Rediscovering the Bay of Bengal

GS paper 2

Syllabus: Bilateral, regional and global groupings involving India and affecting India’s interests, Issues related to maritime development, etc

 

Directions: Important for Prelims and mains, you can use this as an example of the importance of maritime development for India

Source: The Hindu

 

Context:

• The Bay of Bengal (the Bay) is experiencing an increase in geo-economic, geopolitical, and geo-cultural activity.

 

Fourth BIMSTEC summit(2018):

• The 4th BIMSTEC summit was held in Kathmandu, Nepal.
• The major focus of this year’s BIMSTEC was enhancing regional connectivity and trade.
• The Kathmandu Declaration was adopted unanimously at BIMSTEC-2018.

India at 4th BIMSTEC Summit:

• India announced the opening of the Centre for Bay of Bengal Studies (CBS) at Nalanda University.

 

Importance of CBS:

• It will offer collaborations in areas such as:
  • Geo-economics and geopolitics
  • Ecology, trade, and connectivity
  • Maritime security and Maritime law
  • Cultural heritage
  • Blue economy
• Maritime engagement: This will strengthen India’s overall framework for maritime engagement.

 

Importance of Bay of Bengal:

• Commerce hub: It is a major commerce hub for the Indian Ocean.
• Connects east to west: It creates a conduit between the East and the West in terms of trade and culture.
• Key sea lanes of communication: They are lifelines for global economic security.
  • Sea lanes are crucial to the energy security that powers the economies of many countries in the region.
• Regional cooperation: It provides an opportunity for greater regional cooperation in the environmentally friendly exploration of marine and energy resources.
• Biodiversity: The Bay has a biodiverse marine environment.
• Home to many rare and endangered marine species and mangroves: which are essential to the survival of the ecology and the fishing sector.

 

Current Issues:

• Bay’s ecosystem: It is going through an unprecedented crisis brought on by widespread environmental exploitation and geopolitical unrest.
• Climate change and other problems: Problems such as population growth, altered land use, excessive resource exploitation, salinisation, sea level rise, and climate change are exerting significant strain on the Bay’s environment.
• Operational discharge: From small and medium feeder ships, shipping collisions, unintentional oil spills, industrial waste, pollution
• Non-biodegradable plastic litter: The accumulation of non-biodegradable plastic litter are all contributing to the deterioration of the Bay.
• Threat to mangroves: The mangrove trees that protect the shore from the fury of nature are under more threat than ever.

 

Way forward:

• Sustainable development of the region: For a better knowledge of challenges, and strategies and for the sustainable development of the region, more focused and interdisciplinary study is required on these issues.
  • Example foundation of CBS
• Nautical neighbours develop a partnership and cooperate: It is essential for the maritime domain’s interrelated and interdependent nature, transnational character, and cross-jurisdictional engagement.
• Expanding cooperation in maritime safety and security: By enhancing cooperation on maritime connectivity and the ease of maritime transit, and boosting investment possibilities in the maritime connectivity sector need immediate attention.
• Littoral governments: They need to support and promote skill-building, research, and training.
• Mobilize incentives and investments: To manage oceanic affairs more effectively, and support people as they switch to alternative lifestyles.

 

Insta Links:

BIMSTEC

Bridging the bay in quest of a stronger BIMSTEC

 

Mains Links:

Q.Project ‘Mausam’ is considered a unique foreign policy initiative of the Indian Government to improve relationships with its neighbours. Does the project have a strategic dimension? Discuss. (UPSC 2015)

 

Prelims Links:

BIMSTEC

Bay of Bengal mapping

Mangroves

Kathmandu Declaration