Offshore wind energy as an emergent ocean infrastructure in India: mapping of the social and environmental impacts

Offshore wind energy holds promising potential as an alternative source of energy for a country like India, which continues to be land deprived and faces increasing difficulty in acquiring land for energy. While some scholarly efforts have focused on India's context, there is a dearth of studies on the associated environmental and social challenges of such infrastructure deployment. We conduct a detailed assessment of the policy and institutional mechanisms governing the offshore wind energy in the country and identify the possible environmental and social impacts of such projects on the marine environment and livelihood of fishing communities in India. We use qualitative research approaches and various types of secondary information and data. The policy and institutional framework assessment reveals that, despite the creation of the required mechanism, significant gaps exist in the knowledge of such projects’ possible impacts through these policies and regulations. Impact mapping shows that offshore wind projects could adversely affect the marine ecosystem and marine biodiversity to varying degrees over their entire life. The impacts occurring during the construction and operation phases of the project cycle will be significant. Policy suggestions show that preparatory measures are necessary before the implementation of such projects.