Coastal areas are commonly defined as the interface or transition areas between land and sea, including large inland lakes. Overall, about 50–70 % of the global population live within 100 km of the coastline covering only about 4 % of earth’s land, thereby drawing heavily on coastal and marine habitats for food, building sites, transportation, recreational areas, and waste disposal. The people of these zones depend mainly on low productive agriculture due to several constraints such as prolonged water logging and drainage congestion in predominantly low-lying areas with heavy soils during the wet season, preponderance of saline and acid sulphate soils, scarcity of good quality irrigation water, particularly in the dry season, seawater intrusion into adjoining lands, and water pollution due to eutrophication, and others affecting the aquatic habitats, etc. Carbon sequestration in coastal areas, such as, marshes, lagoons, etc. has significant influence on soil quality, and the carbon pool in soils as well as their impacts on the environment. Over and above these, the coastal areas are prone to disasters due to climate change leading to colossal loss of lives and properties in many areas. Forestry and mangrove dynamics, in particular, because of their continuing diminishing nature, are also subjects of interest affecting the ecology of coastal zones requiring appropriate attention. The international symposium held in this context on ‘ Transforming Coastal Zones for Sustainable Food and Income Security ’ in virtual mode in March, 2021 offered scope to present and discuss various thematic areas by eminent scientists from all over the world. The proceedings of selected papers presented reflect cross-sectoral views of the areas highlighting, wherever necessary, a fusion of technologies, with the ultimate target to suggest livelihood security and sustainable development for the sensitive coastal zones. The book intends to share the knowledge with researchers, academicians, and various other stakeholders to address the complex problems of coastal regions, production constraints, social, economic, technical and environmental issues to draw out strategies for resilient agricultural technologies and improving livelihood security in coastal agro-ecosystems.

Coastal areas are commonly defined as the interface or transition areas between land and sea, including large inland lakes. Overall, about 50-70 % of the global population live within 100 km of the coastline covering only about 4 % of earth's land, thereby drawing heavily on coastal and marine habitats for food, building sites, transportation, recreational areas, and waste disposal. The people of these zones depend mainly on low productive agriculture due to several constraints such as prolonged water logging and drainage congestion in predominantly low-lying areas with heavy soils during the wet season, preponderance of saline and acid sulphate soils, scarcity of good quality irrigation water, particularly in the dry season, seawater intrusion into adjoining lands, and water pollution due to eutrophication, and others affecting the aquatic habitats, etc. Carbon sequestration in coastal areas, such as, marshes, lagoons, etc. has significant influence on soil quality, and the carbon pool in soils as well as their impacts on the environment. Over and above these, the coastal areas are prone to disasters due to climate change leading to colossal loss of lives and properties in many areas. Forestry and mangrove dynamics, in particular, because of their continuing diminishing nature, are also subjects of interest affecting the ecology of coastal zones requiring appropriate attention. The international symposium held in this context on ' Transforming Coastal Zones for Sustainable Food and Income Security ' in virtual mode in March, 2021 offered scope to present and discuss various thematic areas by eminent scientists from all over the world. The proceedings of selected papers presented reflect cross-sectoral views of the areas highlighting, wherever necessary, a fusion of technologies, with the ultimate target to suggest livelihood security and sustainable development for the sensitive coastal zones. The book intends to share the knowledge with researchers, academicians, and various other stakeholders to address the complex problems of coastal regions, production constraints, social, economic, technical and environmental issues to draw out strategies for resilient agricultural technologies and improving livelihood security in coastal agro-ecosystems.

This contributed volume assesses the state and future of India’s East Coast through a wide variety of chapters grouped by methodology and approach. Part I: Assessment through Geomorphological Approaches describes geomorphological diversities of the eastern shorelines of India, Coastal Modelling System- SMC and morphodynamics of Odisha coast, Paleo shorelines and beach ridge chenier formations of Subarnarekha delta, seasonal sediment budget of Chandrabhaga beachdune system, Beach stage and dune stage modelling Mandarmoni coast, drainage characters of South Andaman Islands, coastal foredune morphology and sediment of Odisha and West Bengal, Geo-archaeological pieces of evidence of ancient coastal environment, coastal sediment characters, beach ridge formation in the chenier coast, and geomorphological changes of ancient ports and harbours in the shoreline of West Bengal. Part II: Assessment through Environmental Approaches addresses various environmental assessment techniques of mangrove sensitivity to the sea level rise process in the Sundarban, land degradation of the hinterland drainage basins, the riparian environment of the coastal drainage basins, agricultural adaptability in response to climate variability in the coastal areas of West Bengal, forest degradations of the lateritic upland tracts, coastal tourism potentialities in Odisha and West Bengal, Climate variabilities and agricultural modifications in the hinterland areas of West Bengal districts, the tidal flat environment of Sagar Island, landforms and Geomorphosites for the promotion of Geotourism in South Andaman Perils of Premature Reclamation of Sundarban, marine litter in the coastal regions of West Bengal and Odisha on flora, fauna and humans, Ground water contamination due to saline water encroachment in coastal Andhra Pradesh and Spatio-temporal changes in the Hugli estuarine environment and coastal hazards and flood risk of southwestern Sundarban. Part III: Assessment through Remote Sensing & GIS Approaches uses the aforementioned techniques in service of exploration of monitoring health of Mangrove forest, Geomorphological analysis of the coral fringed coasts of Andaman, hydrological and morphological variations of Ichhamati Tidal estuary, multivariate analysis of coastal vulnerabilities, geography of tourism resources in Andaman group of islands, tourism climate index with application geospatial techniques, diversity of landscape ecology in the coastal blocks of Purba Medinipur, overwash vulnerability in Odisha coast, livelihood security index of the coastal communities, managing coastal squeeze response and wetland loss in the estuarine coastal tract of West Bengal, environmental effects of historical land reclamation process in the Sundarban, and emerging environmental problems of coastal urbanization in Digha, Kanthi, and Haldia.