Context: Recently, Union Environment Ministry has announced that the Indian Government has recommended eight Indian beaches for the “Blue Flag” certification.

Key Points

• On the occasion of International Coastal Clean-Up Day, for the first time eight beaches of India are recommended for the coveted International eco-label, the Blue flag certification.
• Along with that it also launched India’s own eco-label BEAMS by e-hoisting the flag -#IAMSAVINGMYBEACH simultaneously at these eight beaches.
• International Coastal Clean-Up Day is celebrated across 100 countries since 1986 on the third Saturday in September.

About Blue Flag beaches

• Blue Flag beaches are considered the cleanest beaches of the world.
• The eight beaches are Shivrajpur in Gujarat, Ghoghla in Daman & Diu, Kasarkod and Padubidri beach in Karnataka, Kappad in Kerala, Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh, Golden beach of Odisha and Radhanagar beach in Andaman and Nicobar.
• The recommendations are done by an independent National Jury composed of eminent environmentalists & scientists.

Blue Flag Certification

• ‘Blue Flag’ is an international certification of environmental properties and cleanliness on beaches.
• A ‘Blue Flag’ beach provides hygienic and clean bathing water, basic infrastructure to tourists and sustainable development in the area.
• The ‘Blue Flag’ is a certification that can be obtained by a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator, and serves as an eco-label.
• The certification is awarded by the Denmark-based non-profit Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), which sets stringent environmental, educational, safety-related and access-related criteria that applicants must meet and maintain.
• It is awarded annually to beaches and marinas in FEE member countries.
• FEE conducts mainly five programmes such as: Blue Flag, Eco-Schools, Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE), Learning about Forests (LEAF) and Green Key.

Key Facts on Blue Flag Certification

• The Blue Flag Programme started in France in 1985.
• Spain has the largest number of 566 Blue Flag beaches while Greece and France have 515 and 395 such blue flag beaches respectively.
• Chandrabhaga beach located on the Konark coast of Odisha is the first beach in the country to receive ‘Blue Flag Certification’.

BEAMS Programme

• BEAMS is one of the several other projects of ICZM that the central government is undertaking for sustainable development of coastal regions, striving for the globally recognised and coveted eco-label ”Blue Flag”
• To plan sustainable tourism and healthy coastal management, MoEF&CC has conceived an integrated coastal management scheme viz. BEAMS to reduce existing pollutants on beaches and to aspire & achieve such high International Standards in India.
• This program promotes beach recreation in absolute harmony with nature.
• Society of Integrated Coastal Management (SICOM) has initiated the process for clean beaches in 13 pilot beaches (one pilot beach in every Coastal States/UTs) under this programme and in line with Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.

Purpose
To promote sustainable development in coastal regions of India for the beach management authorities to strive to achieve high international standards in four categories of:

• Environmental Management including cleanliness, solid waste management in beaches
• Environment Education
• Safety & Security of Beachgoers
• Bathing Water Quality Standards

Objectives

• Abate pollution in coastal waters,
• Promote sustainable development of beach facilities,
• Protect & conserve coastal ecosystems & natural resources,
• Strive and maintain high standards of cleanliness,
• Hygiene & safety for beachgoers in accordance with coastal environment & regulations.

Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM)

• Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change launched the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) activities in India to protect and conserve the coastal and marine ecosystems and environment through a holistic coastal management.
• It aimed to promote sustainable development & management of coastal zones through its own wing SICOM.

Background

• The concept of ICZM was introduced in 1992 during the Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro and most of the coastal countries in the World have been adopting ICZM principles for managing their coastal zones.
• Adoption of ICZM principles for managing and sustainably developing our coastal regions is helping India in keeping with its commitments to international agreements on ICZM.