UNDP - Enhancing Climate Resilience of India S Coastal Communities

Enhancing climate resilience of India’s coastal communities
India | United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
1 December 2016
ENHANCING CLIMATE RESILIENCE OF INDIA’S COASTAL
Project/Programme Title:
COMMUNITIES
Country/Region: India
Accredited Entity: UNDP
National Designated Authority: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Government of India
PROJECT / PROGRAMME CONCEPT NOTE
GREEN CLIMATE FUND | PAGE 1 OF 31
Please submit the completed form to fundingproposal@gcfund.org
A. Project / Programme Information
A.1. Project / programme title Enhancing climate resilience of India’s coastal communities
A.2. Project or programme Project
A.3. Country (ies) / region India
A.4. National designated Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of
authority(ies) India
A.5. Accredited entity United Nations Development Programme
Executing Entity: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Beneficiaries:
A.6. Executing entity / Direct – Approx. 1,900,000 people in 32 target landscapes in coastal districts of
beneficiary Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha States
Indirect – Approx. 83 million people living within 50km of the coast in three states
benefiting from improved shoreline protection and coastal governance, including 19
million living in the target landscapes
A.7. Access modality ☐ Direct ☒ International
A.8. Project size category
(total investment, million Micro (≤10) ☐ Small (10<x≤50) ☐ Medium (50<x≤250) ☒ Large (>250) ☐
USD)
Adaptation ☒
A.9. Mitigation / adaptation
Mitigation ☐ Cross-cutting ☐
focus
A.10. Public or private Public
Which of the following targeted results areas does the proposed project/programme
address?
Reduced emissions from:

☐ Energy access and power generation
(E.g. on-grid, micro-grid or off-grid solar, wind, geothermal, etc.)
☐ Low emission transport
(E.g. high-speed rail, rapid bus system, etc.)
☐ Buildings, cities, industries and appliances
(E.g. new and retrofitted energy-efficient buildings, energy-efficient equipment for companies and
supply chain management, etc.)
☒ Forestry and land use
A.11. Results areas (E.g. forest conservation and management, agroforestry, agricultural irrigation, water treatment
(mark all that apply) and management, etc.)
Increased resilience of:

☒ Most vulnerable people and communities
(E.g. mitigation of operational risk associated with climate change – diversification of supply
sources and supply chain management, relocation of manufacturing facilities and warehouses,
etc.)
☐ Health and well-being, and food and water security
(E.g. climate-resilient crops, efficient irrigation systems, etc.)
☐ Infrastructure and built environment
(E.g. sea walls, resilient road networks, etc.)
☒ Ecosystems and ecosystem services
(E.g. ecosystem conservation and management, ecotourism, etc.)
A.12. Project / programme life
7 years 1
span
1
Noting that the lifespan is defined as the period over which direct benefits accrue, matching the estimated lifetime of the longest-lived piece
of equipment installed, this nonetheless describes only the 7 years of implementation, as intertidal ecosystems restored through the project
should provide benefits in perpetuity.
A.13. Estimated Start: 2017-18

implementation start and end
date End: 2023-24
B. Project/Programme Details
The Fund requires the following preliminary information in order to promptly assess the eligibility of project/programme
investment. These requirements may vary depending on the nature of the project/programme.
Project Summary
The proposed project supports the Government of India to enhance the resilience of coastal
communities to climate change. The project combines GCF grant finance with significant leveraged
co-finance to shift the paradigm towards a new approach involving ecosystem-centred and
community-based approaches to adaptation. This is achieved through cross-sectoral planning and
governance of the coastal zone, and investing in ecological infrastructure to buffer disasters and to
support resilient livelihoods.
The project objective is: To enhance the resilience of the lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable
populations, particularly women, in the coastal areas of India to climate change and extreme events,
using an ecosystem-centred and community-based approach. This will contribute to the GCF’s Fund
Level Impacts of increased resilience and enhanced livelihoods of the most vulnerable people,
communities and regions and improved resilience of ecosystems and ecosystem services, with
additional co-benefits through reduced emissions from natural ecosystems.
The project will work at national, state, and community levels to enhance capacities for ecosystem
and community-based approaches and enable climate policy and finance shifts to catalyze impact
beyond the project in all of India’s coastal regions – 9 coastal States (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa,
Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal), 2 mainland coastal
Union Territories (Daman & Diu and Puducherry), and 2 island Union Territories (Andaman &
Nicobar Islands, Lakshadeweep Islands). Specific restoration and livelihood interventions will be
B.1. Project /
undertaken in the target states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha, with learning shared
programme
across all coastal states and the relevant districts within them, and more widely in the South Asian
description
region.
(including
objectives This will be achieved through three interlinked outputs:
• Output 1: Enhanced resilience of coastal and marine ecosystems and their services
• Output 2: Climate-resilient livelihoods for enhanced adaptive capacities of coastal
communities
• Output 3: Strengthened coastal and marine governance and institutional framework
Climate change in India’s coast
India is exposed on all fronts to the impacts of climate change due to its unique geographical
features – a long coastline of 7500 kms (5,423 km in peninsular India and 2,094 km in the Andaman,
Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands), Himalayan mountain ranges, and vast desert stretches. These
impacts include melting glaciers, accelerated desertification, sea level rise 2 and intense storm
surges. According to the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, (IPCC, 2013) extreme
temperatures are expected to increase in India by 1-4°C, with maximum increase projected in
coastal regions, by 2030s.
Approximately 250 million people (14% of the country’s population or 3.5% of the global population)
reside within 50 km of India’s coastline. The mainland coast stretches through nine states and two
union territories, with 77 coastal cities and towns including large cities such as Mumbai, Chennai
and Kolkata. Various economically important activities occur in coastal zones including oil and gas
industries, power plants, ports and harbours, aquaculture, agriculture, fisheries, tourism, and
mining. These activities are critical to India’s on-going economic growth and development.
2
Present estimate of future sea-level rise induced by climate change is 20 to 86 cm by the year 2100, with a best estimate of 49 cm (including
the cooling effect of aerosols).
India’s coastline has a wide range of ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrass beds, salt marshes,
coral reefs, lagoons, estuaries and other important coastal and marine habitats. These coastal
habitats form part of complex social-ecological systems 3 in which many people depend for their
wellbeing and livelihoods on the goods and services provided by these ecosystems – for example,
they provide shoreline protection against disasters (likely to be intensified by climate change), and
form the basis for economic activities such as fishing, aquaculture and tourism. The extensive
coastal and offshore marine ecosystems include about 6740 sq kms of mangroves, 4 including some
of the largest mangrove forests in the world. Conservation and effective management of intertidal
ecosystems are also important climate change mitigation strategies as they contain rich carbon
reservoirs. 5
The Indian coastline is expected to be amongst the regions most affected by climate change
globally. The Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are both predicted to be subject to extreme climate
variability under future climate scenarios. For example, temperatures are expected to rise by
between 1.6–2.1°C compared to the 1970s 6. Moreover, the frequency and intensity of cyclones and
extreme weather events are projected to increase, particularly on the eastern coastline.
Urbanisation and coastal development have created significant pressures on the coastal areas,
which are being intensified by climate change. Degradation of coastal ecosystems has negative
implications for coastal communities who are dependent on the ecosystems for their livelihoods.
This coastal population is also particularly at risk to impacts of disasters intensified by climate
change, including inter alia storm surges, cyclones, sea level rise and flooding 7.
There is also expected to be an increase in the variability and unpredictability of monsoon rainfall,
affecting agriculture. For instance, models predict that the number of rainy days along the east
coastline is likely to decrease by 1–5 days per year. However, the intensity of rainfall is expected to
increase by between 1mm/day and 4mm/day. By the 2030s, rainfall is likely to increase by 0.2–
4.4% compared to 1970s levels 8. The combination of increased total rainfall and decreased number
of rainfall days is thus expected to result in less frequent but more intense rain events. India has
already experienced the impacts of climate change in coastal areas, with incidents of extreme
temperature, intense rainfall and frequent tropical cyclones in the period 2009–2014. Changes in
monsoon rainfall patterns and drought frequency as a result of climate change will impact on water
resources, agricultural output, livelihoods 9, public health and the economy 10,11.
The agricultural sector is the biggest contributor to India’s gross domestic product. Approximately
650 million people in the country are dependent on rain-fed agriculture for their livelihoods 12. These
farmers thus rely on the monsoons for crop irrigation. This has significant implications for food
production and rural income in response to droughts, floods and varying rainfall. Climate change
predictions show a negative impact on agriculture and food production. Climatic variability is
impacting on the agriculture sector and seasonal crops by inter alia: i) decrease in winter rainfall
negatively affecting winter crops – known as Rabi crops 13 – in the rain-fed areas; ii) temperature
fluctuations negatively affecting Rabi crops; iii) dryland areas receiving less than 550 mm of annual
rainfall which results in farming not being viable; and iv) a decline in soil fertility across many regions
as a result of an increase in the use of fertilisers in response to lack of rain 14. Agriculture is also
negatively impacted by saltwater intrusion caused by sea-level rise.
Climate change and climatic variability are also having considerable impacts on fisheries. For
example, climate change is predicted to cause changes in fishing grounds and the migratory habits
of marine fishery resources 15. Hatcheries will also be affected by temperature fluctuations leading
3
Walker, B.; Salt, D. Resilience Thinking: Sustaining Ecosystems and People in a Changing World;  Island P ress: W ashington DC (2006)
4
Envis.nic.in
5
2005, Biogeosciences, 2, 1-8, Durate et al., Major role of marine vegetation on the oceanic carbon cycle.
6
2013, Gangwar
7
NDC.
8
Indian Network of Climate Change Assessment (INCCA) of Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, MoEFCC
9
MoEFCC. 2015. India: First Biennial Update Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
10
Sharmila et al. 2015.
11
Mishra & Liu 2014.
12
INCCA. 2010.
13
Rabi crops include inter alia wheat, barley, oats (cereals), chickpea/gram (pulses), linseed and mustard (oilseeds). The Kharif crops include
inter alia rice, maize, sorghum, pearl millet/bajra, finger millet/ragi (cereals), arhar (pulses), soyabean, groundnut (oilseeds) and cotton.
14
SAPCC 2012.
15
CCAP 2010–2015.
to reduction in hatchery outputs. Climate change can impact on the fisheries in both direct and
indirect ways 16. Direct effects include the increase in frequency and intensity of extreme climate
events affect fishing operations and infrastructure as well as the abundance and distribution of
targeted species. Examples of indirect effects include inter alia changes in quality of aquatic habitat
and the distribution and abundance of aquatic competitors, predators and diseases. Spawning fish
are especially sensitive to temperature; thus temperature may result in spawning occurring earlier,
later or not at all. Furthermore, increases in water temperature affect the migration and subsequent
harvesting of certain fish species because of shifts in fish abundance. Temperature increases are
also combining with ocean acidification to degrade coral reefs, affecting their function as fish
nurseries. These changes are resulting in reduced catch of several species, affecting nutrition,
livelihoods and jobs 17.
India has been adversely affected by natural hazards and extreme weather events over the last
decade. During 2015, a marked increase in high rainfall incidences resulted in localised flooding.
These floods occurred during the winter monsoon and were linked to the El Niño phenomenon. The
flooding affected more than 1.8 million people and caused damages of over US$15 billion. It was
estimated to be India’s costliest natural disaster and eighth on the global scale for 2015 18. These
extreme weather events are predicted to increase under future climate change scenarios. Storms,
heat waves, cyclones and floods result in losses and damages, as well as loss of life. Heavy rainfall
events have resulted in several floods in India in recent years. The risks of extreme rainfall and
floods are predicted to increase across most of the country 19. Flash floods associated with heavy
rainfall are increasing in intensity and frequency. These result in loss of life and damage to
infrastructure in affected communities 20. Coastal states are particularly vulnerable to an increase in
extreme cyclone activity 21 and coastal flooding. The North Indian Ocean basin experiences an
average of five cyclones annually. A study examining cyclone activity in the area found an increasing
trend in the length of the cyclone season and intensity of cyclones for the period 1979–2008 22. The
heavy winds generated by cyclones assist in the formation of storm surges, which produce large
variations in sea level around coastlines. Communities along the Eastern coast of India are
particularly vulnerable to storm surges 23. A summary of the impacts of cyclones and storms on
coastal areas in India is provided in the table below. More detailed information on anticipated
impacts of climate change in the three target states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha is
contained in the Draft Feasibility Study.
Table 1. Extreme cyclone events in India for the period 2009–2014 24.
Year Details
2009 Cyclone Alia: 149 fatalities; more than 10,000 stranded.
2010 Cyclone Laila: winds of 120 km per hour in Andhra Pradesh region; more than 50 fatalities;
US$117 million in damages.
2010 Cyclone Jal: rice crops destroyed; mudslides and flooding; 54 fatalities in Andhra Pradesh.
2011 Cyclone Thane: ~50 fatalities.
2012 Cyclone Nilam: heavy rainfall following north-east monsoon activity; more than 100 fatalities in
Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu; US$57 million in damages.
2013 Cyclone Helen: heavy rainfall, floods, and strong gale-force winds; 39 fatalities; more than one
million people evacuated; US$800 million in damages to infrastructure.
2014 Cyclone Hudhud: 81 fatalities and $3.4 billion in damages.
India’s policy response to climate change
16
MSAAPC 2014.
17
Nambi AA & Bahinipati CS. 2013. Adaptation to climate change and livelihoods: An integrated Ciase study to assess the vulnerability and
adaptation options of the fishing and farming communities of selected East coast stretch of Tamil Nadu, India. Asian Journal of
Environment and Disaster Management 4:297.
18
Narasimhan TE. 2015. Chennai floods are world’s 8th most expensive natural disaster in 2015. Business Standard.
19
Guhathakurta P, Sreejith OP & Menon PA. 2011. Impact of climate change on extreme rainfall events and flood risk in India. Journal of
Earth System Science 120:359–373.
20
Gupta V, Dobhal DP & Vaideswaran SC. 2013. August 2012 cloudburst and subsequent flash flood in the Asi Ganga, a tributary of the
Bhagirathi river, Garhwal Himalaya, India. Current Science 105:249–253.
21
INCCA 2010.
22
Deo AA & Ganer DW. 2013. Variability in Tropical Cyclone Activity Over Indian Seas in Changing Climate. International Journal of Science
and Research 4:880–886.
23
INCCA 2010.
24
First biennial update report 2015.
India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) identifies priority interventions for
addressing climate change. The NAPCC aims to promote India’s development objectives through
inclusion of measures related to: i) climate change; ii) adaptation; iii) mitigation; iv) energy efficiency;
and v) environmental conservation. The objectives of the NAPCC will be implemented through eight
National Missions. Overall implementation of the NAPCC is coordinated through the MoEFCC and
will be facilitated through appropriate mechanisms – e.g. public-private partnerships and civil society
actions – for effective delivery of each specific National Mission’s objective.
Four new Missions are in the process of being established under the NAPCC: on wind energy,
human health, coastal resources, and waste-to-energy. The new National Coastal Mission will
provide the overarching policy and institutional framework for the project. The project, in turn, will
help to shape the direction of the new Mission to include ecosystem-centred and community-based
approaches to adaptation in the coastal zone. The Coastal Mission’s objectives will include
promoting vulnerability mapping, sustainable coastal development, resilient communities and
settlements, environmental conservation and mitigation of GHG emissions.
In addition to the new Coastal Mission, of particular importance for this project are:
• Green India Mission: The NAPCC aims to restore/reforest 6 million hectares of degraded
forest lands, thus expanding India’s forest cover from 23 to 33% - supported by the GCF
project’s Output 1.2.
• National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture: The NAPCC will support climate adaptation in
agriculture through: i) the development of climate-resilient crops; ii) the expansion of weather
insurance mechanisms; and iii) improved agricultural practices – supported by Output 2.1.
• National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change: The NAPCC aims to gain a
better understanding of the impacts, effects and challenges of climate change. It also
encourages private sector initiatives to develop adaptation and mitigation technologies through
venture capital funds – supported by Outputs 1 and 3.
The NAPCC identifies several priority areas for India’s coastal zones, including:
• Developing an air-ocean circulation modelling system especially for the Bay of Bengal and
the Arabian Sea, to simulate regional climate change and, in particular, monsoon behaviour
• Carrying out high-resolution ocean-atmosphere variability studies in tropical oceans, in
particular the Indian Ocean
• Engineering a high-resolution storm surge model for coastal regions
• Developing salinity-tolerant crop cultivars
• Raising community awareness on coastal disasters and necessary action
• Establishing timely forecasting and cyclone and flood warning systems
• Increased planting and regeneration of mangroves and coastal forests.
The proposed project is thus aligned with the objectives of the Green India Mission, the National
Mission for Sustainable Agriculture and the National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate
Change, as well as the new National Coastal Mission. In addition, the project addresses priority
areas related to climate-resilient agriculture, community awareness on coastal disaster risk,
restoration of coastal ecosystems, and understanding of coastal vulnerability and adaptive capacity.
India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) outlines the country’s commitment towards a
low carbon emission pathway. It identifies priorities for clean energy, energy efficiency in various
sectors of industries, a major thrust to non-fossil based electricity generation, and a building sector
based on energy conservation. The proposed project is aligned with one of the 8 main contributions
outlined in the NDC: “To better adapt to climate change by enhancing investments in development
programmes in sectors vulnerable to climate change, particularly agriculture, water resources, the
Himalayan region, coastal regions, health and disaster management”. The NDC includes a target
to reduce the emissions intensity of India’s GDP by 33 to 35% by 2030 from 2005 level and to create
an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO 2 equivalent through additional forest and
tree cover by 2030. Monitoring of blue carbon contributions will enable coastal and marine
ecosystems’ contributions to carbon sinks to be quantified and changes tracked over time.
The three states targeted for restoration and livelihoods actions through the project each have a
State Action Plan for Climate Change (see Draft Feasibility Study for detail on each state’s Plan).
Baseline scenario without the project
The Government of India is making substantial investments in planning for climate change
adaptation, and there are ongoing investments by national and State governments in integrated
coastal zone management and biodiversity conservation. National and coastal state governments
are attempting to regulate coastal development, and applying integrated coastal zone management
(ICZM) principles to ensure that trade-offs between economic development and environmental
degradation are balanced appropriately. At the same time, rapid change is occurring along the
country’s coastline, as coastal areas experience population growth and the expansion of
settlements, agriculture and export-based industries, resulting in the degradation and loss of natural
ecosystems along the coast.
With a combination of human pressures on the environment, and the climate change impacts
discussed above and detailed in the Draft Feasibility Study, the natural ecosystems of India’s coastal
zone continue to be lost and degraded. The contribution of this “ecological infrastructure” to buffering
disasters (which are intensifying with climate change) and to supporting the livelihoods off coastal
farming and fishing communities (which are threatened by climate change) is under-recognised and
under-utilised. In the face of massive development and climate change pressures, this contribution
is likely to continue to decline.
Healthy ecosystems protect coasts from storm surges and sea level rise, prevent shoreline erosion,
regulate coastal water quality, form critical habitats for marine species, and provide food and
livelihood security to coastal communities, thus contributing to increased resilience of human beings
to climate induced disasters. Studies have shown that coastal habitats have the potential to shield
people and property from the impacts of changing climate. In the 1999 cyclone that struck Odisha,
the damage to property per household in areas with no mangrove and embankment was estimated
to be USD 153.74 as compared to USD 33.3 for households that are protected by mangroves. 25 This
was evident in the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami cyclone where coastal vegetation acted as natural
barriers and significantly reduced the physical impacts. By creating a hazard index that incorporates
the protective role of ecosystems for every 1 sq km of the United States Coastline, and studying two
scenarios, with and without habitats, it has been proven that coastal habitats reduce approximately
by 50% the proportion of people and property exposed to storms and sea level rise. 26
In addition to risks of erosion and flooding from storm surges as result of intensified cyclones, coastal
communities face slow onset threats such as sea level rise, increasing temperatures and more erratic
monsoons. At present, climate change risks, and the role of ecological infrastructure in helping to
address them, are not being systematically integrated into ICZM because:
• Current approaches underestimate the benefits society receives from ecological
infrastructure such as intact mangroves and saltmarshes that reduce the intensity of
storm surges intensified by climate change, and also sequester significant amounts of
carbon.
• Current approaches underutilize the potential of intact coastal ecosystems (e.g. crab and
oyster exports) to increase and diversify income streams from businesses based on
these resources for coastal communities whose fishing and farming incomes are
threatened by climate change.
Where coastal adaptation plans are being put in place, these are not ecosystem-centred, and do
not capitalize on the role of ecological infrastructure. Current adaptation initiatives tend to combine
“hard” and “soft” engineered approaches to protecting the shoreline against disasters, neglecting
ecosystem-based approaches. Where coastal planning and governance are promoting coastal
livelihoods, these are not community-centred, and do not capitalize on the role of coastal
ecosystems in generating livelihoods.
Adaptation alternative proposed by project
The adaptation alternative proposed by the GCF project is that the natural ecosystems of India’s
coastal zone are protected and restored, and their contribution to buffering climate shocks and
25
2012, Bahinipati and Sahu, Asian Journal of Environment and Disaster Management, Vol 4. No 2
26
Arkema, K.K, et al Coastal Habitats Shield People and Property from Sea Level Rise and Storms, Nature Climate Change 3, 913-918
(2013).
stresses and supporting climate-resilient livelihoods is fully recognised and utilized. This will be
achieved through cross-sectoral planning and governance of the coastal zone for climate change
adaptation zone, and enhanced investment in ecological infrastructure – both to buffer climate
impacts and to support resilient livelihoods.
The proposed project will support the Government of India (GoI) to scale up a new approach to
investing in ecological infrastructure and coastal livelihoods as a means of building the climate
resilience of India’s vulnerable coastal communities. This will be achieved by addressing
institutional, financial and technical barriers that currently prevent the adaptation benefits derived
from coastal ecosystems from being fully realised. GCF resources, together with government co-
financing of an estimated USD 80M, will generate ecosystem goods/services that protect
infrastructure and promote a diverse array of livelihoods that can be resilient to rising temperatures,
increasingly erratic monsoons, rising sea levels, greater storm surges and more powerful cyclones.
The project will transform coastal management and adaptation by harnessing the power of India’s
ecological infrastructure for coastal resilience. GCF investment will enable innovations in restoring
ecosystems, improving livelihoods and strengthening adaptive coastal governance, creating
pathways to scale up effective ecosystem and community-based adaptation, as well as the
contribution of coastal ecosystems to carbon sequestration. This will be complemented by new and
additional co-finance by national Government, state Governments, private sector and donor
communities in coastal restoration efforts using forest compensation funds, complementary
engineered solutions for shoreline protection, efforts to enhance the resilience of coastal property
and infrastructure, as well as vulnerability mapping and community-based early warning systems.
Barriers to achieving the adaptation scenario
A number of barriers exist that constrain the planning and implementation of ecosystem- and
community-based adaptation measures to promote climate-resilient development in India’s coastal
zone. Firstly, there is limited fine-scale information on climate vulnerabilities to inform adaptation
planning at the local level. While some assessments of coastal vulnerability have been undertaken,
these largely focus on bio-physical exposure to climate change. There remains a paucity of
information on the way in which climate impacts are affecting the delivery of ecosystem services on
which coastal communities depend, and these communities’ adaptive capacity. Without detailed
data on climate vulnerability in India’s coastal zone, decision-making for climate-resilient planning
by national ministries, state-level departments and local communities will remain sub-optimal.
Secondly, there is limited understanding of the potential for EbA to enhance the adaptive capacity
of coastal communities. Information and capacities on EbA as an adaptation measure is not readily
available to technical staff and decision-makers in national ministries, state-level departments,
NGOs, CBOs and local communities. Without comprehensive understanding of the benefits of
coastal ecosystems in reducing losses and damages caused by climate change, coastal adaptation
measures largely focus on implementation of “hard” engineering options rather than “soft”
ecosystem-centric options. The potential for ecosystems such as mangroves, coral reefs and
seagrass to act as barriers against flooding and storm surges during extreme weather events is
generally unrealised because of limited transfer of such knowledge and understanding to relevant
decision-makers. This constrains technical capacity in both government institutions and local
communities to design and implement EbA interventions as part of a comprehensive, integrated
approach to climate change adaptation. At a deeper level, this lack of understanding is driven by
the fact that the value of goods and services from coastal ecosystems is not reflected in markets or
prices, and is often not even quantified – so coastal ecosystems experience the “tragedy of the
commons”.
Thirdly, there is insufficient technical and financial capacity to support the adoption of climate-
resilient livelihood opportunities by local communities. There is little awareness of the predicted
impacts of climate change on community livelihoods, as well as of the potential for adopting climate-
resilient practices, such as new techniques for sustainable rice production in the face of climate
impacts, to reduce the vulnerability of these livelihoods. Communities also have little knowledge of
the potential for diversifying their livelihoods to capitalise on goods and services provided by
functional coastal ecosystems that have been restored using an EBA approach including through
ecotourism initiatives. These communities also have limited financial capacity to diversify their
livelihoods and increase their productivity under future climate scenarios. For example, investments
into production, processing and packaging facilities are beyond the financial capacity of individual
community members and CBOs such as cooperatives and women’s self-help groups.
Fourthly, the adoption of sustainable and climate-resilient livelihood activities is also hindered by
weak linkages in value chains for commodities that are underpinned by coastal ecosystem goods
and services. There is insufficient access to potential markets for many of these commodities,
reducing the economic viability of such livelihoods. Crabs, for example, are sold on local markets
rather than reaching urban coastal or even export markets, because of limitations in cold chain and
transport, and absence of deals with buyers. In addition, there are few opportunities for value
addition – such as processing and packaging fish into cutlets or fish pickle – closer to the source of
commodities. Such value addition would create employment opportunities within local communities
while also increasing the income of producers of commodities through more efficient supply chains.
Finally, there is limited institutional capacity and coordination for mainstreaming climate change into
coastal zone planning and governance. Policy and legislative instruments regulating coastal
development are largely sectoral in their approaches, leading to sub-optimal cross-sectoral
coordination of planning and implementation of adaptation measures. In particular, there is
insufficient coordination of climate-resilient planning at the landscape-level through institutions that
are able to represent the adaptation priorities of multiple stakeholders. Without cross-sectoral and
multi-stakeholder dialogue on mainstreaming climate change into coastal governance, national
ministries and state-level departments will remain constrained in their ability to practise climate-
resilient development planning.
Outline of the proposed project
The objective of the project is to enhance the resilience of the lives and livelihoods of the most
vulnerable populations, particularly women, in the coastal areas of India to climate change and
extreme events, using an ecosystem-centred and community-based approach. This will contribute
to the GCF’s Fund Level Impacts of increased resilience and enhanced livelihoods of the most
vulnerable people, communities and regions and improved resilience of ecosystems and ecosystem
services.
The project will work at national, state, and community levels to enhance capacity for ecosystem
and community-based approaches to adaptation and enable pathways to replication and scale
beyond the project to all of India’s coastal states. Specific restoration and livelihood interventions
will be undertaken in the target states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha, with learning
shared across all coastal states and their districts, and more widely in the South Asian region.
The project has ncorporated lessons from past and ongoing efforts and, in particular, builds on three
projects in the targeted states that have developed best practices for coastal-based livelihoods that
conserve biodiversity and are also climate-resilient – the Global Environment Facility-funded
Mainstreaming Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Conservation into Production Sectors projects in
the Godavari River Estuary in Andhra Pradesh State and the Sindhudurg Coast in Maharashtra as
well as the World Bank-implemented ICZM project Phase I in Odisha State. More detail on these
and other baseline efforts, and the learnings from them that have been applied in the design of this
project, is contained in the Draft Feasibility Study.
Output 1: Enhanced resilience of coastal and Marine Ecosystems and their Services
This output works at national, state and landscape scales to generate a range of adaptation and
sustainable development benefits through the conservation, restoration and maintenance of coastal
and marine ecosystems. At a national scale and in all the coastal states, ecosystem-related
parameters will be added to existing methodologies, decision-support tools will be developed, and
vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning will be carried out. In project sites in the three
states, communities will collaborate closely with the Forestry Department in a co-management
approach, both as recipients of work opportunities in restoration efforts, and as on-going partners
in maintaining the resource in a healthy condition and helping to prevent illegal activities. Protocols
and guidelines will be established, and restoration efforts undertaken, including i) mangrove
restoration through hydrological rehabilitation, e.g. restoring free tidal flow by constructing main and
branch canals and opening access to tidal source; ii) mangrove restoration through planting; iii)
restoration of catchments through afforestation to prevent erosion and sedimentation of coastal
ecosystems; iv) rehabilitation of seagrass beds and saltmarshes through hydrological rehabilitation;
v) artificial regeneration of coral reefs through structure placement; vi) hydrological rehabilitation of
coastal lagoons, e.g. dredging / breaching river mouths; vii) restoration of dune vegetation and viii)
introduction of new species as shelter belts.
Activity 1.1. Planning of ecosystem- and community-based adaptation interventions

through conducting vulnerability assessment of the coast
• Supporting coastal research and management institutions to add ecosystem-related

parameters to methodologies for guiding vulnerability assessment and national- and state-
level planning and decision-making on adaptation and management measures to address
climate change.
• Applying the enhanced/revised methodology to undertake detailed assessment of vulnerability
and adaptive capacity along the entire coastline of India, using the analysis to inform planning
of restoration and livelihoods activities for climate change adaptation.
• Developing a Decision-Support Tool for adaptation planning at state and national levels that
integrates district-level data with site-/district-level assessments to provide decision-makers
with dynamic information that is regularly updated using data from census, ecological surveys
and other sources.
• Creating an online platform and associated app to facilitate access to information in the
Decision-Support Tool for decision-makers, communities, NGOs/CBOs and other relevant
stakeholders, as well as to allow them to upload data for tracking changes in ecological and
socio-economic vulnerability to climate change in coastal areas.
Activity 1.2. Community-based conservation and restoration of coastal ecosystems for

increasing ecosystem resilience
• Supporting participatory, community-based land-use planning in target landscapes in Andhra

Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha of site-specific EbA measures for ecosystem conservation
and restoration, based on an analysis of vulnerability to climate change impacts and adaptive
capacity.
• Developing detailed, ecosystem- and site-specific protocols and guidelines – based on global
and national best practices – for restoration of the various ecosystem types (mangroves,
saltmarshes, coral reefs, seagrass beds, dune vegetation, etc.) using an EbA approach.
• Establishing co-management structures in target landscapes to foster community support for
and participation in conservation and restoration activities.
• Undertaking ecosystem conservation, restoration and management activities – based on the
EbA protocols and through the co-management structures – in the project sites in the three
states.
• Developing and implementing community-based/participatory monitoring and maintenance
programmes through the co-management structures to maintain restored ecosystems and
capture lessons learned and best practices from the project sites.
Activity 1.3. Monitoring blue carbon storage and sequestration to mitigate climate change
• Developing a detailed national methodology for assessment of carbon storage and

sequestration within coastal ecosystems based on international models and using remote
sensing, GIS analysis, field visits and community-based/participatory MRV.
• Establishing a long-term monitoring framework for carbon sequestration in coastal
ecosystems in the project sites and target states.
• Training communities in the project sites – with a focus on local youth as well as NGOs/CBOs
– in monitoring coastal ecology and monitoring ecosystem health, including using the app
developed, for undertaking carbon assessments and measuring carbon sequestration.
• Using the coastal adaptation Decision-Support Tool to track the restoration and conservation
of coastal ecosystems in all 13 coastal states, including extent of restored ecosystems and
carbon sequestered.
• Establishing a national Monitoring, Reporting and Verification system for updating government
on carbon sequestered in blue carbon ecosystems to support implementation of India’s NDC.
Output 2: Climate-resilient livelihoods for enhanced adaptive capacities of coastal

communities
This output works primarily in 32 target landscapes in the three states (see Draft Feasibility Study
for detailed outline of the sites and their selection based upon criteria of socio-economic vulnerability
to climate change impacts, bio-physical exposure to such impacts, and the presence of coastal
habitats and intertidal ecosystems). The Output helps enhance adaptive capacity, including capacity
to adapt existing livelihood activities and embark on new ones, and to do business planning and
access finance for scaling up harvesting, agri-and aquaculture operations or for processing
activities. Work with engineers and planners in coastal villages and towns will enhance the
integration of ecosystem-based approaches with resilient infrastructure. At village level, support will
be provided for a range of livelihoods activities, including support on appropriate siting and
permitting, business planning, access to finance, and developing value chains, including through
facilitated deals with buyers of products.
The various livelihood activities are detailed in the Draft Feasibility Study and include the System of
Rice Intensification (SRI) for paddy farming, crab farming, mussel farming, oyster farming, crab
hatcheries, ornamental fisheries, integrated duck-fish farming, seaweed farming, beekeeping for
honey production, mushroom cultivation, cultivation of aromatic and medicinal plants, MSMEs for
value-added fish products (e.g. fish cutlets, fish balls, pickled prawns), fishmeal plants, fish
processing units, MSMEs for handicrafts, units for solid waste processing, repair of solar equipment
repair, repair of gas stoves, scuba diving, and tour guiding. This process will be continued in Year
1 of the project through participatory livelihoods planning in target landscapes and villages –
evaluating livelihood options in aquaculture, agriculture and MSMEs through development of
community-centric, value-chain development strategies.
Activity 2.1. Building climate-resilient livelihoods and enterprises through strengthened

access to markets
• Undertaking participatory mapping and livelihoods planning in target landscapes and villages
– evaluating livelihood options in aquaculture, agriculture and MSMEs through development of
community-centric, value-chain development strategies.
• Training extension officers, social entrepreneurs and community facilitators on climate-
resilient livelihood practices, business planning, market linkages and financial strengthening
for livelihood diversification and value addition.
• Supporting community members to develop bankable business plans for new and resilient
livelihoods and value addition MSMEs, with a focus on women, youth and marginalised
groups.
• Strengthening value chains through promotion of backward linkages (e.g. crab hatcheries)
and forward linkages (e.g. processing of fish cutlets and pickled prawns), facilitating deals and
linking producers to markets.
• Providing technical support and skills development for community members on climate-
resilient and diversified livelihoods, including agri-/aquacultural extension services, Farmer
Field Schools and demonstration farms.
• Strengthening access to finance for self-help groups and community members.
Activity 2.2. Improving capacities of local communities for community-based adaptation

and climate-risk management
• Developing and delivering training courses for village self-help groups, producer and fisher
organizations, CBOs and Panchayat Raj institutions on anticipated climate change impacts on
livelihoods and adaptation options.
• Developing and delivering capacity development programmes for women’s literacy, digital
literacy, financial literacy and speaking in public, to empower women to participate fully in
project structures and opportunities.
• Developing and disseminating public education and awareness material for local radio,
television, social media and newspapers in the three states – on climate change impacts and
the need for ecosystem and community-based adaptation.
• Supporting the development of community-based theatre to put across messages to scholars
and communities about resilience to climate change, and strengthening early warning and
emergency response systems for climate-intensified disasters.
Activity 2.3. Supporting public and private sector development of climate-resilient

infrastructure for coastal villages and towns
• Developing and disseminating a Coastal Calculator tool for relevant local government and
private sector role-players, including engineers and planners, for identifying design options for
shoreline protection and other climate-resilient infrastructure.
• Facilitating dialogue with stakeholders including private sector actors on EbA measures for
shoreline protection, based on climate change projections and best practice in soft and hard
adaptation measures.
• Providing technical training to town and village planners and engineers on climate-smart
urban design and planning, including on the use of EbA measures in combination with hard
infrastructure.
• Developing adaptation plans for select “Climate-Smart Towns” in coastal urban areas of the
three states, integrating hard and soft measures, using the Coastal Calculator and based on
the training provided.
• Implementing climate-smart plans for coastal urban areas including construction of hard
infrastructure and associated soft interventions.
Output 3: Strengthened coastal and marine governance and institutional framework
This Output works at a range of scales including target landscapes, the districts into which they fall,
other coastal districts, coastal states, national government, economic sectors, and international
forums. The Output provides pathways to replication and scale by broadening the approaches to
ecosystem restoration carried out in Output 1 and approaches to climate-resilient livelihood support
carried out in Output 2, across all of India’s coastal states, and in the wider South Asian region.
Institutes identified by the SICOM/NCSCM as research partners in the coastal states could support
coordination activities. A wide range of public and private sector role-players in coastal planning and
governance will be engaged in order to build their capacity for integrated approaches that lead to
new policy and finance shifts enabling ecosystem-based and community-centred adaptation.
Activity 3.1. Network of institutions for enhanced climate resilience and integrated planning
and governance in all coastal states
• Establishing multi-stakeholder coordination structures in target landscapes in the three states

to provide a platform for dialogue on and coordination of climate-resilient development
planning and co-management of coastal ecosystems.
• Using existing interdepartmental platforms in 13 coastal states – particularly State Action
Plans for CC and CZM Authorities – to facilitate integration of EbA approaches into relevant
policy and legislation, and to share lessons learned and best practices from target landscapes
and states.
• Establishing a pan-Indian Coastal Resilience Network of organizations, tertiary institutions,
coordination platforms and coastal districts – to promote knowledge exchanges on integration
of climate change adaptation into coastal development planning, with a focus on EbA.
• Supporting the proposed National Coastal Mission in integrating climate change adaptation –
and particularly EbA – into its programme of work.
Activity 3.2. Integrating ecosystem-centric approaches to climate change adaptation into

public and private sector policies, plans and budgets, and scaling up finance for EbA
• Reviewing current public sector policies, plans and regulations to identify entry points for
integration of community-based EbA into policy and legislation at national, state and district
levels.
• Reviewing economic sector and private sector enterprise strategies and policies to identify
entry points for integration of EbA as a risk management strategy.
• Reviewing existing valuations and cost-benefit analyses of ecosystem goods and services for
use in making the case for EbA as a cost-effective means to promote coastal resilience.
• Using the National Coastal Mission and interdepartmental platforms in 13 coastal states to
support the integration of community-based EbA measures into specific policies and plans,
and into budgetary processes.
• Undertaking a Targeted Scenario Analysis in each of the three coastal states to make the
case for a specific priority policy or investment decision by a public or private sector role-
player, enabling a shift from BAU to EbA.
• Producing a national report on the costs and benefits of scaling up restoration and livelihood
activities along India’s coast, with an investment plan for leveraging additional resources
including from the private sector.
Activity 3.3. Knowledge management for coastal resilience

• Establishing a system for collating data and information on global best practices, lessons
learned, evidence from the field and scientific knowledge on coastal governance, climate
change adaptation, EbA and livelihood diversification in the coastal zone of India.
• Forming partnerships with academic institutions for experimental learning about project
restoration and livelihood activities, helping to monitor and evaluate their impact in adapting to
climate change, and publishing results in peer-reviewed scientific literature.
• Developing and piloting a training course or curricula on EbA, for delivery through
administrative training and other relevant institutes at national and state levels, incorporating
project experience and lessons especially on community-based adaptation.
• Working through the Pan-India Coastal Resilience Network to develop and disseminate
knowledge products at national, regional and international levels and to share experience and
learning.
• Developing nation-wide knowledge products translated into local languages for use in the
community-level training courses for village self-help groups and CBOs, and women’s
capacity development programmes.
• Undertaking exposure and exchange visits for national-, state- and district-level government
officials to promote knowledge sharing on cross-sectoral coastal governance, climate change
adaptation and EbA.
• Creating a knowledge exchange platform involving South Asia’s five coastal countries
(Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) for dialogue and sharing learning on
ecosystem-and community-based adaptation to climate change in the coastal zone, building on
existing forums.
Describe project/programme sponsor’s operating experience in the host country or other

developing countries.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India will be
the Implementing Partner for the project, and will be responsible for activities at national level and
for coordinating activities in the other 10 coastal states. The state governments of Andhra Pradesh,
Maharashtra and Odisha, as Responsible Parties, will carry out state-level activities in these three
states through an agreement with the MoEFCC.
In the Central Government, MoEF&CC is responsible for planning, promotion, co-ordination and
overseeing the implementation of India's environmental and forestry policies and programmes. This
MoEF&CC is the nodal ministry for all matters relating to climate change and coordinates
implementation of the National Action Plan on Climate Change. The MoEF&CC also hosts the
National Adaptation Fund, which provides resources to the state governments for adaptation
B.2. Background actions, and serves as the nodal agency in the country for the UN agencies and programmes
information on pertaining to environment and climate change.
project/programme
sponsor The National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), an autonomous centre of the
MoEF&CC, helps implement the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2011 and developed national
guidelines for Integrated Coastal Zone Management. It has a key role in the national Coastal Mission
under the NAPCC, and has conducted relevant research studies on shoreline change assessment,
mapping ecologically sensitive areas, etc. 27 The Society of Integrated Coastal Management
(SICOM), established in the MoEFCC, supports NCSCM in implementing Phase II of the World
Bank-assisted Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) project. These institutions within
national government will play an important role, both in guiding the project and in developing their
own capacity through it.
The coastal states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashta and Odisha covered in this proposal have
prepared State Action Plans on Climate Change, in which building climate resilience of coastal areas
is a significant component. As co-sponsors of the project, the three State Governments and their
Forestry Department have made a commitment to co-financing the project, aiming to bring about
the incorporation of new ecosystem-based approaches to enhance their efforts in implementing the
27
NCSCM has internalized Digital India Initiative of GoI into its research programmes. The key outcomes are (i) CoastOnline – a decision
support system for coastal management; (ii) CoMBINe - a national repository of marine biodiversity and (iii) An ESA Knowledge System for
conservation planning of ecologically sensitive areas in India.
SAPCCs. The four national and state partners will be vital to all operational matters, as outlined in
the section on Implementing Arrangements.
Through Activity 2.1, the project will support local communities and CBOs such as self-help groups,
producer organizations and fisher associations – with a focus on women and other vulnerable
population groups – to undertake sustainable and climate-resilient livelihood options, particularly
those based on ecosystem goods and services, through support for value-chain development,
business planning and access to finance. Specific products and services supported by the project
will include climate-smart agricultural practices and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for
diversifying and climate-proofing livelihoods. A total of 20 livelihoods activities have been scoped
B.3. Market out and are discussed in the Draft Feasibility Study, including an assessment of the local and
overview national markets for the products of these activities (listed in B.1 Output 2). The project will
strengthen access to existing markets through value chain development, supporting the creation of
backward linkages (e.g. crab hatcheries) and forward linkages (e.g. fish drying). Opportunities for
local enterprises based on value addition to agricultural and other produce (e.g. fisheries and
aquaculture) will be enhanced. A financial analysis will be conducted during development of the full
proposal for each of these livelihood opportunities, to assess their financial soundness and their
expected financial rate of return. Further market mapping and analysis of value chains will also be
conducted as part of participatory livelihoods planning in target landscapes and villages.
There are no applicable licenses or permits for the implementation of the project. No foreign
exchange regulations are involved, as no import of machinery/equipment is required. In addition,
there are no tax implications applicable to ecosystem restoration or coastal governance and
planning. The project will promote livelihoods activities that will generate small amounts of revenue,
but promotion of MSMEs through the project is likely to result in enterprises generating less than
the threshold for tax exemptions for small business units (annual turnover of up to Rs 2 crore or
USD300,000) in terms of the Income Tax Act.
For activities related to procurement of services through UNDP, taxes are not applicable according
B.4. Regulation, to the SBAA signed with the GoI. Section 7 of the Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of
taxation and the United Nations provides inter alia that the United Nations and its subsidiary agencies are exempt
insurance from all direct taxes (except charges for utilities services) as well as from customs duties and
charges of a similar nature in respect of articles imported or exported for official use. If the services
are procured directly by GoI implementing partners, then national and state legislation will apply,
including payment of taxes such as VAT according to the national or state rates, as applicable.
There are no specific insurance policies relevant for the project activities. In terms of the
Environment Protection Act, any activities being co-financed through the project that are obliged to
conduct a Environmental Impact Assessment will do so, including activities in Special Export Zones,
ports, harbours, building and construction projects, (enumerated in Schedule of EIA notification,
2006).
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) of the Government of
India will be the Implementing Partner (Executing Entity in GCF terminology) for the project.
The project will be implemented following UNDP’s National Implementation Modality (NIM),
according to the Standard Basic Assistance Agreement between UNDP and the Government
of India. The MoEF&CC is also the National Designated Authority of the Green Climate Fund and
all the national level coordination mechanisms will be under the aegis of the ministry.
National Project Steering Committee (NPSC): The MoEF&CC will convene the National Project
B.5. Steering Committee (NPSC), which will be constituted and chaired by the senior most official or
Implementation Special Secretary in charge of climate change at the MoEF&CC. The Joint Secretary, Climate
arrangements Change will assume the role of member secretary of the NPSC, and will be the National Project
Director. The steering committee will convene at least twice annually, to review and contribute to
the annual work plans of the project states as well as discuss and approve national level project
activities. The NPSC will also be a platform for sharing learnings and good practices across all the
Indian coastal states, union territories and islands.
Members will comprise of representatives from relevant line ministries including agriculture, forest,
environment, MSMEs, skill development, earth sciences, rural development, etc. All the coastal
states of India will be represented in the NPSC, including members of the Coastal Zone
Management Authority. NPSC will also include representation from relevant coastal institutes and
organisations such as the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) among
others. The focal points for the State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) for the coastal states
would also be represented in the NPSC. The committee will also include representatives of the
private sector and relevant NGOs.
National Project Management Unit (NPMU): The NPSC will be supported by the National Project
Management Unit (NPMU), who will be responsible for day to day coordination of relevant
components of the project at the national level and work in close coordination with the three project
states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha. The NPMU will be headed by a National Project
Coordinator, who will be supported by a Knowledge Management Specialist, Monitoring and
Evaluation Expert and a Finance and Administration Officer, amongst others.
Technical Advisory Group (TAG): A Technical Advisory Group (TAG) will be established
comprising subject matter experts who will provide their expertise and guidance for achieving the
project objectives, as required. The TAG will be chaired by the Joint Secretary i/c climate change at
MoEF&CC and will be hosted at the NPMU. The successful implementation of this project will
require strong technical leadership and high levels of coordination due to its multi-sectoral nature.
The TAG will help to steer this process, and will meet on a quarterly basis, or as and when required.
Committee on Coastal Governance: A Committee on Coastal Governance will be established,

with its secretariat hosted at the NPMU and chaired by the Joint Secretary in charge of climate
change at MoEF&CC. This committee will be comprised of governance experts and will convene at
least once a year, or as needed, to provide guidance and technical support related to decisions on
coastal governance. In particular, the CCG will foster South-South partnerships by providing a
knowledge exchange platform in Output 3.3 for engagement with other countries in the region that
share common concerns on coastal climate change vulnerabilities and impacts. The CCG will be
represented in the NPSC.
The three GCF project states will each have their own implementation arrangements:
The Project will be implemented by the Environment, Forests, Science and Technology
Department in the State of Andhra Pradesh through its executive units, particularly primarily the
Andhra Pradesh Coastal Zone Management Authority (AP CZMA). The Environment, Forests,
Science and Technology Department will be a Responsible Party (in UNDP terminology) in terms
of an agreement between the national Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and
the Environment, Forests, Science and Technology Department, Andhra Pradesh.
The Project will be implemented by the Revenue and Forest Department in the state of
Maharashtra through the Mangrove and Marine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation of
Maharashtra, (set up set up under the Revenue and Forest Department vide Government
Resolution No. S-30/2015/CR 219/F-3 dated 23rd September 2015). The Revenue and Forest
Department will be a Responsible Party (in UNDP terminology) in terms of an agreement between
the national Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Revenue and Forest
Department, Maharashtra.
The Project will be implemented by the Forest and Environment Department in the state of
Odisha. The Forest and Environment Department will be a Responsible Party (in UNDP
terminology) in terms of an agreement between the national Ministry of Environment, Forest and
Climate Change and the Forest and Environment Department, Odisha.
Each of the three states will have the following basic structures for project execution:
State Project Steering Committee (SPSC): A State Project Steering Committee (SPSC) will be
set up which will have representation from all important state departments/ agencies to direct and
oversee project implementation and management at the state level. Other members will include
representatives of the relevant State Departments, Agencies, and other stakeholders including
private sector / industries, NGOs nominated by the State Government, representative of UNDP and
MOEF&CC. The SAPCC focal point in the state would also be members of the SPSC. The SPSC
shall meet at least twice in a year to review the progress of project implementation in the State and
take appropriate decisions for the smooth implementation of the project within the State.
State Project Management Unit (SPMU): The SPSC will be supported by the State Project
Management Unit (SPMU), which will be responsible for coordinating the project at the state level.
The SPMU will be headed by the State Project Director (SPD) who will be the Principal Secretary
(Forest) or their representative. The SPD will be responsible for overall implementation of the project
at the State level, including adherence to the AWP and achievement of planned results as outlined
in the Project Document, and for the use of project funds through effective management and well
established project review and oversight mechanisms. The SPD also will i) ensure coordination
with UNDP, MoEF&CC, various departments and agencies; ii) provide guidance to the project team;
iii) review reports and iv) look after other administrative and financial arrangements related to the
project. The SPD will be supported by the State Project Manager whose responsibilities shall
include: 1) coordinating project implementation with all stakeholders, State Government and central
government agencies and UNDP-GCF; 2) organizing the project evaluations; 3) ensuring that there
is adequate documentation by all implementing partners at all stages and in collating this
documentation; and 4) facilitating the publication of project outputs.
District/ landscape-level coordination committee (DLCC/LLCC): At the district level, there would
be district/ landscape level project steering committee (DLCCC/LLCC), which will be chaired by the
respective District Collectors (DC). The Divisional Forest Officer will act as the District Project
Coordinator. Members will include all relevant departments, agencies, and representatives of all
village level committees as well as the community mobilizers/ village facilitators. The LLCCs will
also be linked to the SPSCs and the NPSC through representation at the national and state PSCs.
The LLCC will be responsible for district level planning, implementation, monitoring and
coordination. This committee will also endeavor to ensure adequate coordination with the various
production sectors at the district level.
Landscape-level Project Management Unit (LLPMU): At the district, the LLPSC will be supported
by a District Project Management Unit (DPMU), which will be adequately staffed by persons of
relevant expertise who will provide technical leadership for project implementation, monitoring &
evaluation, and adaptive management. This will include a livelihood specialist, an ecosystem and
climate change adaptation expert, a communication and outreach specialist, and also a financial-
cum-administrative assistant for performing the day to day administrative and financial functions of
the PMU. The DPMU will be reporting to the District Project Coordinator.
The field activities will be implemented by the respective line departments at State, District and Sub
District levels, with the involvement of NGOs and CBOs under the overall guidance and supervision
of the State and District level coordination mechanism as above. At the village level, Village
Organizations (federations of Self-Help Groups) and Eco Development Committees will be involved
in Project implementation especially for eco-restoration and other direct interventions. Village
facilitators or community mobilizers will be responsible for coordinating these activities at the village
level.
C. Financing / Cost Information

A grant financing mechanism is sought to support the prioritised interventions of this project. The
Government of India seeks maximum concessionality for the proposed urgent adaptation actions
that will benefit vulnerable communities in the coastal zones of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and
Odisha. Achievement of development objectives for the targeted population is at risk to the impacts
of climate change, particularly extreme weather events such as cyclones and storm surges in
coastal areas. Without the GCF project, baseline development challenges such as poverty, food
insecurity and marginal livelihoods are further exacerbated by rapid- and slow-onset impacts of
climate change such as drought and unpredictability of precipitation, extreme weather events, sea-
level rise and coastal erosion. Investments into development objectives will have decreasing
success in delivering the expected development gains in the coastal zone because of underlying
vulnerabilities that are compounded by current and future climate change impacts.
The adaptation interventions to be implemented through this project are largely public goods. In
particular, the restoration of coastal ecosystems will result in the provision of ecosystem goods
and services that underpin community livelihoods and will enhance the climate resilience of coastal
communities. At present, there are few incentive mechanisms that would promote the restoration
of such ecosystems by targeted communities. These communities do not have the financial means
to undertake large-scale restoration. Without such grant financing, coastal communities would not
have the technical or financial capacity to make the investments required for maintaining and
restoring coastal ecosystems as the basis for productive and sustainable livelihoods. Furthermore,
there is as yet limited scope for private sector investment into ecosystem restoration in India. The
proposed interventions do not lend themselves to financial reflows back to private sector investors,
the GoI or the GCF as there will not be large-scale generation of revenue or recovery of costs.
Instead, the expected financial returns that will be generated from investments into livelihood
diversification will largely be experienced at the local (household and community) level.
GCF resources are thus sought to invest into public goods that will result from a paradigm shift in
coastal zone management in India. The proposed project will secure diversified livelihoods for
vulnerable coastal communities in the target states – with an emphasis on women as beneficiaries
C.1. Description of
– as well as build adaptive capacity through restoration of ecosystems that buffer against the
financial elements
impacts of current and future climate change. GCF resources will be used to address several
of the project /
barriers that constrain sustainable and climate-resilient development initiatives in India’s coastal
programme
states. These barriers include: i) limited uptake of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) as a means
of building climate resilience in coastal areas; ii) limited capacity for adopting diversified and
climate-resilient livelihoods and business opportunities; and iii) limited institutional capacity for
mainstreaming climate change into coastal management and planning (see further details on
barriers in Section C2).
Without GCF resources, communities in the coastal zones of India will remain vulnerable to the
impacts of climate change on their lives and livelihoods. This will exacerbate current levels of
poverty and food insecurity, undermining development efforts undertaken by the GoI and other
development agencies. The impacts of climate change will prove particularly devastating for
vulnerable community members such as women, the elderly, and people with disabilities and
marginalised population groups. GCF grant financing will help catalyse and leverage co-financing
from public expenditure allocations and corporate social investments to enhance the adaptive
capacity of vulnerable communities living in the coastal zone of India through the implementation
of interventions under the following interlinked outputs:
• Output 1. Enhanced resilience of coastal and marine ecosystems and their services;
• Output 2. Climate-resilient livelihoods for enhanced adaptive capacities of coastal
communities; and
• Output 3. Strengthened coastal and marine governance and institutional framework
Co-financing for the project
The Government of India is committing a total amount of approximately US$ 80 million towards
the proposed project. This funding, leveraged in support of the project’s objectives, includes an
anticipated total of $20 million of investments by the Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change (MoEFCC). This is likely to include investment in operationalizing India’s
new National Coastal Mission, in operating carbon monitoring systems, in coastal knowledge
management, and in mapping vulnerability of the coastline to climate change through the
National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management. Government has recognised the need for
a new National Coastal Mission as part of its national climate change adaptation strategy. The
MoEFCC is committing co-financing to the GCF project to ensure that the Mission is established
in a manner that promotes ecosystem-centred and community-based approaches to
adaptation, using cross-sectoral approaches to planning and governance. An in-kind portion will
be made available to cover staff time of various parts of the Ministry and the NCSCM.
The overall figure also includes anticipated co-financing from the Governments of the three states
of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha. Examples of co-finance may include finance for
restoration of coastal ecosystems through compensation and conservation funds. Also included
in State Government co-finance to the project over the period of 2018-2023 will be staff time as
in-kind contribution from relevant departments, and expenditure in coastal districts, for example,
on development of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), early warning systems and
Disaster Risk Management, climate-resilient solid waste management systems and Climate-Smart
Towns. These public sector co-financiers will be involved in the project steering committees at
national and state levels and will report on their investments towards the project’s objectives.
Financial Instrument Amount Currency Tenor Pricing
Total
proje
ct
financ
180.00 Million USD
ing
(a) =
(b) +
(c)
(i) Senior Loans ………… Options ( ) years ( )%
(ii) Subordinated Loans ………… Options ( ) years ( )%
(iii) Equity ………… Options ( )% IRR
(b)
Reque (iv) Guarantees ………… Options
sted (v) Reimbursable grants* ………… Options
GCF
C.2. amou (vi) Grants* 100.00 Million USD
Project nt
financing * Please provide detailed economic and financial
information justification in the case of grants.
Total Requested
100.00 Million USD
(i+ii+iii+iv+v+vi)
Financial Name of
Amount* Currency Seniority
Instrument Institution
Grant 16 Million USD MoEFCC Options

In-Kind 4 Million USD MoEFCC Options
(c) Grant 18 Million USD Maharashtra SG

Co- In-Kind 2 Million USD Maharashtra SG
financi
Grant 18 Million USD Andhra Pradesh SG
ng*
In-Kind 2 Million USD Andhra Pradesh SG
Grant 18 Million USD Odisha SG
In-Kind 2 Million USD Odisha SG
Grant tbd Million USD Corporate Sector,
Foundations
* Note these are estimates and will be firmed up during full proposal development
Lead financing institution: N/A

(d)
Coven -
ants
(e)
Condit
ions
prece
dent -
to
disbur
seme
nt
D. Expected Performance against Investment Criteria

Please explain the potential of the Project/Programme to achieve the Fund’s six investment criteria as listed below.
This project will contribute to the GCF’s Paradigm shift objective of “Increased climate-resilient
sustainable development” and two key Fund Level Impacts: i) “Increased resilience and enhanced
livelihoods of the most vulnerable people, communities and regions”, and ii) “Improved resilience of
ecosystems and ecosystem services, with additional co-benefits through reduced emissions from
natural ecosystems”. The project will also track the number of direct and indirect beneficiaries through
the project interventions and impact. Direct beneficiaries are estimated at 1,900,000 people in 32
target landscapes in coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha States. Indirect
beneficiaries will include approximately 83 million people living within 50km of India’s coast in the
three states who will benefit from improved shoreline protection and coastal governance, including
19 million living in the target landscapes.
The first fund-level impact on “Increased resilience and enhanced livelihoods of the most vulnerable
people, communities and regions” will be measured through the Indicator A1.2 on “Number of males
and females benefiting from the adoption of diversified, climate-resilient livelihood options (including
fisheries, agriculture, tourism, etc.)”. The second fund-level impact on “Improved resilience of
ecosystems and ecosystem services” will be measured through Indicator A4.1, “Coverage/scale of
D.1. Climate ecosystems protected and strengthened in response to climate variability and change”. The key
impact potential project outcomes will be twofold: i) “Strengthened adaptive capacity and reduced exposure to climate
[Potential to risks” (measured by Indicator A.7.1 “Use by vulnerable households, communities, businesses and
achieve the public-sector services of Fund supported tools, instruments, strategies and activities to respond to
GCF's CC”; and ii) “Strengthened institutional and regulatory systems for climate-responsive planning and
objectives development” (measured by A5.1, “Institutional and regulatory systems that improve incentives for
and results] climate resilience and their effective implementation”).
Potential for adaptation and mitigation impact
Approximately 3.4% (250 million) of the world’s population reside along the coastline of India, of
which 83 million live in the coastal districts of the three target states. Of the 4 million fisherfolk
population in the country, 1.5 million reside in the three target states. These are the most vulnerable
communities affected by any minor change in the shoreline or other climate change impacts. For
instance, Odisha is amongst the poorest state in India, with 32.59% of its population living below the
poverty line. It is also the state that has faced a third of all the cyclonic events on the east coast (106
out of 306) from 1891-2007 causing a significant loss to the state’s economy, especially the
livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable communities that reside in the coastal areas. Since climate
change impacts are projected to only intensify in the coming years, local communities have to
undertake proactive measures to adapt to these changing conditions. The project will focus on
building climate resilience of women, especially those belonging to fishing families in the three target
states. The project will include benefits to fishing communities, who are often the most vulnerable
due to the close proximity of their settlements to the sea and direct dependence on the coast and the
sea for their livelihoods. The project will indirectly benefit all coastal states of the country through
learnings from the project which will be integrated into the relevant programme, policy and
institutional mechanisms of these states.
Indian coastal communities are extremely vulnerable to expected impacts of climate change, which
include inter alia: considerable damage to infrastructure from sea level rise and greater intensity of
storm surges; increased exposure to flooding; loss of life from extreme weather events such as
cyclones and heat waves; marked declines in the productivity of fisheries, agriculture and
aquaculture; and major reductions in the supply of goods and services from coastal ecosystems.
Adaptation to these climate change threats will require management and restoration of coastal
ecosystems such that the supply of goods and services is enhanced, as opposed to reduced over
time. This is because maintenance and expansion of functional coastal ecosystems, such as
mangroves, seagrass beds, forested watersheds, dunes and coral reefs is a highly cost-effective
option for firstly buffering the impacts of sea level rise, intense cyclones and associated strong storm
surges, and secondly developing a wide range of coastal livelihoods that are underpinned by a
reliable, large supply of natural resource products such as fish, crabs, mussels, oysters, seaweed,
timber and prawns.
The project would enhance the resilience of Indian coastal communities to expected impacts of
climate change, significantly reducing the damage to infrastructure from sea level rise, storm surges,
and increased exposure to flooding; reducing the loss of life from extreme weather events such as
cyclones and heat waves; and enhancing productivity of ecosystems and their services and goods,
and strengthening coastal livelihoods related to fisheries, agriculture and aquaculture. The
management and restoration of coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrass beds, forested
watersheds, dunes and coral reefs will create natural buffers to the impacts of climate change while
also sustaining a wide range of coastal livelihoods that are underpinned by a reliable, large supply
of natural resource products such as fish, crabs, mussels, oysters, seaweed, timber and prawns.
The disaster buffering potential of intact natural systems on the coast is highly significant. Studies
have shown that mangroves, for example, played a crucial role in protecting lives during the Odisha
supercyclone of 1999. The deaths averted due to the presence of mangrove forests in a sample
study area was 211, against the predicted deaths of 603 if there were no mangroves. The global
value of the ecosystem services that support coastal livelihoods and human populations from
mangroves ecosystems alone are estimated to be more than US$1.6 billion each year. The proposed
interventions, as mentioned earlier, would help to build resilience of coastal communities. The
restoration of ecosystems in highly vulnerable parts of the coast would provide cost effective
solutions to reduce vulnerability with respect to storms and coastal flooding. The livelihood
enhancement activities, along with the additional ecosystem services that would accrue to local
communities would build their adaptive capacity. Blue carbon sequestration likely to be available is
again a cost effective mitigation measure. Hence, in terms of providing adaptation and mitigation
benefits in a cost effective manner to coastal communities living in stretches identified as most
vulnerable, the project is fully in line with the objectives of GCF.
Impacts in terms of maintaining carbon sequestration and avoiding emissions from loss of coastal
ecosystems will also be significant, are elaborated in the Draft Feasibility Study and will be explored
further during development of the full proposal in relation to areas of various ecosystems to be
restored, protected and maintained. Globally, the blue carbon ecosystems are known to be significant
CO 2 sinks and the average carbon burial rates for mangrove, seagrass and salt marsh ecosystems
are estimated to be 226, 138, 244.7 g C m-2 y-1, respectively. Mangroves are estimated to sequester
829 g CO 2 m-2 y-1 whereas the respective values for seagrass ecosystems are 506 g CO 2 m-2 y-1Salt
marshes are associated with highest sequestration capacity viz.883.7 g CO 2 m-2 y-1 .
Conservation, protection and restoration of blue carbon ecosystems will provide additional carbon
sinks along the Indian coast and may effectively contribute to the reduction of greenhouse
gas emissions from the country. In Odisha, as an indicative amount, restoration of mangrove cover
by 20% plus additional mangrove by 10% would increase the carbon sequestration capacity
approximately by 319579.5 tons CO 2 y-1. Similarly restoration of 20% of seagrass cover plus creation
of additional 20% area and restoration of 10% of salt marsh ecosystems would enhance the carbon
sequestration capacity by 115234.5 tons CO 2 y-1 and 3693.8 tones CO 2 y-1 respectively.
Impacts in terms of maintaining carbon sequestration and avoiding emissions from loss of coastal
ecosystems will also be significant. These are elaborated in the Draft Feasibility Study and will be
explored further during development of the full proposal in relation to areas of various ecosystems to
be restored, protected and maintained. Globally, blue carbon ecosystems are known to be significant
CO 2 sinks and the average carbon burial rates for mangrove, seagrass and salt marsh ecosystems
are estimated to be 226, 138, 245 g C m-2 yr-1, respectively. Mangroves are estimated to sequester
829 g CO 2 m-2 yr-1 while seagrass ecosystems are estimated to have a rate of 506 g CO 2 m-2 y-1.
Salt marshes are associated with the highest carbon sequestration capacity of 884 g CO 2 m-2 yr-1 .
Conservation, protection and restoration of blue carbon ecosystems will provide additional carbon
sinks along the Indian coast and may effectively contribute to the reduction of greenhouse
gas emissions from the country. Using Odisha as an example: restoration of 20% of this state’s
existing mangroves and adding an extra 10% cover would increase the carbon sequestration
capacity by ~320,000 tonnes CO 2 yr-1. Similarly restoration of 20% of the state’s existing seagrass
cover plus the creation of an additional 20% area as well as restoration of 10% of its salt marsh
ecosystems would increase the carbon sequestration capacity by~120,000 tonnes CO 2 y-1 and
~4000 tonnes CO 2 yr-1 respectively.
The paradigm shift intended through the project is that India’s public and private sectors adopt a new
approach, involving ecosystem-centred and community-based approaches to adaptation. This will
be achieved through cross-sectoral planning and governance of the coastal zone, with full community
participation, and investing in ecological infrastructure to buffer disasters and to support resilient
livelihoods.
India is making ‘business as usual’ investments in planning for climate change and managing the
coast. However, without this paradigm shift, the natural ecosystems of India’s coastal zone will
continue to be undervalued and will be increasingly degraded and lost, which means that their
potential significant contribution to buffering disasters (intensified by climate change) and supporting
livelihoods (threatened by climate change) will not be fulfilled.
D.2. Paradigm
shift potential Through the GCF intervention, supported by co-finance leveraged from the public and private
[Potential to sectors, the natural ecosystems of India’s coastal zone will be protected and restored, and their
catalyze contribution to buffering climate shocks and stresses and supporting diversified livelihoods will be
impact fully recognised and utilised. This new community-based and ecosystem-centric approach to
beyond a adaptation will be achieved through i) protecting and restoring ecosystems such as mangroves and
one-off seagrass, and the services they provide; ii) helping communities enhance their adaptive capacity
project or through livelihoods strengthening; and iii) mainstreaming ecosystem-based adaptation into coastal
programme management by public and private sector actors nationwide.
investment]
This new approach involves an integrated, comprehensive approach to coastal adaptation that is
focused on ecosystem-based and community-centred approaches to building resilience to climate
change. Such approaches have not yet been adopted in India, with most current adaptation
interventions being more “top-down” and focused on “hard” infrastructure in coastal zones. The
project thus represents the first initiative for adopting such an integrated approach to climate change
adaptation in India’s coastal zones based on the potential for natural ecosystems to improve the
climate resilience of local communities and their livelihoods. The theory of change (depicted below)
describes the linkages between the outputs of the proposed project and how they contribute towards
achievement of the long-term objective for climate resilient development.
The project will ensure that key public and private sector role-players develop sufficient institutional
and technical capacity to jointly: i) assess the costs and benefits of large-scale interventions that
enhance supplies of ecosystem goods/services and thereby promote a diverse array of coastal
livelihoods; ii) facilitate detailed land-use planning at the district as well as village scale that
demarcates precisely – at the scale of hectares – where specific ecosystem restoration and livelihood
activities should be implemented to maximise adaptation benefits; iii) commit to allocating funds for
large-scale implementation of such interventions within national and local government budget lines
within all coastal districts of India; iv) oversee the effective implementation as well as long-term
maintenance of the ecological infrastructure and rural livelihoods developed; and v) adapt the
interventions over the course of several decades, as the precise effects of climate change at a village-
scale become evident, and as methods for restoring ecosystems to maximise adaptation benefits
become more refined.
The regulatory framework for coastal management and governance will be influenced through the
project, with long-term changes in the enabling environment within which district, state and national
governments work. Relevant policies, strategies and plans – including state action plans on climate
change and the regulatory environment within which local government and private sector actors
operate – will be reviewed and revisions proposed to integrate climate change considerations in a
more systematic manner, including ecosystem and community-based approaches to adaptation.
Integration of climate change considerations and the potential for EbA to promote climate resilience
in coastal areas into policies, plans and strategies will increase institutional capacity for reducing
climate change risks in vulnerable coastal areas, and will also enable budget allocations and
investment decisions to implement new approaches. The case will also be made for new public and
private sector investment decisions through work to quantify the costs and benefits of particular
priority EbA interventions in the three states, through Targeted Scenario Analysis.
In the target landscapes in the three states, the importance of EbA and climate-resilient livelihoods
as effective means of building adaptive capacity will be mainstreamed into coastal governance.
Climate change adaptation and EbA will be integrated more effectively into spatial and development
planning at the district and state levels. Furthermore, gaps and challenges related to climate change
adaptation within existing plans for economic sectors within coastal areas will be identified and
addressed. A landscape-based approach – with inclusion of multiple stakeholders – will be adopted
to promote cross-sectoral planning for climate change adaptation.
The impact of the project can, therefore, be replicated and scaled up to all the other coastal states,
beyond the project, through the capacities, knowledge, learning, and institutional framework
developed under the project including through such avenues as the National Coastal Mission and
inter-departmental platforms in each state.
The sustainable development benefits from this project will include: creation of short-term work
opportunities in ecosystem restoration, and long-term job opportunities in maintenance of ecological
infrastructure; support for adaptation of activities like rice growing that are threatened by climate
impacts, to enhance yields, nutritional status and incomes even in the face of such impacts; and also
the creation of new livelihoods and small business opportunities that result in increased and
diversified household incomes. Benefits will also accrue to populations in 32 sites in the coastal zone
in the three states, where GCF and co-financed investments will be made in maintaining or restoring
ecological infrastructure, and also in developing ecosystem-compatible climate-resilient built
infrastructure – resulting in shoreline protection and avoidance of damage to property and land, with
the concomitant costs of reconstruction, and avoidance of loss of income from interruption of
economic activities. Further detail is provided below, giving examples from efforts on which the
project builds.
Economic co-benefits
The economic benefits from this project include creation of short-term work opportunities in
ecosystem restoration, and long-term job opportunities in maintenance of ecological infrastructure;
support for adaptation of activities like rice growing that are threatened by climate impacts, to
enhance yields, nutritional status and incomes even in the face of such impacts; and also the creation
of new livelihoods and small business opportunities that result in increased and diversified household
incomes. Benefits will also accrue to populations in 32 sites in the coastal zone in the three states,
where GCF and co-financed investments will be made in maintaining or restoring ecological
infrastructure, and also in developing ecosystem-compatible climate-resilient built infrastructure –
resulting in shoreline protection and avoidance of damage to property and land, with the concomitant
costs of reconstruction, and avoidance of loss of income from interruption of economic activities.
The socially and economically disadvantaged coastal communities are highly vulnerable to climate
D.3. Sustainable change impacts and currently have limited adaptive capacity. Increase in income and diversification
development of livelihood activities contribute to strengthened resilience of coastal communities. The project aims
potential to provide sustainable livelihood and income generation opportunities to beneficiaries in the 32 target
[Potential to landscapes in the three target states, with a total population of approximately 19 million. New and
provide wider improved livelihood options such as the system of rice intensification, promotion of sustainable fishing
development techniques and introduction of alternate livelihood options such as mangrove crab farming, oyster
co-benefits] and mussel farming, cage fish farming, eco-tourism amongst others, will be supported. Training and
opportunities to get involved in new livelihoods will be designed to include women, youth and
marginalised groups. Livelihoods interventions will significantly improve the socio-economic status
of the coastal communities and pave the way for a better human development index in the highly
vulnerable coastal districts of India.
An example of economic benefits through livelihoods work in one of the projects on which this
proposal builds, comes from the Sindhudurg project. By adopting the system of rice intensification in
coastal Sindhudurg, 2,500 farmers have reduced their cost of cultivation by 15-25%, while leading to
reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 60% and water use by 40%. In the East Godavari project,
it has been observed that effective enforcement of seasonal fishing ban for 60 days in a year has led
to increased fish catch and subsequently as increase in income levels of 20%.
Social co-benefits
Social benefits of project activities, especially livelihoods and restoration, will include nutrition, safety
and security, social cohesion, and sense of ownership. Whole coastal communities, as well as the
fishing families that reside in settlements up to 5 km from the coast, will be the key target beneficiaries
of the project activities in the target landscapes. Due to their strong dependence on the coastal
resources and their limited ability to access new livelihoods in order to deal with external stresses,
these communities are vulnerable to climate change impacts exacerbated by ecosystem
degradation. Within these communities, women, children and the elderly are amongst the most
vulnerable to disaster impacts, including both slow onset disasters such as droughts, and extreme
events like flooding from coastal storm surges. In addition, in India, there are a number of extremely
vulnerable and marginalized social groups such as dalits or irulas, classified as Scheduled Castes
or Scheduled Tribes. By creating livelihoods opportunities that include all of these groups, and by
training the next generation on monitoring and evaluation, where the evaluators themselves have a
stake in the results of the interventions, the project will build adaptive capacity for the long-term. An
example will be the work in Output 1.3 where youth from a range of social backgrounds will be trained
to monitor coastal ecosystem health, including monitoring of carbon sequestration in maintained and
restored coastal ecosystems.
Environmental co-benefits
India’s mangrove cover is approximately 4628 km2 (Forest Survey of India report, 2013), of which
the area cover in the states under the project is as follows: Maharashtra: 186 km2, Andhra Pradesh:
352 km2 and Odisha: 213 km2. The project will ensure protection and conservation of the existing
mangrove cover, as well as a projected 20% increase in the mangrove cover of the project area over
the project duration of seven years (figure to be confirmed during full proposal development). It will
also ensure protection and conservation of other important ecosystems such as sea grass beds, salt
marshes, coral reefs and coastal lagoons and estuaries. A ridge to reef approach will be taken to
ensure that upstream impacts on coastal ecosystems are addressed, e.g. catchment management
to avoid siltation of river mouths. The project will also ensure conservation of several important
coastal and marine biodiversity areas (ICMBAs) and highly sensitive areas (HSZ) as identified by
Wildlife Institute of India and National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM).
Through the ecosystems based intervention, important wildlife species will be protected including
turtles, marine fishes, marine mammals and migratory birds, and those included in the IUCN Red
List of threatened species. Restoration of degraded blue carbon ecosystems (e.g. mangroves,
seagrass meadows) and creation of new ecosystem will provide additional carbon sinks along the
Indian coast that will contribute to India’s emission reduction efforts in terms of its Nationally
Determined Contribution (NDC) targets.
Gender-sensitive development impact

Opportunities for women to be involved in specific livelihood opportunities will be created through
Output 2.1. Through Output 2.2 there will also be capacity development programmes involving
women’s literacy, digital literacy, financial literacy and speaking in public, to empower women to
participate fully in project structures and opportunities. Empowering women by providing them with
economic opportunities will have other co-benefits such as improvement in their social status, and
improved access to health and education services for their families. This in turn could enhance
resilience to extreme weather events and natural disasters. The East Godavari project has
demonstrated that the income of approximately 500 women beneficiaries has increased during the
project period. In Sindhudurg, mussel and oyster culture has resulted in returns of six to eight times
the initial investment by 10 women’s self-help groups. This activity has tremendous potential for
replication amongst women SHGs in other coastal areas. A full Gender Analysis and Action plan will
be developed during proposal development.
The proposed project has emerged as a national priority through the Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change, and also as a priority for the Governments of three key coastal states – Andhra
Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha. These Governments have identified that, whilst important
investments are going into coastal management, and also into planning for adaptation, there is a
need for a new approach that harnesses the potential of ecological infrastructure to build coastal
communities’ resilience through cross-sectoral planning and governance. The GCF investment is
D.5. Country seen as a powerful intervention to change the way that India as a nation does business in the coastal
ownership zone, bringing about shifts in policy and investment criteria that enable ecosystem- and community-
[Beneficiary centred adaptation efforts to be embedded in the public and private sectors’ operations and sustained
country in the long term.
ownership of
project or The project is well aligned with India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), launched
programme in 2008. The plan identifies measures that promote country development objectives while also
and capacity yielding co-benefits for addressing climate change effectively, with several theme-based Missions,
to implement including the National Coastal Mission that provides an overarching framework for the project’s
the proposed efforts. All states in the country have drafted their State Action Plans on Climate Change (with
activities] UNDP’s technical support in drafting and implementing these action plans in several states). The
project’s activities to build state level capacity for ecosystem- and community-based adaptation will
be guided by the framework of these plans. The project is also aligned with the NDC’s Adaptation
component, and its targets for reducing GHG emissions through expanding forest and tree cover.
The lead implementing partner (executing entity) for the project is the Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change (MoEFCC), responsible since 2015 for all climate change matters including
implementation of the NAPCC. In most states, the forest and environment departments are
responsible for coordination and implementation of the State Action Plans on Climate Change and
also host the state coastal zone management authority (CZMA), which is present in all the coastal
states. The National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, a national technical institute under
the MoEFCC, promotes sustainable coastal development through partnerships, conservation and
scientific research on India’s coast, and has formed a consortium with 14 coastal research institutions
28.
The MoEFCC, together with the three State Governments, will implement the project in close
cooperation with the other coastal states, and also with a range of other ministries, departments and
agencies responsible for coastal area management and governance. National ministries and state-
level departments that will collaborate on cross-sectoral planning and governance will include those
relating to environment and forests, climate change, rural development, agriculture and farmers’
welfare, road transport, micro, small and medium enterprises, and shipping. At district and landscape
level, officials responsible for agriculture, fisheries, irrigation, disaster management, tourism,
enterprise development, housing and waste will be involved in the project, as will a wide range of
private sector, non-governmental and community structures.
Private sector role-players will be involved in three distinct capacities – i) as coastal developers and
landholders who can build EBA principles into new developments or management of coastal lands;
ii) as potential investors in businesses based on restored ecosystems (e.g. ecotourism,
mari/aquaculture, also agri-processing and value added industries in the coastal zone); and iii) as
co-financiers of livelihood and capacity development activities through Corporate Social Investment.
Discussions related to priorities around EBA and coastal adaptation have been on-going over the
last two years through the various related government initiatives, two major UNDP-GEF projects, as
well as other multilateral partner efforts including those supported by ADB, GIZ and the World Bank.
These evolved into project specific consultations as the national government and three states built
on the on-going discussions and state actions plans to invest in these priorities including with funds
to be sought through GCF. As various priorities and needs have been emerging, the proposed GCF
project has evolved as a potential investment channel which enables the incremental costs of
addressing climate change adaptation to be more effectively addressed.
Over the course of 2016, the MoEFCC has led a process of consultations with key Government
stakeholders at a national level. In the three target states, consultations have been led by the
Environment, Forests, Science and Technology Department in the State of Andhra Pradesh, the
Revenue and Forest Department in the state of Maharashtra, and the Forest
and Environment Department in the state of Odisha. In Odisha, discussions were facilitated by the
Integrated Coastal Zone Management Programme of the Forest and Environment Department.
A series of workshops was held, during which the proposed project concept was discussed in detail
with a range of related government sectors. An initial meeting of a MoEFCC-coordinated technical
working group was held in Delhi in August 2016, including national and state-level role-players. At
this meeting, a particular focus was placed on drawing out the lessons learnt and gains made in
previous projects. In particular, lessons were drawn from three projects in the target states – the
UNDP-managed GEF-financed projects on “Mainstreaming Coastal and Marine Biodiversity into
Production Sectors” in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh (East Coast) and in Sindhudurg
Coast of Maharashtra (West Coast), and Phase I of the World Bank-supported Integrated Coastal
Zone Management project implemented in several states including Odisha (with Phase II starting in
several states including Andhra Pradesh).
In addition, there was a series of site-level engagements with communities, some of whom had been
previously involved with the abovementioned three projects, to understand better their vulnerabilities
to climate change, their adaptive capacity, and the ways in which previous project activities had
enhanced their livelihoods and incomes and the quality of the natural resource base on which these
livelihoods depend. The ways in which these discussions helped shape the project design are
outlined in Section G. A full list of national, state and site-level consultations to-date is included in the
Draft Feasibility Study. Additional stakeholder consultations, including with communities and civil
society, are planned to inform on-going proposal development.
28University of Calcutta, Andhra University, Anna University, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, National Centre for
Earth Science Studies Trivandrum, Pondicherry University, College of Fisheries Mangalore, National Institute of Technology
Surathkal, University of Mumbai, Goa University, Bhavnagar University, Gujarat Vidyapith, Madras School of Economics, KIIT
University and Centre for Environment Education.
Economic and Financial Soundness
The outputs of the proposed project are to a large extent public goods, since the project aims to bring
about shifts in public and private sector policy and investment to harness the power of ecological
infrastructure for buffering disasters intensified by climate change. In addition, this shift will help
maximize income generation activities based on coastal ecosystems, and helps fisher and farmer
communities whose livelihoods are threatened by climate change to adapt. Support for livelihoods
activities under Output 2 of the project, on “Building climate-resilient livelihoods and enterprises
through strengthened access to markets” will result in the generation of new and increased revenue
streams, but only on a small scale and largely within poor communities. The project as a whole will
not generate large-scale revenues or cost recovery from beneficiaries during the project duration.
A financial analysis will therefore not be conducted for the project as a whole, but only for the planned
livelihood opportunities to be supported. This will assess the financial soundness of these livelihood
activities, and the expected financial rate of return on the project’s investment (GCF plus co-finance)
in promoting their uptake. The specific opportunities to be analysed are: System of Rice
Intensification (SRI) for paddy farming, crab farming, mussel farming, oyster farming, crab
hatcheries, ornamental fisheries, integrated duck-fish farming, seaweed farming, beekeeping for
D.6. honey production, mushroom cultivation, cultivation of aromatic and medicinal plants, MSMEs for
Effectivenes value-added fish products (e.g. fish cutlets, fish balls, d prawns), fishmeal plants, fish processing
s and units, MSMEs for handicrafts, units for solid waste processing, repair of solar equipment repair, repair
efficiency of gas stoves, scuba diving, and tour guiding. In addition to these activities, restoration of coastal
[Economic ecosystems may create opportunities for future private sector investment in, for example, ecotourism
and financial or mariculture operations, but will not generate immediate or direct revenue or reflows.
soundness
and The overall economic soundness of this project will be determined through conducting a full economic
effectiveness analysis during proposal development, in accordance with the Guidelines for the Economic Analysis
of the of Projects of UNDP (2015). The economic analysis will assess the market and non-market economic
proposed benefits from this project including: creation of short-term work opportunities in ecosystem
activities] restoration, and long-term job opportunities in maintenance of ecological infrastructure; support for
adaptation of activities like rice growing that are threatened by climate impacts, to enhance yields,
nutritional status and incomes even in the face of such impacts; and also the creation of new
livelihoods and small business opportunities that result in increased and diversified household
incomes. Benefits will also accrue to populations in 32 sites in the coastal zone in the three states,
where GCF and co-financed investments will be made in maintaining or restoring ecological
infrastructure, and also in developing ecosystem-compatible climate-resilient built infrastructure –
resulting in shoreline protection and avoidance of damage to property and land, with the concomitant
costs of reconstruction, and avoidance of loss of income from interruption of economic activities.
Cost-effectiveness
The effectiveness of proposed ecosystem- and community-based adaptation solutions has been
tested out in a number of projects at varying scale. This includes three recent / current UNDP-
managed GEF-financed projects (Sindhudurg, EGREE, Gulf of Mannar) involving restoration of
coastal ecosystems and generation of ecosystem-based livelihoods. It also includes experience and
lessons learnt from the Asian Development Bank-managed Special Climate Change Fund project on
“India: Climate Resilient Coastal Protection and Management” working in Karnataka and
Maharashtra, and the GIZ-funded AdaptCap Project in coastal Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
Evidence from around the world shows that ecosystem-based approaches can be effective and cost-
effective in helping communities adapt to unavoidable climate change impacts, whilst simultaneously
delivering multiple social, economic and environmental benefits 29. UNDP has conducted a series of
cost benefit analyses of EBA interventions in Africa, Asia and Latin America 30, using this approach
to provide an objective methodology for quantifying EBA costs and benefits and to guide decision-
making on adaptation, demonstrating that potential EBA interventions compare favourably with
business as usual scenarios or other adaptation options. Work done by IUCN, UNEP and
Conservation International on coastal adaptation in the Pacific, indicates that built infrastructural
protection can be most effectively combined with restoring and protecting ecosystems in a hybrid
approach 31. The project builds on all these lessons of cost- effectiveness and efficiency of delivery.
The bio-geographical and socio-economic suitability of the recommended activities have been
successfully tested in the field, and this is reflected in the Draft Feasibility Study.
The costs of implementing the project are heavily co-financed by existing systems and staff of
government agencies at national and state government levels, particularly in the three target states.
This includes the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management and the Society for
Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change, as well state-level institutes under the forest departments of the three states, and a network
of other institutions in the other 11 coastal states. Community participation in the project
implementation in the 32 target landscapes will be essential, and will involve major in-kind
contributions of time, expertise and labour, in addition to opportunities for paid work in appropriate
circumstances, thus enhancing cost-effectiveness of the investments. The project will use local
materials such as excavated silt for re-engineering of hydrological systems as part of restoration
efforts. The project will also build synergies with other projects and national and state-level schemes
and missions working in the same target states and landscapes, and will include significant co-
finance on climate-resilient built infrastructure, using a hybrid approach where appropriate to
maximize effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. The GCF project finance will form 55% of the total
project finance, with the remaining 45% being co-finance.
E. Brief Rationale for GCF Involvement and Exit Strategy
GCF involvement is critical in order to overcome barriers to effective climate change adaptation in India, unlocking the
full potential of the country’s coastal ecosystems to buffering climate impacts and supporting sustainable livelihoods. The
GCF investment also leverages significant co-finance in the three areas of intervention: i) protecting and restoring
ecosystems such as mangroves and seagrass, and the services they provide; ii) helping communities enhance their
adaptive capacity through livelihoods strengthening; and iii) integrating ecosystem-based adaptation into coastal
management by public and private sector actors nationwide.
Without GCF support to complement on-going development efforts and address barriers to climate action, the
Government of India will remain unable to implement measures for building the adaptive capacity of vulnerable
communities living in India’s coastal zones. These communities will thus remain unable to adapt to climate-related risks
such as increased frequency of cyclones and extreme weather events. GCF support will enable additional investments
for scaling up existing efforts to achieve transformative change in addressing climate change. This will occur through: i)
addressing climate vulnerabilities of coastal communities comprehensively and at scale; ii) adopting innovative
approaches to building climate resilience, particularly through ecosystem restoration and management to reduce climate
risks and support community livelihoods; and iii) catalysing replication and up-scaling by mainstreaming integrated
approaches to climate change adaptation within government planning and decision-making in economic sectors and at
the landscape scale in vulnerable areas.
29 UNDP (2015a). Making the Case for Ecosystem-based Adaptation: The Global Mountain EbA Programme in Nepal, Peru
and Uganda. UNDP, New York.
30
Elgegren. J O & Abanto, D (publication forthcoming). Cost-benefit analysis for sustainable grassland management,
vicuña management and animal husbandry in Tanta, Peru.
Kanel, K 2015. Cost-benefit analysis of EbA interventions: Case studies from Panchase Project Area. Draft, unpublished.
Rossing, T, Chhenjum Sherpa, N & Egan, A (2015). Challenging gender roles and crossing castes: Promoting women’s
livelihoods through broom grass cultivation in the Nepal Himalaya. UNDP.
UNDP (2015b). Natural Resource Economic Analyses for the Ecosystem Based Adaptation (EbA) Project in Mount Elgon
Ecosystem: Draft Report. Uganda, Ministry of Water and Environment. Unpublished
31UNEP/CI/SPREP, “An economic analysis of ecosystem-based adaptation and engineering options for climate change
adaptation in Lami Town, Republic of the Fiji Islands” http://ian.umces.edu/pdfs/ian_report_392.pdf
Coastal communities in India have historically benefited from the goods and services provided by well-functioning and
resilient coastal ecosystems, particularly: i) buffering against the impacts of climate-induced extreme weather events; and
ii) providing a natural resource base upon which local livelihoods depend. However, these coastal ecosystems have been
degraded by deforestation through over-harvesting of timber and fuelwood; conversion of natural ecosystems to
agricultural, urban and other land-uses; and pollution of air, water and soil by industrial activities. These human pressures
have been exacerbated by climate change impacts on agriculture and fisheries productivity, and increasingly intense
extreme weather events have caused an increase in the loss of life and damage to property over the last 15 years 32. With
the frequency and intensity of such extreme events increasing, communities do not have adequate financial resources to
address the incremental costs of adapting their lives and livelihoods to such frequent disasters. This creates a negative
feedback loop in which communities become increasingly vulnerable to consecutive extreme weather events. GCF
investment is thus critical to address the incremental costs of restoring coastal ecosystems to enhance the climate
resilience of local communities. This will build on baseline investments into disaster risk reduction, ecosystem
conservation and rural development undertaken by government agencies.
GCF resources will also catalyse government investment into building resilience in coastal areas. The proposed project
will mainstream ecosystem-based approaches to climate change adaptation into institutional, planning and budgeting
frameworks and development initiatives that address both climate and non-climate drivers of poverty. Without GCF
support, financial and institutional barriers would continue to reduce the efficacy of government investments into
comprehensive and integrated approaches to climate-resilient management of coastal zones. GCF resources will be
combined with investments from government budgets, corporate social investments and community mobilisation to
ensure resilient and sustainable adaptation benefits. The proposed project will also support the development of small-,
micro- and medium-sized enterprises and agri-business – based on goods and services supplied by resilient ecosystems
– to provide socio-economic benefits to vulnerable communities. In particular, this support will focus on women self-help
groups and other vulnerable segments of the population (e.g. marginalised groups, the elderly). GCF support will thus
catalyse and sustain public and private action on climate change, scaling-up successful models of community-centric
development that is sustainable and climate-resilient. Government agencies will be supported to improve coordination of
resilience-building activities by engaging with local communities, investing in resilient service provision, improving
management of natural resources and ecosystems, and incentivising future public and private sector investments into
adaptation beyond the project implementation period.
GCF support will directly benefit the most vulnerable coastal communities in India. These communities currently face
socio-economic development challenges such as poverty, food insecurity and marginal livelihoods. Climate change is
exacerbating these development challenges, resulting in increasing levels of vulnerability to climate and non-climate
related threats to community well-being. Without GCF resources, GoI remains unable to invest in building the resilience
of coastal communities and restoring coastal ecosystems to reduce the risks posed by increasing frequency and severity
of climate-induced disasters, increased variability and unpredictability of rainfall, and chronic climate impacts such as
coastal erosion and sea-level rise. By restoring coastal ecosystems and supporting natural resource-based enterprises
and value chains, the GCF investment through this proposed project will strengthen adaptive capacities in coastal
communities. The paradigm shift advanced through this project is expected to yield best practices for adaptation action
in coastal India that can be replicated and upscaled nationally as well as internationally.
Exit strategy and sustainability
The proposed project was designed through consultation with government agencies, NGOs/CBOs and local communities.
These consultations were used to identify adaptation priorities and interventions that will be implemented through
engagement with local communities and government officials in the target states as well as at the national level. The
project will engage with CBOs – such as self-help groups, producer organizations and fisher associations – to foster buy-
in and ownership of local communities concerning project interventions. This will promote the integration of climate-smart
practices into traditional livelihoods, facilitating adoption of such climate-smart practices in the long term. Targeted
capacity building and training will inform planning, design, and implementation of adaptation measures based on the local
socio-economic and environmental contexts, taking into account the various and differentiated vulnerabilities of men,
women, the youth, the elderly and marginalised groups. EbA interventions will restore ecosystem functioning, thereby
strengthening the role of natural ecosystems in buffering against current and future climate change impacts as well as
enhancing climate-resilient livelihoods.
32 Examples include: i) Cyclone Yemyin (2007) caused 140 fatalities and $2.1 billion in damages; ii) Cyclone Nisha (2008)
caused 189 fatalities and $800 million in damages; iii) Cyclone Laila (2010) caused more than 40 fatalities and $117 million
in damages; iv) Cyclone Nilam (2012) caused 65 fatalities and $57 million in damages; v) Cyclone Helen (2013) caused 11
fatalities and $800 million in damages; and vi) Cyclone Hudhud (2014) caused 81 fatalities and $3.4 billion in damages.
Capacity building will promote the adoption of climate-resilient, integrated solutions for coastal management using
landscape-scale approaches. The proposed project will promote mainstreaming of climate change concerns into
institutional planning and coordination within government institutions to foster cross-sectoral and comprehensive
approaches to climate change adaptation. Project activities will build institutional and technical capacities of government
officials, local communities, NGOs/CBOs and private sector institutions to plan and implement measures for climate
change adaptation, and will work to embed these into public sector budgets and officials’ key performance areas following
the project’s end. Strong engagement with government agencies, relevant institutions and local communities in planning
and implementation will ensure that project interventions are responsive to the needs and priorities of the targeted
beneficiaries as well as ensuring that the relevant technical, institutional and financial capacities are built to support
ongoing climate change adaptation after the project’s life-cycle.
The project will ensure sustainability by integrating ecosystem- and community-based approaches to managing the
coastal zone for effective climate change adaptation into local and state level planning and governance. Sustainability
will also be enhanced through the co-management structures that will be created in the 32 landscapes. The project will
have sustained impact through the creation of livelihoods opportunities, including value-addition, market linkages, and
access to finance. Learning and knowledge management platforms will also ensure that the new approach to adaptation
is continued. Given substantial co-financing by the State Governments, their ownership of the project will ensure that
adequate financial resources are made available to maintain restored ecosystems. Past experience in India has shown
that once initial barriers are overcome through project investments, sustainability is often ensured through establishment
of effective institutions that are aligned with the national and state priorities, as witnessed with the Gulf of Mannar Trust
in Tamil Nadu which was sustained after the closure in 2012 of the UNDP-managed GEF-financed project implemented
through the Tamil Nadu State government on “Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere
Reserve’s Coastal Biodiversity”. Similarly, the implementation arrangements envisaged under the project in the form of a
coordination mechanism and cross-sectoral institutions will ensure the sustainability even after the project is completed.
To ensure social inclusion and equity, project activities that focus on local communities will be founded on extensive
stakeholder participation.
F. Risk Analysis
Some of the financial and operational risks identified are listed below:
1. The government departments may not provide co-financing in a timely manner to support project implementation.
This can be mitigated by obtaining letters of agreements from the concerned departments and closely dovetailing
the project activities to the primary mandate of their respective sectors and re-enforcing their stated goals for
environmental sustainability and community development.
2. The representatives of the government departments may not work in a collaborative manner. This can be
mitigated by building capacity and awareness among officials regarding climate change impacts on coastal and
marine ecosystems, and by creating a number of interministerial and interdepartmental structures (as outlined in
Output 3).
3. Coordinating project implementation in three states and throughout the coastal states of India (where applicable)
may be a challenge and lead to delays. This can be mitigated by ensuring that efficient National and State PMUs
support strong coordination amongst the different states and agencies involved.
Some of environmental and social risks the project may face are listed below:
1. The livelihood activities supported under the project may not add significantly to income generation of local
people. This may be mitigated by ensuring that all livelihood options are finalized after extensive consultations
with all concerned stakeholders. While identifying livelihood strategies, special care shall also be given to select
those activities with substantial livelihood augmentation and income generation potential.
2. New development and infrastructure activities along the coast may undermine the initiatives undertaken in
ecosystem management and restoration. This will be mitigated by ensuring that the project involves all
stakeholders in developing a landscape level plan that identifies optimal land uses and management guidelines
within a given landscape or seascape. This process will include the authorities involved in granting planning
permission for major physical / infrastructural developments. This will ensure that planning permission is not
granted in isolation, but as part of a wider plan for the coastal zone that includes protection of intact and restored
coastal habitats.
The full set of risks will be outlined during proposal development including through the full social and environmental
safeguards analysis.
G. Multi-Stakeholder Engagement
Please specify the plan for multi-stakeholder engagement, and what has been done so far in this regard.
The project involves a wide range of stakeholders including communities, community-based organizations, non-
governmental organizations, monitoring and research institutions, small and large scale private sector operators, and
public sector role-players from various spheres of government. During formulation of the project concept note,
consultations were undertaken with the three state governments, national government and relevant stakeholders in select
project sites, including district officials, private sector role-players and coastal communities.
At state level in the three target states, NGOs that have attended meetings on the GCF project proposal include from
Odisha – Society for Women Action Development, Nature’s Club, United Artists Association, Regional Centre for
Development Cooperation and Chilika Development Authority; Andhra Pradesh - Society for National Integration through
Rural Development (SNIRD), CREATORS / CADME (Coastal Area Disaster Mitigation Efforts, Chalkaya Youth Welfare
Society, EFFORT, SNI Rural Development, RAKSHAMA, Praja Pragathi Soua Sangham, WLM Range Kakinada,
Academic Assocation for Liberation, Peace and Education, GMRVF, EGREE Foundation, Vikasa Dhatri, Gram Swara
Jya Samthi, Paryavarana Charitable Trust, Society foir Weklfare, Education and Environmental protection (SWEEP),
Green Climate, CREATIV, Ability Foundation, Kovel Foundation and Bapinji Rural Enlightenment and Development
Society (BREDS); and from Maharashtra – DILASA Janavikas Pratisthan, LUPIN Human Welfare & Research
Foundation, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), SWADESH, Sahyadri Nisarg Mitra, Bhagirath Gram Vikas
Prathishtan, Konbac, Livelihood Mission, Zilla Parishad Sindhudurg, Mayem Panlot Sangh, Killa Sindhudurg Prernostav
Samittee, Suprakruiti Madhushala, Nashik, Swamini , Konkan Cetacean Research Team, SACON, Dakshin Foundation,
ELA Foundation and GREENY.
In addition, a series of site-level engagements was conducted with communities in selected target landscapes in each of
the three states. Some of these communities had been previously involved with the abovementioned three projects, to
understand better their vulnerabilities to climate change, their adaptive capacity, and the ways in which previous project
activities had enhanced their livelihoods and incomes, and the quality of the natural resource base on which these
livelihoods depend. During these discussions, local communities expressed the need for adaptation projects that will
reduce threats to their ecosystems-dependent livelihoods and strengthen their resilience to increasing climate change
impacts. Particular questions were posed in these discussions about the current and potential involvement of women in
economic and project activities, as well as the role of young people and socially marginalised groups. Useful lessons
were learnt from these engagements and built into the project design, particularly of Activity 1.2, which takes a co-
management approach to ecosystem restoration and maintenance, and Activity 2.1 which supports climate-resilient
livelihoods and enterprises through strengthened access to markets. A full list of national, state and site-level
consultations is included in the Draft Feasibility Study.
The process of engagement with community members and beneficiaries in the 32 target landscapes (project sites), listed
below, will be continued during the first year of implementation if the project is approved. This engagement in the sites
will include two key elements: i) undertaking participatory, community-based land-use planning, based on an analysis of
vulnerability to climate change impacts and adaptive capacity, to identify and locate site-specific EBA measures for
ecosystem conservation and restoration, and explore the community’s ongoing role in co-managing these sites; and ii)
be undertaking participatory livelihoods planning in target landscapes and villages – evaluating livelihood options in
aquaculture, agriculture and MSMEs through development of community-centric, value-chain development strategies,
and identifying appropriate sites for harvesting, growing, fishing, culturing, storage and processing.
The NGO sector, together with small-scale community-based organization such as self-help groups, producer
organizations and fisher associations, will be important role-players on the ground in the target states and landscapes. A
wide range of smaller NGOs and community-based organizations in the three target states and the 20 target landscapes
will also be involved in ongoing stakeholder engagement processes. Private sector role-players will be engaged during
the project key economic sectors in coastal areas, promoting the adoption of landscape-level plans for climate-resilient
sustainable development. Relevant sectors include oil and gas industries, port and shipping, power generation and
energy, tourism, ecosystem management, fishing and agriculture.
District Criterion Proposed sites Population

Andhra Pradesh
East Godavari Mangrove Coringa 82,799
Krishna Seagrass Krishna, Bantumilli, Kolleru 565,119
Srikakulam Vulnerability / Exposure to Climate Telineelapuram, Sompeta 152,901
Change
Vishakhapatnam Forest Visakhapatnam City 977,771
West Godavari Wetland Kolleru, Bantumilli 210,996
Maharashtra
Raigad Mangroves Alibag, Panvel, Uran 1,146,706
Ratnagiri Vulnerability / Exposure to Climate Dapoli, Guhagar, Mandangad, Rajapur, 747,308
Change Ratnagiri
Sindhudurg Forest/ Seagrass Devgad, Malvan, Vengurla 344,379
Thane Coral Bhiwandi, Thane 4,912,934
Mumbai Vulnerability / Exposure to Climate Andheri, Borivali, Kurla 9,301,414
Change
Odisha
Baleshwar Vulnerability / Exposure to Climate Talasari 358,517
Change
Ganjam Forest Chilika, Bahuda 389,954
Kendrapara Mangrove Bhitarkanika 163,450
Puri Seagrass Chilika, Mahanadi, Devi 358,097
19,565,240
H. Status of Project/Programme
1) A pre-feasibility study is expected to be completed at this stage. Please provide the report in section J.
2) Please indicate whether a feasibility study and/or environmental and social impact assessment has been
conducted for the proposed project/programme: Yes ☒ No ☐
(If ‘Yes’, please provide them in section J.)
3) Will the proposed project/programme be developed as an extension of a previous project (e.g. subsequent phase),
or based on a previous project/programme (e.g. scale up or replication)? Yes ☐ No ☒
(If yes, please provide an evaluation report of the previous project in section J, if available.)
I. Remarks
N/A
J. Supporting Documents for Concept Note

☒ Map indicating the location of the project/programme - Mainland India Coast (Annex I)
☐ Financial Model
☐ Pre-feasibility Study
☒ Draft Feasibility Study (if applicable) (Annex II)
☐ Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (if applicable)
☐ Evaluation Report (if applicable)

UNDP - Enhancing Climate Resilience of India S Coastal Communities

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

UNDP - Enhancing Climate Resilience of India S Coastal Communities

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Enhancing climate resilience of India’s coastal communities

India | United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Accredited Entity: UNDP

National Designated Authority: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Please submit the completed form to fundingproposal@gcfund.org

A. Project / Programme Information

Reduced emissions from:

Increased resilience of:

A.13. Estimated Start: 2017-18

India’s policy response to climate change

Baseline scenario without the project

Adaptation alternative proposed by project

Barriers to achieving the adaptation scenario

Outline of the proposed project

introduction of new species as shelter belts.

Activity 1.1. Planning of ecosystem- and community-based adaptation interventions

• Supporting coastal research and management institutions to add ecosystem-related

Activity 1.2. Community-based conservation and restoration of coastal ecosystems for

• Supporting participatory, community-based land-use planning in target landscapes in Andhra

• Developing a detailed national methodology for assessment of carbon storage and

Output 2: Climate-resilient livelihoods for enhanced adaptive capacities of coastal

Activity 2.1. Building climate-resilient livelihoods and enterprises through strengthened

Activity 2.2. Improving capacities of local communities for community-based adaptation

Activity 2.3. Supporting public and private sector development of climate-resilient

Output 3: Strengthened coastal and marine governance and institutional framework

• Establishing multi-stakeholder coordination structures in target landscapes in the three states

Activity 3.2. Integrating ecosystem-centric approaches to climate change adaptation into

Activity 3.3. Knowledge management for coastal resilience

Describe project/programme sponsor’s operating experience in the host country or other

Committee on Coastal Governance: A Committee on Coastal Governance will be established,

C. Financing / Cost Information

Co-financing for the project

Financial Instrument Amount Currency Tenor Pricing

Grant 16 Million USD MoEFCC Options

(c) Grant 18 Million USD Maharashtra SG

Lead financing institution: N/A

D. Expected Performance against Investment Criteria

Potential for adaptation and mitigation impact

Gender-sensitive development impact

Economic and Financial Soundness

E. Brief Rationale for GCF Involvement and Exit Strategy

Exit strategy and sustainability

District Criterion Proposed sites Population

J. Supporting Documents for Concept Note

You might also like