International Blue Flag Certification

Why in news?

• Two more Indian Beaches get coveted International Blue Flag Certification. India now has 10 Blue Flag beaches. The two beaches to receive the certification this year are Kovalam in Tamil Nadu and Eden in Puducherry.

What is Blue Flag Certification?

• Blue Flag certification is a tag given to environment-friendly and clean beaches, equipped with amenities of international standards for tourists.
• It is awarded by the Copenhagen-based Foundation for environmental education (FEE). The standards were established in 1985.

How does a beach get the certification?

• There are nearly 33 criteria that must be met to qualify for a Blue Flag certification, such as the water meeting certain quality standards, having waste disposal facilities, being disabled- friendly, have first aid equipment, and no access to pets in the main areas of the beach. Some criteria are voluntary and some compulsory.
• If approved, beaches are given the qualification for a year and must apply annually to continue meriting the right to fly the flag at their locations.
• In India, the Blue Flag program is implemented by the Society for Sustainable Urban Development, as the National Operator.

Objectives of the Blue Flag Programme are:

• Promoting and participating in environmental education programmes for the users of marinas, beaches and boating operators.
• Implementing efficient safety & environmental management systems.
• Committing to collaborative action & partnerships in order to promote sustainable tourism development.
• Monitoring environmental conditions in order to mitigate the impact of human activity at the marinas, beaches and boating operators.

Blue Flag Certification in India

• Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) identifies beaches in the country for blue flag certification.
• This required relaxing certain rules of the Coastal Regulation Zone notification, to enable certain construction activities on the beaches.
• The beaches awarded with Blue flag Certificates are:
  • Golden Beach – Odisha
  • Shivrajpur Beach – Gujarat
  • Kappad Beach – Kerala
  • Ghoghla Beach – Diu
  • Radhanagar Beach – Andaman and Nicobar
  • Kasarkod Beach – Karnataka
  • Padubidri Beach – Karnataka
  • Rushikonda Beach – Andhra Pradesh
  • Kovalam Beach – Tamil Nadu
  • Eden Beach – Puducherry

Add ons:

• Beach Environment & Aesthetics Management Services (BEAMS)
  • BEAMS is one of the initiatives under ICZM approach  that the MoEF&CC has undertaken for the sustainable development of coastal  regions of India,  with a  prime objective  to protect and conserve the pristine coastal and marine ecosystems through  holistic management of the resources.
  • The implementation of BEAMS will help beaches in India to gain blue flag certification.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

‘Blue Flag Certification’, recently seen in news, is associated with?

(a) Vaccine manufacturing

(b) Organic farming

(c) Solar energy generation

(d) Sustainable tourism

 Answer