South Asia Convention on Coastal Management

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) jointly with Pondicherry Citizen’s Action Network (PondyCAN), a Pondicherry based nonprofit organized the South Asia Convention on Coastal Management at Pondicherry between January 19 -21, 2014. The convention involved government representatives, researchers and NGOs from across South Asia — India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka —to discuss coastal management issues in their respective countries thereby creating a platform for approaching coastal management issues in the South Asian region in an integrated manner.

The convention started with a site visit, followed by two day engaging session discussions on the state of coastal regulations, developments, coastal habitats protection and climate change. The convention identified the need for the South Asian countries to share experiences and approaches and learn from each other. The need to strengthen regulatory systems, build capacity and do more research to manage coastal challenges in all countries of South Asia was acknowledged.