Andhra Pradesh has been assessed as the fourth most affected States in India in coastal erosion with officials finding 32% of the coastline to be actively eroding. File
| Photo Credit: V. RAJU
As Andhra Pradesh’s 1,053-km-long coastline is facing an increasing threat to livelihood and property losses from cyclones and environmental degradation, the Department of Environment, Forests, Science & Technology, under the aegis of Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan, has taken the initiative of building a 5-km-wide ‘Great Green Wall of Andhra Pradesh’ by the year 2030 to mitigate the likely impact of those natural phenomena.
According to official sources, the Great Green Wall (GGW) is designed to protect three million-plus people inhabiting the coastal areas by serving as a “living ecological shield,” while promoting biodiversity, climate resilience, and sustainable development.
The GGW will comprise a multi-layered green buffer zone having mangroves, shelterbelt plantations, inland vegetation, and even sand dunes that will reduce the impact of cyclones and storm surges, stabilise shorelines, and enhance livelihoods through eco-tourism, sustainable fisheries, etc.
Restoration of green cover
The project involves restoration of one-lakh hectares of green cover as Andhra Pradesh is considered one of India’s most climate-vulnerable States, with more than 3.30 million people living within 5-km of the coast facing frequent cyclones, floods, and rising sea levels, which cause significant economic and human losses.
Specifically, Andhra Pradesh has been assessed as the fourth most affected States in India in coastal erosion. Officials have found 32% of the coastline to be actively eroding and the shorelines of the Krishna and Godavari estuaries critically vulnerable.
Many ecosystems are reported to be degrading due to the sea-level rise, storm surges, and shoreline changes, and an extreme rise in sea level is predicted to affect 282 villages near the coastline, putting over a million people at risk of displacement and economic instability.
The GGW has, therefore, been conceived and is in the process of creation with the vision “to build a resilient, biodiverse, and economically vibrant coastal Andhra Pradesh.”
Three components
The GGW has three components, the first one of which is the ‘seaward edge’ consisting of mangroves that will absorb tidal energy and reduce storm surge impacts, and shelterbelts in the non–estuarine areas. The other two are ‘wind breaks’ made of canal bund and roadside avenue plantations, and a ‘community buffer’ having agroforestry and community plantations.
Funds are planned to be drawn from the MGNREGS, Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority of India (CAMPA), Green Credit Program of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, District Mineral Funds, and the International Climate Finance.
Published – October 22, 2025 08:37 pm IST
