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♤ It aims to protect and conserve the natural marine ecosystems in their pristine condition.
♤ Marine Protected Area (MPA) as “any area of intertidal or sub tidal terrain, together with its overlaying water and associated flora, fauna, historical and cultural features, which has been reserved by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment” - IUCN.
♤ Marine productivity in India is concentrated in small areas of coral reefs, lagoons, mangroves, estuaries and seagrass beds around the coast, which provides rich feeding and breeding ground for fish and other marine life.
♤ MPA protects the vital life support processes of the sea and also ensures sustainable productivity and fish production.
♤ The MPAs in marine environment in India are primarily classified into following three categories:
♤ Category-I: This covers National Parks and Sanctuaries and having entire areas in intertidal/sub-tidal or mangroves, coral reefs, creeks, seagrass beds, algal beds, estuaries, lagoons.
♤ Category-II: This includes Islands, which have major parts in marine ecosystem and some part in terrestrial ecosystem.
♤ Category-IIIA: This includes sandy beaches beyond intertidal line but occasionally interacting with the seawater.
♤ Category-IIIB: This includes ever green or semi ever green forests of Islands.
♤ The Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in India comprise of a 33 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries designated under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, encompassing a few of the country’s richest coastal habitats.
♤ Marine National Park and Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Kutch form one unit (one MPA). Similarly Bhitar-kanika National Park and Bhitarkanika Sanctuary are an integral part of one MPA. Thus, there a total of 31 MPAs in India.
♤ MPAs cover less than 4.01 % of the total area of all Protected Areas of India.
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The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared 2010-2020 as the United Nations Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification, to raise awareness about desertification, land degradation and drought.