Vulnerability Assessment of Coastal Fisher Households in Southern Districts of Tamil Nadu: A Climate Change Perspective

Climate change has had a significant impact on both agricultural and aquatic ecosystems. However, research on the vulnerability of the fishing sector is less extensive than that on the agricultural systems. It is imperative to investigate the various climatic stresses that affect the resilience of these ecosystems, which are crucial to the livelihoods of billions of people. The study evaluated the vulnerability index (VI) of three coastal districts in southern Tamil Nadu using the Parameter, Attribute, Resilient indicator, and score method (PARS). Tirunelveli exhibited the highest vulnerability, followed by Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari. The VI ranges for different villages within these coastal districts were as follows: Tirunelveli (0.05 to 0.27), Kanyakumari (0.04 to 0.30) and Thoothukudi (0.03 to 0.31). Thoothukudi Fishing Harbour (0.31) demonstrated the highest vulnerability index, followed by Colachel (0.30) and Uvari (0.27). Additionally, an assessment of 150 fishing households in the Thoothukudi area utilising the rank-based quotient (RBQ) revealed that climate change differentially impacts environmental, fishery, and socioeconomic development factors. The results of the questionnaire survey indicated that climate change predominantly affects the environment, with subsequent effects on fisheries. This study provides foundational information for the vulnerability assessment of the southern districts of Tamil Nadu.