Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government Thursday launched a Marine Spatial Plan (MSP) aimed at promoting coastal economic growth while ensuring environmental protection.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the initiative was signed between the state government’s department of science and technology and the National Centre for Coastal Research under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
The MSP will enable scientific marine spatial planning along Odisha’s coastline and strengthen the blue economy, while ensuring environmental sustainability and building climate-resilient coastal communities.
It will seek to balance sectoral activities such as fisheries, shipping, tourism and aquaculture with marine biodiversity conservation, particularly in ecologically sensitive zones, the MoU stated.
Speaking on the occasion, Majhi said the MSP will not only boost the blue economy but also ensure the protection of marine ecology.
“It will promote local coastal economies while safeguarding marine biodiversity. The MSP will set a new benchmark for integrated coastal and marine planning,” he said.
A Sustainable Ocean Planning initiative has been underway in India since 2019 in collaboration with Norway. In the first phase, it was implemented in Puducherry and Lakshadweep, while in the second phase, Odisha is the first state to take it forward.
Noting that Odisha’s coastal and marine regions are rich in biodiversity and provide abundant natural resources, the chief minister said these resources play a vital role in livelihoods, economic growth, and environmental balance.
However, due to increasing development activities, environmental impacts, and rising sectoral demands, there is a need for scientific management of the marine ecosystem, the chief minister said.
“The MSP will help meet the needs of fisheries, tourism, ports, ocean energy, and other sectors while ensuring the protection of marine ecosystems,” he added.
Majhi also referred to the Odisha Marine Biotechnology Research and Innovation Corridor launched in August last year, saying it would further strengthen the MSP initiative by promoting marine biotechnology for environmental protection and economic development.
Science and Technology Minister Krushna Chandra Patra said the National Centre for Coastal Research is a leading institution in marine research and has developed important economic models for conservation and resource use.
Arvin Gadgil, deputy ambassador of the Royal Norwegian Embassy, said Odisha has a rich maritime trade heritage and a long coastline. “Norway will provide full support to this initiative, focusing on technology-driven resource management for achieving long-term development goals,” he added.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg said MSP is a significant initiative for achieving the 2036 and 2047 goals, aiming for maximum utilisation of marine resources along with environmental protection.
M Ravichandran, secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, stated that for India’s Vision 2047, growth must be achieved across all sectors while addressing climate challenge issues.
