OCEAN OBSERVATIONS
FOR NATIONAL BENEFIT
Dr.
H. K. Gupta*
The oceans have a
profound influence on the life on earth and thus they are a common
heritage of humankind for the future. The ocean space, occupying
more than 70 per cent of the earth’s surface, plays a significant
role, together with the atmosphere and land mass, in shaping our
climate. The oceans provide a treasure house for food and energy
that needs to be harnessed properly for sustaining life. About
38 per cent people in the world live in the coastal zones within
100 km from the coast line at elevations less than 100 metres
from the mean sea level. Due to natural and anthropogenic forcing,
the coastal ecosystems are experiencing unprecedented changes
that affect public safety, public health, ecosystem and the living
resources under water. The Indian Ocean has a unique geographic
setting that creates monsoon, devastating cyclones, and oxygen-deficiency.
In our country, the life of more than 350 million people and the
living of 10 million fishing population are significantly influenced
by the ocean around us.
Understanding the
oceanic processes and enhancing our capability to predict the
ocean as well as climate thus become a key national agenda. A
systematic observation of the ocean and providing reliable and
timely information and advisory services to the stakeholders form
an imperative ingredient of this national agenda.
Vision 2015
The Vision 2015 for
Ocean Development in India, that was formulated in 2002, hinges
around improving our understanding of the ocean processes through
conceiving and implementing long-term observational programmes.
It seek to develop cutting edge marine technology so that we are
able to improve our understanding of the Indian Ocean and its
various inter-related processes. Its aims are also to assess the
living and non-living resources of our seas and their sustainable
level of utilization, contribute to the forecast of the course
of the monsoon and extreme events, model sustainable uses of the
coastal zone for decision-making, forge partnerships with our
Indian Ocean neighbours through the awareness and concept of one
ocean and secure recognition for the interests of India and the
Indian Ocean in regional and international bodies.
Accomplishments
Last year India made
significant achievements in this direction by embarking on a user-driven
agenda for ocean observations, ocean modelling and ocean information
and advisory services through an appropriate institutional mechanism,
ensuring national synergy.
It successfully implemented
an array of 30 argo profiling floats in the Arabian Sea, Bay of
Bengal and the tropical Indian Ocean as well as gearing up for
deploying 120 more such floats in the next four years in this
region. Argo is a revolutionary concept to periodically measure
the temperature and salinity profiles of the upper ocean up to
a depth of 2000 metres to understand the structure and dynamics
of the upper ocean that influences climate.
The Department availed
the potential of the Oceansat-1 of India and the foreign remote
sensing satellites for periodic spatial information on chlorophyll,
suspended sediments and sea surface temperature in the Arabian
Sea and Bay of Bengal,
It also provided,
in a mission-mode, potential fishing zone advisories to the Indian
fishing community through a wide range of media such as telephone,
fax, electronic boards, radio and Internet in local languages
so as to make it a part of the value chain of the fishing community.
Experimental short-term forecasts of state of the ocean were also
aired for safe operations and travel in the sea.
To sum up, India
is playing a major role in understanding the various processes
and phenomena in the Indian Ocean and is establishing a comprehensive
ocean observation and information system.(PIB Features).
*Secretary,
Department of Ocean Development, Government of India
