In an attempt to build resilience against impact of climate change, the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have joined hands to map, validate and protect smaller wetlands in coastal regions. The programme is aimed at restoring them through coastal livelihood programmes.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the CMFRI and the Space Applications Centre of ISRO to develop a mobile app and a centralised web portal that will have a comprehensive database of wetlands that are smaller than 2.25 hectares in the country. Such smaller wetlands cover an area of more than five lakh hectares across the country. Kerala is having as 2,592 small wetlands.

Restoring wetlands

According to the MoU, the two institutes aim at identifying and demarcating wetlands, and restore them through suitable livelihood options such as coastal aquaculture.

The app will be used for real-time monitoring of the wetlands and giving advisories to stakeholders and coastal people.

The collaborative move is part of a national framework for fisheries and wetlands, developed recently by the National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project of CMFRI. The project aims to find ways and means to mitigate the impact of climate change in marine fisheries and coastal region.

Conservation plan

PU Zacharia, Principal Scientist and Principal Investigator, NICRA project of CMFRI, said the real-time data of demarcated coastal wetlands will help developing a conservation plan for degraded wetlands in the region besides utilising these resources for livelihood prospects such as shrimp and crab farming in the area.

“Wetlands are highly prospective for some selective aquaculture ventures that will help local people earn economical gains,” he added.

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