Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve's Coastal Biodiversity

The overall objective of this project is to conserve the Gulf of Mannar’s globally significant assemblage of coastal biodiversity and to demonstrate, in a large biosphere reserve with various multiple uses, how to integrate biodiversity conservation into coastal zone management plans. To this end, the Government of Tamil Nadu will establish the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Trust (a Foundation) to ensure effective inter-sectoral coordination and facilitate mainstreaming of biodiversity conservation issues into the productive sector and policy development. An adaptive management approach will employ the results of targeted studies and monitoring to ensure appropriate adaptation of local level resource use. The end result will be adaptive, iterative and participatory management of the Reserve. The statutory Trust/Foundation is seen as an innovative mechanism that will allow for project methodologies and results to be replicated for the rest of the coastal area of Tamil Nadu and demonstrate an institutional model for India as a whole.