rangarajan and Sujatha Byravan from CDF, IFMR.
With the planned investment of approximately Rs 91,000 crore under National Maritime Development Programme(NMDP) to spruce up 12 major ports and 187 minor ports in the country, Byravan said the sea level rise due to climate change would cause enormous damage to ports due to severe cyclone, saltwater intrusion and wetland loss if adequate coastal conservation measures are not put in place.
The ports in high risk zones that could sustain relatively greater damage are in vulnerable locations of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal on the east and Gujarat and Mumbai on the west coast. In case of Mumbai there is a greater need to strengthen the coastal basin to prevent the city from adverse climate change, she said. ?With the long coastal line of 7,517 kms in South Asia, the Indian peninsula needs urgent coastal protection measures to safeguard itself from potential human and habitat losses that are expected to occur due to climate change and consequent sea level rise?, she added. Referring to the state of Tamil Nadu that recently got the nod for Rs 14,000 crore investment in Tutocorin and Ennore Ports development under NMDP, Byravan said the impact of sea-level rise in the state in terms of value of infrastructure including ports, powerplants and major roads are roughly estimated to be between Rs 47,418 crore and Rs 53,554 crore.
?Our appeal to the government, is to conduct vulnerability assessment and adopt findings of geomorphological studies in coastal development of various projects including ports, power projects and roads. For instance using Tamil Nadu as a case study that has about 1,076 km, with 13 coastal districts, the impact of total replacement cost of infrastructure projects like ports, roads and power plants due to sea level rise work out to Rs 61,15,471 crore?a humongous sum on restoration when compared to the Rs 2,50,000 crore annual GDP of the state,? she added.
The research author said the government should preserve wetland systems, provide assistance to at risk communities, set up early warning systems, plan for shoreline protection measures,etc.
