Wooden Boat Building for Sustainable Development

Sound environmental practises are essential for sustainable development. The maritime industry is alive to it and has taken many initiatives. With the advent of new ship building materials like steel and more recently glass reinforced plastics coupled with the curbs on de-forestation traditional wooden boat building has declined. The use of steel and glass reinforced plastics (GRP) has increased. These materials however use significantly larger amount of energy in their production vis-à-vis traditional wood. Consideration of carbon sequestered in wood and dual advantages afforded by use of wood as a building material in reducing both carbon emission and energy consumption are discussed. To bring focus on the use of eco-friendly nature of wood, a case study of traditional boat building activities in India bringing out their problems and proposed solutions is presented. The overall "Green" impact of using of traditional wood over other materials is commented upon. In conclusion, requirement of governmental and institutional incentives for the same are suggested.