The programme has two broad activities — beach profiling and sand grain size analysis
India’s coastline is over 8,400 kms long, and 45.5 per cent of is facing erosion. The Indian coast has already lost about 73 sq km between 1989-91 and 2004-2006, according to the Shoreline Change Atlas of Indian Coast.
To address erosion, a project on beach profiling is bringing science closer to local fishing communities in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. As part of the Beach Profile Monitoring Programme, for the last one year community volunteers are helping map coastal erosion. Developed by Vivek Coelho, a fellow at Mumbai-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences, community members have been trained to observe, record, and document data on shoreline changes in chosen stretches of beaches.
The programme has two broad activities — beach profiling and sand grain size analysis. Once a month, around full moon day or new moon day, during low tide, two volunteers measure the height of sand on the beach with two standardised PVC pipes. Monthly readings are plotted on a simple graph to map the sand erosion or sand accumulation. As part of sand grain size analysis, sand is collected from the beach, dried, and analysed using standard sieves and magnifying glass. Based on the size of sand grain, sand particles are grouped into seven different categories. An angular, coarse sand particle reflects coastal erosion, says Harish, a volunteer from Karukalacherry village in Puducherry.
In the last one year, Coelho, along with two local NGOs, has trained over 180 community volunteers in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu and Karaikal district of Puducherry. A handbook for coastal communities to monitor shoreline changes has also been released.
Sea-levels are rising and so are the extreme weather events. Training local communities to monitor the shoreline is the best way forward, says Coelho.
Environmentalists have welcomed the citizen-science approach to monitor and protect coastline. In last 26 years of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, both the Centre and the state governments have failed to demarcate high tide line along the Indian coast. Rather, they are promoting large infrastructure projects in coastal areas.
Nidhi Jamwal is an independent environment and development journalist based in Mumbai
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