Caught between land and sea, Kerala’s coastal communities weigh climate stress against their livelihoods

While Kerala has become the most popular destination for migrant populations from across India in search of a better life, the challenges faced by its own climate-displaced residents remain overshadowed. Along Kerala’s coastal belt, stories of dilapidated houses, submerged land and displaced communities highlight the urgency of highlighting their struggles.

Studies show that 65% of Kerala’s coastline is subject to erosion. second highest rate in the country after West Bengal’s 70%. Cyclones like Ockhi and Tauktae have exacerbated this crisis, causing further retreat of sandy beaches. Ironically, efforts to combat this, such as shoreline hardening, are likely to be counterproductive in the long term, simply shifting erosion to other unprotected coastlines and causing further hardening. interventions.

Meanwhile, coastal residents grapple with the challenge of adapting to a rapidly changing coastal landscape – a vital part of their cultural identity that they are reluctant to abandon. As escalating climate change threatens their lives and livelihoods, it is crucial to amplify the voices of climate-displaced coastal communities and ensure that their immediate challenges as well as their long-term needs are addressed through targeted support policies and programs.

The history of proximal migration

In the past four Over the past few years, I have worked with nearly 1,000 households in the coastal districts of southern Kerala – including Chellanam, Valiyathura, Purakkad, Ponnani and Chavakkad – to understand how they are adapting to climate change.

Locals consistently express a deep attachment to the region and consider life in coastal areas to be the best, except for the threat of sea invasion. This is evident from their reaction to extreme events: Unless their house becomes uninhabitable, people prefer to go back, repair it, rebuild it and resettle. This cycle often continues for years before they begin to consider migration as a viable option. By then, they are financially exhausted and, in many cases, in debt.

Many coastal families have taken out loans, formal and informal, to upgrade their homes despite difficult conditions. When damage occurred, they often spent between Rs 50,000 and 1 lakh to supplement the government compensation. Yet even these fortified houses often succumb to recurring flooding and erosion, or extreme events like cyclones. People are then forced to depend on overcrowded relief camps, relatives or rented houses. Many families end up moving multiple times as they wear out favors from loved ones or deplete their savings paying unaffordable rent. Although some families displaced by hurricanes may receive government rental assistance while housing projects are built, this assistance is often delayed or denied due to administrative obstacles. Many families remain trapped in such precarious conditions for years.

A common pattern among those migrating toward their own homes is proximal migration, where they move only a few hundred meters to escape the immediate threat of waves. Most families do not go beyond the limits of their village. As a result, they find themselves facing similar difficult situations years later.

This proximal migratory trend is driven by attachment to their villages, financial constraints and the challenges of maintaining their fishing-related livelihoods. For fishermen, who make up the majority of the coastal population, there is a deep connection and pride in their work, making them reluctant to consider alternative employment inland or in other urban areas. The profitability of fishing drops even a kilometer from the shore. Families involved in fishing for generations now face a difficult choice: abandon their livelihoods and culture to settle inland or stay and face the angry seas.

Interventions with the population

Kerala’s Punergeham project provides Rs 10 lakh to households living within 50 meters of the high tide line to purchase land and construct a concrete house at least 200 meters away. Although it is perhaps the only program in the country that proactively responds to growing vulnerability linked to climate change, the amount is often insufficient to cover the costs of land and construction, which has forced residents to take on additional debt. News of impending land purchases increases land values, stacking the odds even further against residents. The project was better accepted in Ambalappuzha and Ponnani, but misinformation hampered participation in places like Chellanam.

Resettlement housing is available to a limited number of coastal residents. However, socio-cultural and livelihood aspects are often neglected, leading to problems after resettlement. For example, recently constructed high-rise buildings for displaced households may be economically efficient but differ significantly from traditional housing, reducing their acceptability. The relocation of fishermen to areas without access to ports can have negative consequences and increase financial vulnerability. Other problems include lack of drinking water, waterlogging, and inadequate drainage and waste management. These problems can push people back to their areas of origin, thereby negating resettlement efforts.

Planned resettlements should consider traditional livelihoods and community connections, as these factors contribute significantly to adaptive capacity and facilitate transition for affected populations. It is crucial to establish mechanisms for consistent government support after resettlement, including infrastructure development, livelihood opportunities and protection against other climatic hazards such as urban flooding.

The government must limit the rise in land values ​​near coastal areas to keep them affordable. Effective communication and public engagement through community forums can improve awareness and dispel misinformation about resettlement programs. Policies must also protect projects from political disruption.

It is important to note that resettlement should not be imposed on those who wish to stay. Residents who prefer to stay behind want solutions designed like sea walls and groynes to protect themselves. While these protections seem reassuring at first glance, they are not sustainable in the long term.

Confidence in softer measures like geotubes remains low, mainly due to poorly executed projects in regions like Poonthura and Chellanam. Geotubes are large fabric tubes, mostly made of polypropylene or polyester, filled with sand or mud, which can protect shorelines from erosion by absorbing the energy of incoming waves. The perception that hardened coastlines are inherently safer should be challenged by promoting and implementing geotubes and beach nourishment, based on detailed modeling of coastal dynamics.

Additionally, it is crucial to preserve coastal wetlands, which serve as vital buffers against wave activity. With sea level rise, coastal wetlands generally migrate landward. Coastal development plans should incorporate, where possible, setbacks to accommodate this natural migration.

Successful interventions, such as the restoration of Punnapra Beach, by planting Casuarina groves, offer a potential solution for replication. Although it is a recognized anti-erosion strategy, concerns exist about its ecological impact. Casuarina, an exotic species, can disrupt native flora and fauna. To solve this problem, native plants, like Ravan’s mustache (Spinifex littoreus) and morning glory on the beach (Ipomée pescaprae), could be explored as ecological alternatives.

Training residents in nature-based approaches can also empower communities to manage their own environments, ensuring greater acceptance and maintenance of these solutions.

The dual approach of supporting resettlement and sustainable coastal protection must be balanced to meet the needs of migrant and non-migrant coastal populations. Global examples show that success comes with strong community participation and capacity building, solid planning, support for entrenchment and strengthening social safety nets. Policies should prioritize intersectional and intergenerational justice and the sustainable well-being of coastal residents, in addition to reducing their physical exposure to hazards.

Aysha Jennath is a postdoctoral researcher at the Indian Institute of Human Settlements, Bangalore. His research focuses on the physical and social impacts of climate change.