Climate Resilient Coastal Protection: A Case Study of Dune Nourishment and Vegetation at Bhatye, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra

Beaches and dunes are some of the natural mechanisms provided by nature for the protection of the coasts. Re-nourishing the eroded beaches and dunes is widely accepted as a low-cost, nature-friendly coastal protection measure. Such projects are just being initiated for the Indian coastline. A pilot dune nourishment demonstration project, following Climate Change Adaptation Guidelines for India, was attempted at Bhatye in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, India. The pilot project involved the nourishment of a 500 m long eroded dune designed following the Minimum Beach Level (MBL) concept, planting of the dune with native vegetation by involving the coastal community and fencing of the dune for its protection. The dune crest height was 5.5 m above Chart Datum (CD) with slopes of 1:5 on both sides. The sand required for the nourishment was borrowed from a shoal, which was a hindrance to safe navigation to the fishing harbour at the neighbouring river entrance. The restored dune has survived five monsoons and several cyclones since its completion in January 2019. The pilot project has successfully demonstrated that low-cost dune nourishment is a feasible option to prevent flooding of low-lying coastal areas and step up the post-storm dune recovery where aeolian sediment transport is slow.