DPIRS Framework for Sustainable Development of Coastal Areas

Presently 21% of the world population lives within 30 kms of the coastal areas. Coastal zones are therefore of great importance as zones of settlement and play a vital role in the economic well-being of many nations. Indian mainland has a coastline of about 7517km ,with major economic activities and population (due to Migration or otherwise) concentrated in this area. This has resulted in enhanced demand for scarce resources threatening the physical and ecological balance of this entire region. This is mostly due to non-incorporation of inputs from the bottom stakeholders during the planning process and the absence of a holistic treatment in coastal zone management plan preparation. This mismanagement along with the change in climate has resulted in increasing vulnerability, which conspicuously demands a fresh approach towards management of coastal areas. This paper briefly describes the importance of sustainable development of the coastal zone by specifying challenges, the inadequacy of existing measures and suggests a DPSIR framework for improved coastal zone management. Also, a methodology for computing an index has been developed to monitor the sustainability of the region based on Factor analysis.