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Blue Prints
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Imperatives of coastal surveillance |
The gateway of India has become the symbol of coastal vulnerability
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Prasun K. Sengupta
Globalisation being a reality in the new world order, countries that were previously not engaged in trade outside their borders have over the last few years developed an increasing economic and trade dependence on nations far beyond their borders. There are, however, some negative consequences to this phenomenon in the guise of transnational threats, cross-border illicit trade and piracy to name a few. An essential facilitator for globalisation has been sea power, having played an important part in the economic and cultural history of the world.
Striving for economic power has served as a motivator for the
development of a nation’s sea power.This has been a reciprocal relationship.
Global figures stand for themselves — water-ways carry 90 per cent of
international trade.
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It is important to
recognise that 95 per cent of maritime trade travels through nine chokepoints
while much of the seaborne transport is being consolidated into a handful of so
called ‘mega ports’. Global development has been facilitated by the sea lanes of
communications (SLOC) along with the thousands of sea ports across the world.
SLOCs are kept free and open to traffic, owing to the national self-interest and
international obligations that nations have. There is a huge acceptance on the
part of a country for the international laws, including freedom of the seas, as
an essential part that has been generated because of the importance of the seas.
The capacity and capability to control and enforce international laws over large
expanses of ocean that may include a country’s exclusive economic zone and
territorial waters is a task that is complex. Coastal surveillance provides a
primary and essentially enabling capability for law enforcement. It is an
important piece in the jigsaw that creates maritime dominance awareness.
India can be called a seafaring country owing to the fact that 95 per cent of its trade is carried forth over the sea. Therefore, for India, it is an important requirement that it maintains a safe and secure environment for shipping and controlling responses to natural calamities, ship accidents, oil spills, terrorism, and military threats. Maritime domain awareness must be maintained by the nation, at least over its own sovereign waters. Considering that the country has a high dependence on the seas for development, it is important that coastal surveillance be maintained. Every nation has its own specific requirements, prerequisites and resources to implement a cost effective surveillance system.
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