My name is Anvita Dulluri, I am a graduate student at the University of Cologne in Germany. During my studies last year, I had the opportunity to intern with the Nairobi Work Programme (NWP) at the UNFCCC. As an NWP intern, my work primarily focused on supporting
the 13th Focal Point Forum on oceans, coastal areas and ecosystems held at COP 25 held in Madrid in 2019. I was involved with the work of the expert group on oceans convened by the UNFCCC to steer the focal point forum. This significantly informed my ongoing research project on coastal adaptation for my master’s dissertation.
Through the following account, I wish to share the key highlights of my project while indicating its overlaps with important themes of ongoing work on ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) and nature-based solutions (NBS) within the UNFCCC, led by the expert group on oceans.
Challenges of coastal adaptation in Odisha: A case study
The project aims to present a critical analysis of coastal adaptation measures implemented by the government of Odisha, a low-lying province on the east coast of India, in villages affected by cyclones and coastal erosion. The key objective of this analysis is to assess the long-term viability of these measures and their impacts on the resilience of the coastal ecosystem.
The project comprises a two-part case study involving the villages of Satabhaya and Pentha. Located on the edge of the Bay of Bengal’s low-pressure systems, both villages are frequent victims of catastrophic cyclones, increasing levels of coastal erosion and sea-level rise. The first part of the case study explores the story of Satabhaya’s complete inundation against the history of systematic commercial and economic expansion on the coast at the expense of critical coastal ecosystems. Based on the evidence gathered, the study finds that Satabhaya’s submergence is the cumulative result of mangrove deforestation and the disturbance of sediment flows due to a granite seawall installed to the south of the village.
Within the backdrop of the cross-scale ecosystem dynamics evident from Satabhaya’s example, the second part of the case study critically comments on the geosynthetic tube project implemented as a protective adaptation measure in the coastal village of Pentha. The project is part of a larger Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) project - a globally approved coastal management policy model funded by the World Bank.
The study notes that although proclaimed to be a soft measure, the project retains the limitations of a hard measure by neglecting to undertake ecosystem restoration which is an integral aspect of its design as a soft measure. It also ignores the interdependence of the local communities whose traditional occupations and modes of living are closely intertwined with the health of the coastal ecosystem.
Way forward: Emerging alternatives to conventional approaches of coastal adaptation
In conclusion, the study draws attention to critical gaps in the state’s adaptation planning and implementation. It specifically highlights the need for guidelines enforceable by funding agencies to plan and implement EbA projects that incorporate more holistic indicators to measure adaptive capacities and long-term resilience of the coastal ecosystem. It strongly advocates the need for policymakers and implementers to pivot away from the treatment of coastal adaptation as an ad hoc or stop-gap measure.
The ongoing work of the
expert group on the ocean through its focus on EbA and NBS solutions promises to fill the vacuum highlighted by the above case study, in coastal adaptation policy. The emerging body of work on the synergies betweenn biodiversity and climate change considering the UNFCCC’s affirmation of the UNCBD’s work with the post-2020 framework for biodiversity also identifies pathways for embedding biodiversity in climate change adaptation through EbA and NBS projects, several of which are already being sanctioned by national governments with vulnerable coastal regions.
Photo credit: Anvita Dulluri.