AUG 30: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India, in collaboration with the Directorate of Economics and Statistics (DES), Kerala, organised a one-day workshop on “Capacity Building of Coastal States on Development of Ocean Accounts” in Kochi on 29th August 2025. The programme brought together senior officers, scientists, statisticians, and marine experts from across the country to deliberate on integrating ocean ecosystem data into national and state-level accounting systems.
The workshop saw participation from representatives of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), Centre for Marine Living Resources & Ecology (CMLRE), Indian Maritime University, and other stakeholders.
Delivering the inaugural address, Dr. Saurabh Garg, Secretary, MoSPI, emphasized the urgent need to incorporate ocean ecosystem accounts into India’s economic statistics, in line with the forthcoming UN System of National Accounts (SNA-2025). He noted that such measures will strengthen transparency in GDP estimation, ensure fair distribution of ecosystem benefits, and guide data-driven policymaking for disaster risk reduction and sustainable development.
Dr. Garg also highlighted India’s global commitments, referencing the Chennai High-Level Principles for Sustainable Blue Economy adopted during India’s G20 Presidency, the centrality of SDG 14: Life Below Water, and the Blue Economy Policy of the Ministry of Earth Sciences. He commended Kerala’s DES for its strong statistical workforce and called for cross-state collaboration in building robust ocean accounts.
Technical sessions featured experts who presented on diverse themes such as the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA), fisheries data integration, ocean condition accounts, the role of satellite remote sensing, climate change impacts on marine resources, and innovative methods in oceanography. Case studies, including Tamil Nadu’s preliminary ocean accounts prepared with World Bank support, demonstrated the practical applications of this framework.
The workshop concluded with a roadmap for strengthening institutional coordination, enhancing state-level capacity, and developing credible, policy-relevant ocean accounts, reaffirming MoSPI’s commitment to support coastal states and ensure sustainable marine resource governance.
