Explained | What is the ‘Blue Flag’ certification for beaches?

Two beaches in Lakshadweep have received the ‘Blue Flag’ tag, awarded by a Denmark-based foundation, taking the overall tally to 12

The story so far: Earlier this week, two Indian beaches were awarded the ‘Blue Flag’ certification — a global eco-label — taking India’s overall tally to 12 in the list of cleanest beaches in the world.

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav took to Twitter to share the development, writing, “Proud moment! Two more Indian beaches have made it to the list of Blue Beaches. Minicoy Thundi beach and Kadmat beach - both in Lakshadweep - are the proud entrants in the coveted list of Blue Beaches.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated the people of Lakshadweep. 

The Blue Flag is a voluntary tag given to environment-friendly and clean beaches with hygienic facilities. The tag is part of an eco-tourism model that promotes sustainability in the tourism sector through environmental awareness, protection and sustainable development practices. It is accorded by Denmark-based non-profit Foundation for Environmental Education, or FEE, as part of its Blue Flag Programme. 

The Blue Flag Programme started in France in 1985 and has been implemented in Europe since 1987, and in areas outside Europe since 2001, when South Africa joined. Japan and South Korea were among the first Asian countries to have Blue Flag beaches.

In France, the programme originally started as an environmental awareness initiative. Schoolchildren wrote messages and put them in a plastic bottle with their names and the name of their nearest beach. These bottles were then collected by the French military and dropped in the Atlantic Ocean. The idea was to highlight the impact of dumping waste in seas and oceans. 

The programme was adopted by other European countries in 1987 and outside Europe in the early 2000s. Since then, the certificate is anually awarded to beaches, marinas and boat tour operators in FEE-member countries.

So far, over 5,000 beaches, marinas and boats have been awarded the Blue Flag in 48 countries. As of 2022, Spain tops the list with more than 700 awarded sites, which includes 621 beaches, followed by Greece with 570 Blue Flag beaches. However, the Blue Flag accreditation is seasonal and the award is valid only if the criteria are fulfilled.