Coastal Development Strategy 2006.

The Coastal Development Strategy is a national policy with a multi-sectoral approach. The objectives of the Strategy are (i) safe and fresh water supply, (ii) disaster risk reduction, (iii) efficient coastal zone management, (iv) economic growth, (v) sustainable management of natural resources, (vi) improved livelihoods, (vii) environmental protection, (viii) public awareness-raising, and (ix) institutional capacity building.
The nutrition status of rural poor will be improved through the development in the livestock sector with emphasis on dairy and poultry products.
Coastal agriculture will be developed by taking measures against flood, physiography, soil salinity, drainage congestion and irrigation facilities in order to ensure soil fertility. Natural resources will be managed in an environmentally sustainable and socially equitable manner. Measures will be taken against environmental degradation due to shrimp farming and marine fisheries. The exploitation of the marine resources will be regulated within sustainable limits by following the major regional and international programs for their conservation. The use of renewable energy resources will be promoted in the remote coastal areas.
Employment opportunities will be increased in the rural non-farm sector, including manufacturing, transportation, trade and tourism sectors. Coastal livelihoods will be enhanced through development of small and medium enterprises. The development in the tourism sector will contribute to improvement of livelihoods and poverty reduction. As of the main economic activities in the coastal zone, marine fisheries will be developed to enhance well-being of the coastal fishermen community. Access to essential services, such as water and sanitation, health, housing, and education will be provided particularly for poor. Community participation including women, will be encouraged through civil society organizations and the Local Government in the local level planning processes. Capacity building of the coastal female fish processors will be enhanced for the improvement of the livelihood condition and the socio-economic condition.
Water resource management will be developed in a sustainable manner to provide safe water to present and future generations. Rainwater harvesting will be promoted for water saving and efficiency. Projects will be designed for improvement in water infrastructure and sanitation and safe water supply from the areas affected by arsenic and salinity. The use of coastal lands will be optimized through afforestation, integrated management of coastal water infrastructure, zoning and land use planning in coastal area. This Strategy underlines that coastal lands are used inter alia for agriculture, shrimp and fish farming, wildlife, forestry production, tourism, salt production, ports, industries, human settlements and wetlands. Food safety will be inspected at all levels of shrimp farming with a farm to fork approach. Multi-dimensional communication mechanism will be developed for knowledge management and dissemination to create public awareness on environmental protection.
Coastal Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Mitigation Fund will be provided to ensure safety against man-made and natural hazards. Measures will be taken to reduce severe vulnerability to disasters, especially to erosion in the coastal zone.
The Program Coordination Unit shall be responsible for the implementation of the Coastal Development Strategy. The Unit shall coordinate the Ministries and agencies at the local and national level.