India’s first Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) framework launched.

• Puducherry has launched the country’s first Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) framework as part of a pact under the Indo-Norway Integrated Ocean Initiative, to balance growth alongside sustainable management of ocean resources and coastal environment preservation.
• It is a collaboration between Norwegian Environment Agency, Ministry of Earth Sciences, National Centre for Coastal Research and Puducherry administration.

What is Marine Spatial Planning?

• MSP is a process of analysing and allocating spatial and temporal distribution of human activities in marine areas to achieve ecological, economic, and social objectives.
• Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO help countries by providing a step-by-step guide for ecosystem-based MSP.
• Advantages
  1. Identification of biological and ecological important areas, reduction of cumulative effects of human activities on marine ecosystems etc.
  2. Access to desirable areas for new private sector investments, transparency in permit and licensing procedures etc.
  3. Enhanced community participation, improved protection of cultural heritage etc.
  4. Increasing cross-border cooperation to develop renewable energy, allocate shipping lanes, laying submarine cables etc. on regional and global scale.
  5. Reducing conflicts and creating synergies between different activities.