Bhitarkanikais located in the estuarial region of Brahmani-Baitarani between 20º35’ to 20º50’N and 86º45’ to 87º05’ E, in the north eastern part of Kendrapara district. The landscape is widely acclaimed for its rich biodiversity, different ecosystems like the landmasses, tidal waterbodies of the deltaic region, estuaries and territorial waters of the Bay of Bengal along with their associated flora and fauna. It is one of the rare swamps with a compact mangrove ecosystem, next only to Sundarbans in West Bengal. In a bid to conserve the complex and fragile mangrove ecosystem and the endangered flora, fauna associated with it, Government of Odisha in 1975, constituted Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, whose area is 672 Sq. Kms. In the year 1998, the core area of Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary comprising of 145 Sq. Kms was declared as a National Park.  The area has also been designated as the second Ramsar site (i.e. Wetland of International importance) of the State.

In recent years, climate change influenced weather events has increased in the Bhitarkanika landscape region. The two major river systems further makes it vulnerable to cyclones, storms surges and floods. Sea erosion and ingress of sea water are other threatshave displaced many locales and are a threat to the lives and livelihoods of the people the in the landscape.