Odisha Flashcards
(26 cards)
Who is at risk in Odisha?
Low-lying Puri (tourism) and Paradip (port city)
Dependency ratio - 27% under 15
Fishing sector employs 6% - prawn exports
73% in agriculture (rice, veg)
Odisha in a nutshell
State on the south-east coast of India
Straight coastline - few inlets and harbours
6 deltas - depositional landforms, salt marshes.
Eroded 150km (1990-2016)
What are the risks to Odisha
Tropical cyclones/storm surge: 2013 Cyclone Phailin
- 1M evacuated
- 44 died - suggests good planning - developing state
- 500,000 ha of crops destroyed
- Chiliha lake ecosystem damaged by storm surge
- Mansgroves destroyed
Rising sea level
what were the findings of the Odisha Shoreline Change Assessment?
Shoreline accreting in places - 47%. Eroding - 37%
Accretion due to 6 deltas in the north.
Mangroves: Baleshwar accretion 50% higher than anywhere else
33% in poverty - less sustainability prioritising
Shoreline change at river mouths: mouths separate areas of accretion and erosion (inflow patterns)
What is the south doing to adapt to erosion? Why is this needed?
Sea walls, breakwaters, rock armour.
Port protection - ports have an exacerbated rate of erosion
What year of the SCA was criticised? Why?
2011
Didn’t consider the entire coastline holistically when attempting to adapt to natural coastal processes - shifted the problem
Are mangroves used more with SMPs or ICZMs? Why are they favoured?
ICZMs
Go further inland, provide habitats: sustainable.
Natural wave attenuation - energy ABSORBED, not reflected (no problems downstream).
Stabilises soil, trapping sediment which slows down currents/waves.
Why does Odisha/India have risks surrounding occupation and development (coastal lens)?
Sea level rise - Indian coast sea level heights projected to times by 10 by 2100.
Increased soil salinity and contamination of wells - coconut yield decrease
More economic migrants and landless labourers - less available farmland.
Skin diseases, digestives issues and jaundice from salinised water drinking
12 Udayakani households gone
What are mangroves?
Diversified vegetation, specialised morphological adaptations to thrive in saline and flooded habitats.
Nutrient sinks and cycling.
Symbiotic link between marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Stabilisers.
Ecologically and economically important fish/shellfish.
What is the mangrove case study?
Bhitarkanika
Onshore characteristics of Odisha
Beaches
Estuaries
Deltaic mangroves
Why is Bhitarkanika significant?
Length
Biodiversity
What happened to the Bhitarkanika mangroves in 1975?
Designated a wildlife sanctuary
672 sq.kms
Adjacent land made a national park in 1998
What endangered animals is the Bhitarkanika mangrove home to?
Leopard cat
Saltwater crocodile
Indian Python
Benefits gained by the local community
Natural resources: fuel wood, tannin
Protection against saltwater contamination and erosion (wave and wind), causing sediment to settle. Positive feedback.
Stabilizer
Economic benefits gained from the Bhitarkanika mangroves
$107 household annum created from using forestry and fishery resources
How do mangroves benefit the carbon cycle?
Rich carbon reservoirs
Trap 4x more carbon than other forests
Problems facing mangroves
Dependency yet ignorance of local communities: deforestation for agriculture, illegal logging, and poaching of endangered species. Degrades ecosystem. Lacking sustainability community plans.
Disrupts equilibrium - demand for croc skin and Oliver Ridley turtle eggs
Agriculture/industrial chemical and waste pollution - disrupts nutrient cycles.
Climate change and rising sea levels - saltwater contamination, erosion. Changes in rainfall and temperature affects growth.
How is the Bhitarkanika mangrove being conserved?
Ramsar Site - globally recognised wetland: migratory birds, biodiversity.
Strengthened legal protection. EPAs (sanctuaries, national parks).
Collaboration with forest departments and community organisations.
Sustainable rehabilitation: reestablish hydrological regimes. Control invasive species. (Natural plans preferred).
What seasonal differences does Chilika lake have?
Normally, the lake becomes less saline during monsoon season (diluted by freshwater rainfall). It also expands.
It is a temporary store of water.
A beach created the lake - another important store.
What are energy opportunities?
Offshore wind, tidal and wave power. - Sustainable
Offshore oil and natural gas. Seabed mining. - Unsustainable.
Are some of the Odisha’s coastline characteristics natural?
Yes - it is a naturally changing environment.
Erosion causes important inputs of sediment - deposited to form beaches, dunes and barrier beaches.
Seasonal variations occur - accretion in summer (low-energy), erosion in winter.
Why is wind more powerful in Winter?
Increased pressure gradient between air masses.
What are the seasonal differences at the Chilika lake?
Monsoon season - lake becomes less saline - dilution with rainfall. Lake expands.
Temporary water store. Made by a beach.
