Assessing the Livelihood Vulnerability of Marine Dependent Coastal Communities of Kerala and Lakshadweep

Abstract

The multidimensional impacts of climate change upon the mankind necessitate governments to develop proper adaptation and mitigation plans, at the earliest. Climate change hot spots are the 'live labs' where the manifestation of the climate change impacts is observed "first". The South west India has been recognized as one among the twenty four hot spot regions identified globally. This study is an attempt to compare the pertinent factors that determine the vulnerability prevailing in two fishing villages of the country, out of which one is recognized as the most vulnerable from the south west hotspot regions of India. The study is carried out in Poonthura fishing village of Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala and Kalpeni Island of Lakshadweep Islands. One ninety eight indicators were identified in the construction of vulnerability indices of which 37 is related to sensitivity, 36 related to exposure and the remaining 125 indicators dealt with adaptive capacity. The results revealed the reasons for the high vulnerability prevailing in Poonthura and the unawareness regarding climate change in both areas. A bottom up approach with the proactive participation of the fishers is advocated to frame location specific adaptation and mitigation plans to secure the livelihood of them and for the overall sustainabale development of the fisheries sector in the climate change regime.

Full text

Assessing the Livelihood Vulnerability of Marine Dependent Coastal Communies of Kerala
and Lakshadweep
Ramees Rahman M, PhD Scholar, Dept. of Applied Economics, CUSAT
The muldimensional impacts of climate change upon the mankind necessitate governments to
develop proper adaptaon and migaon plans, at the earliest. Climate change hot spots are
the ‘live labs’ where the manifestaon of the climate change impacts is observed “rst”. The
South west India has been recognized as one among the twenty four hot spot regions idened
globally. This study is an a$empt to compare the pernent factors that determine the
vulnerability prevailing in two shing villages of the country, out of which one is recognized as
the most vulnerable from the south west hotspot regions of India. The study is carried out in
Poonthura shing village of Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala and Kalpeni Island of
Lakshadweep Islands. One ninety eight indicators were idened in the construcon of
vulnerability indices of which 37 is related to sensivity, 36 related to exposure and the
remaining 125 indicators dealt with adapve capacity. The results revealed the reasons for the
high vulnerability prevailing in Poonthura and the unawareness regarding climate change in
both areas. A bo$om up approach with the proacve parcipaon of the shers is advocated to
frame locaon specic adaptaon and migaon plans to secure the livelihood of them and for
the overall sustainabale development of the sheries sector in the climate change regime.