Reef to Ridge

The countries around the Indian Ocean and their low lying coastal zones are among the most vulnerable to impacts of environmental stresses. These stresses can be local, regional or global. Around the Indian Ocean rim, activities like port development, urban infrastructures and industries are destroying natural biomes like mangroves, estuaries and wetlands. These water bodies are not only sources of livelihoods for coastal communities but are also homes to thousands of species of plant and animals.

A big cause of concern for the health of coastal ecosystems is the increase in human activity along the coastal zones. However, it is increasingly becoming evident that human activities carried out in further inland areas bear significant impacts on the health of coastal ecosystems. Simply put, activities carried out upstream bear consequences downstream. Agriculture, irrigation, fertilizer and pesticide use, deforestation in the hills, building of dams etc. ultimately end up affecting  overall coastal ecosystem health.

MFF brings this knowledge and understanding in its “reef to ridge” approach to help implementing bodies in taking far-sighted decisions. Via “reef to ridge”, MFF stresses on the need to address coastal ecosystem management at a broader level. It highlights the need for an inclusive approach in developing policies where coastal and inland planners and managers are associated by a knowledge bridge.

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