2012 Chilika Lake ecosystem health report card

Chilika Lake, a lagoon on the Bay of Bengal in the eastern State of Odisha, India, stores monsoon flood waters and provides a level of salinity needed to sustain its amazing biodiversity of life. Local communities depend on the Lake to provide fish and seafood for food and resale, village transport, and tourism income. But, Chilika Lake is also subjected to constant pressures from both natural processes and human activities. This is the first of a proposed series of Ecosystem Health Report Cards, supported by the Chilika Development Authority and the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. The 2012 report card will serve as a baseline to enhance the understanding and management of the Chilika Lake ecosystem for the benefit of all.

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