Agreement to Save Coastal Wetlands | 13 Apr 2019

The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to map, validate and protect smaller wetlands in coastal regions.

• It is an attempt to build resilience against the impact of climate change.
• MoU signed between the CMFRI and the Space Applications Centre of ISRO includes:
  • Identify and demarcate wetlands, and restore them through suitable livelihood options such as coastal aquaculture.
  • Develop a mobile app and a centralized web portal that will have a comprehensive database of wetlands that are smaller than 2.25 hectares in the country.
• 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.
  • National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) is a network project of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) launched in February 2011.
  • The project aims to enhance the resilience of Indian agriculture to climate change and climate vulnerability through strategic research and technology demonstration.
  • The research on adaptation and mitigation covers crops, livestock, fisheries, and natural resource management.